My First

[Tom Winship]

I turned my first bowl this morning. (Does a vessel have to hold water to be a bowl?)

It is 8" x 1 3/4" mesquite. I wanted to just practice technique. I don't have a chuck yet, so ran between centers to do outside, the reversed and attached to 6" face plate and using live center, turned the inside.

I know there is a learning curve with everything, and I learned a lot, however, one problem I can't get past is the gouge "grabbing". The gouge measures 3/8" in diameter, and looks like a bowl gouge (as if I would know). It came in a set of Crown tools that I bought a number of years ago when I bought the lathe.

If I could ask, specifically, where should the tool rest be veritically relative to the centerline when using the gouge? Above, below, how much?

Feel free with your C&C. I feel a sucking phenomena pulling me toward the workshop.

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[Rusty Smith]

Tom, others may have different opinions, but I strongly suggest getting Lyle Jamieson's DVD "Bowl Basics the Easy Way". It covers about everything relative to bowl turning. Highly recommended.

[Dick Wilson]

Is your a bowl? Well it will hold some water:) I turn bowls all the time that have voids......and I put up with the occasional smart a_s who says "what good is it? I can't eat soup out of it". To my way of thinking you turned a bowl.

[David E Keller]

Nicely done! Beats the pants off of my first 10 bowls(and some of my recent stuff as well)! Lots of good beginner videos... Grumbine and Clewes come to mind.It's fairly important to figure out if what you're using is made for bowl turning and not spindle work... Could be dangerous if it's a spindle gouge. I generally set the rest below the center line and adjust it so that I'm cutting on center for basic push cuts. Shear scraping often requires an adjustment.

[Roger Chandler]

I always heard..........."if it won't hold soup, then its art!" Nice first one Tom!

[Bob Bergstrom]

Sure looks like a good thumb holder you have created there. Should come in handy when eating popcorn out of the bowl. Good job for the first. Just find some free wood and watch as much video as you can ingest. Join a AAW club. Texas has some great turning clubs.

[Tom Winship]

204661David, which is this? Spindle or Bowl gouge. Diameter is 3/8 ".
Thanks.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Tom the bowl looks good to me. I would suggest Bill Grumbine Turned Bowls Made Easy. Excellent DVD on bowl turning.

[charlie knighton]

Tom, nice bowl, good suggestion in previous posts

[David E Keller]

The flute looks like a bowl gouge to me, Tom.

[Jim Burr]

In the boat with Doc...Bowl gouge and looks like you sharpened it on a wheel. Nothing wrong with that and a pretty cool to boot! Good start Tom, my first dozen or so are carbon dioxide...so tell us what you learned?

[Scott Hackler]

Nice first Tom. My suggestions beyond the good advice already given: Learn how to sharpen with an Ellsworth grind (wings swept back) and not quite as strong a bevel. Believe me that a very sharp tool with the proper grind WILL make your turning a more enjoyable experience. Tool presentation is key. Learning to keep the angle of the flute at the proper angle will keep the catches from happening.

Its all a learning process and from your first piece it looks like there is no hope....you have joined the rest of us in the vortex. Hope you've hidden the wallet!

[John Keeton]

Tom, IMO you did an exceptional job on this bowl! Very good first run. On the gouge, I think the important thing is to know what the tang looks like. Some spindle gouges might have a similar flute profile, but have a square or flat tang, and that is where the danger might lie. On a bowl gouge, you want a full diameter tang - 3/8" in this case.

[Jon Nuckles]

Tom, No fair posting such a nice bowl and claiming it is your first! You are supposed to save the voids and decorative rims for later. Nice work.

[Tom Winship]

Thanks for all the positive comments, guys.
John, the gouge is full diameter all the way back into the handle. Is this what you mean?
Ordered a DVD today. Going to a local turners meeting Saturday morning. Will order a chuck quickly. Let's see what else is there................, oh yeah, see my banker. She liked the bowl, so maybe a loan can be negotiated.

[Tom Winship]

Jim, I actually sharpened it on a belt sander. I learned that I have to get a chuck, and have to learn how to apply the tool to the wood correctly. Also learned that spindle turning is more forgiving than bowls, correct? No offense to anyone, but pens were easy....er.