Using a gouge on the inside of a bowl--newbie needs help!

[Noah Barfield]

Hi all,

I'm a beginning wood turner & my main interest right now is making bowls. However, I'm having a hard time learning how to use a gouge on the inside of the bowl.

Earlier this summer, I took some turning classes at the local Woodcraft. During one of the classes, I had a catch on the inside of the bowl and managed to slice my finger open. Since then, I've been "gun shy" and have been using a scraper to shape the insides.

Needless to say, the outsides of my bowls are much nicer than the insides. The scraper causes tear out that doesn't sand out well.

I've watched a few videos (Clewes and Raffan) and have read Raffan's books. For some reason, it's just not sinking in. I keep getting catches every time I try to use a bowl gouge on the inside of the bowl, so I switch over to the scraper.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I could do to learn how to use the gouge correctly?

Thanks,

Noah

[Allan Ferguson]

I use a deep V fingernail bowl gouge. I have found them much more forgiving of the user than a standard bowl gouge. The gouge that came with my cheaper turning set mostly gathers dust. Really have to keep any points on a standard gouge clear of the wood.

[Prashun Patel]

IMHO, the epiphany came for me when I modified how I turned the OUTSIDE. Starting with a cylindrical block, it's tempting to stop too early when shaping the outside bottom of the bowl. Doing so creates a flat bottom and vertical side that are hard to transition when turning the inside.

Think about taking off straight from the tenon and minimizing the flat bottom on the outside.

Then on the inside, minimize the flatness of the bottom and the vertical'ness' of the sides.

Are you working with a curved tool rest? They make it easier to get close to the walls - especially around that pesky transition where you're likely getting yr catches.

[Noah Barfield]

Thank you for the suggestions. I have both a traditional grind bowl gouge and a deep v fingernail from D-Way tools. I don't yet have a curved tool rest. I will work on curving the bottom more around the transition area.

[Richard Allen]

Attend a local woodturning club meeting and get some mentoring help. I can write 1000 words and still not convey the "how to" as well as 5 minutes of watching someone. And if you can get someone to spend 15 minutes with you you will be way ahead of the curve. This is one of those things which is easy to show but nearly impossible to tell.

[Jamie Donaldson]

Make sure that the flute of the gouge is pointed toward the center of the bowl, not pointing straight up in the guaranteed catch position!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Make sure that the flute of the gouge is pointed toward the center of the bowl, not pointing straight up in the guaranteed catch position!

+1 on that. I was going to say roll the tool over too. If you're turning end grain, it's always hard thing to do. I would say skip end grain for a bit and learn to cut side grain. Then go back and re-try the end grain.

[Jon McElwain]

+1 on that. I was going to say roll the tool over too. If you're turning end grain, it's always hard thing to do. I would say skip end grain for a bit and learn to cut side grain. Then go back and re-try the end grain.

For end grain, start and the center and work out. For side grain, start at the edge and move in. The idea is that you are avoiding cutting into the end grain. Make sure you are using a bowl gouge, not a spindle gouge. The flute on the bowl gouge is much deeper. A spindle gouge with its shallow flute will catch if used to hollow a bowl. I'll add another +1 on pointing the flute towards the center. If pointed up, it will kick out violently. Unless you are an advanced turner and know the risks of turning a bowl with a roughing gouge, do not use a roughing gouge on the inside of a bowl.

Practice your entry cut until you get to the point where you can start a cut at the rim on side grained wood. To do the bottom of the bowl, drop the rest a little and start to open up the flute (pointing it gradually upward) as you transition to the bottom of the bowl. Try to maintain a bevel rubbing cut on the bottom. This can be difficult with a hollow ground fingernail grind. Look at craft supplies under Mike Mahoney's signature tool line - he uses different grinds for different parts of the bowl.

Hope some of that helps. Get to a club, ask lots of questions, look at your videos carefully to see how the instructor is presenting the tool to the wood, and practice, practice, practice!

Good Luck!

[Noah Barfield]

Attend a local woodturning club meeting and get some mentoring help. I can write 1000 words and still not convey the "how to" as well as 5 minutes of watching someone. And if you can get someone to spend 15 minutes with you you will be way ahead of the curve. This is one of those things which is easy to show but nearly impossible to tell.

Thanks for this suggestion. I joined the local club last month and attended a presentation. Having never been to a turning club before, I was hoping it was going to be more hands-on. I'm going back for another meeting tomorrow. This time, I'll ask if they have a mentor program or any hands-on workshops.

Noah

[Wally Dickerman]

Since I don't know what you did in your classes I'll start from the beginning. After you've shaped the outside of the bowl I suggest that you bore a hole down the center to a little less than the finished depth will be. I use a 3/8 drill but a larger size works as well. The hole serves 2 purposes. Easier to hollow and it's a depth gauge. When you start the hollowing, remember that you want the inside of the bowl to be a mirror image of the outside.

Setting the toolrest at the right height is important. With the gouge level, the point should should be pointing at just about center or a little below. When you start the cut, drop the handle a bit so you're cutting above center, have the flute pointing at about 2 o'clock and swing the handle in an arc to the center. Rub the bevel all the way. That's important. Continue making that sweeping cut until the walls are perhaps 1/2 to 5/8 in. Your bowl is then roughed out. Beginners nearly always agree that the hollowing cuts are actually easier to do than cutting on the outside. It's just repeating the same cut. If you have a problem with rubbing the bevel across the bottom, it's okay to use yourr scraper there. The key here is to RUB the bevel curing the cut.

For good control your left hand should alsways be in contact with the toolrest.

If your gouge starts to bounce during the cut, back up and start another shallow cut to go under those lumps.

[robert baccus]

Piece of cake...go buy a cheap dedicated 1/2" deep bowl gouge. grind to about a 75 deg bevel. almost flat. use at 90 deg off the tool rest. pretty good finish gouge all the way around the bottom but is basically a bottom cutter. been using it for 20 years and is obviously one of the better kept secrets in bowl turning.----------------old forester

[Curt Fuller]

Noah, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then here's a video that's worth even more. This is a fun and goofy video where Cindy Drozda is taking a dare at turning a bowl from a cauliflower. But the reason it's also worth watching is that it shows very clearly how to use a gouge while turning a bowl. Because she's turning a cauliflower, she has to be very careful not to have a catch. Watch this a few times to get over laughing that she's actually turning a cauliflower and then watch closely to see how she holds the tool and how she keeps riding the bevel as it swings through the bowl. I think it might help you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guClqaO57yU

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guClqaO57yU)

[Reed Gray]

Another short clip from me. I do turn at high speed, but show the basic tools I use, and a bottom of the bowl gouge. If you are ever down Eugene way, stop on by. I don't care even if you are a Husky fan. Shop is almost always open.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0qkpDBcgfg&feature=feedu

r (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0qkpDBcgfg&feature=feedu)obo hippy

[Noah Barfield]

Thanks again everyone! Impressive videos from Curt and Reed--I think I'm starting to get it. I'll head out into the garage this weekend to give it a try.

Noah