Looking for a few tips

[Tom Megow]

I started turning bowls last summer. My bowl are starting to get dry enough to finish. I have encountered several problems
I am looking for suggestions to help with
Tear out- seems worse on dry wood ? (SHARP tools and high RPM?)
Wall to bottom juncture- (I just use my 1" round nose scraper)
flat bottom- mine seem a bit wavy (I have no curved rest yet)

[Steve Schlumpf]

Tom, best advice I can offer is for you to get with your local turning club and get some hands-on training. Turning clubs love to teach turning and chances are there is a woodturner living near you who would be willing to show you the basics of bowl turning.

I do know there is a turning club (Alabama Woodturners Association) located in Homewood, AL, which is just south of Birmingham and they meet on the second Saturday of the month. If you would like their email address, send me a PM and we'll see if we can't get you in touch.

[John Thorson]

Tear out- angle of the cut using a sharp tool is the cure here, if you use a scraper it has to be a very light cut with a fresh bur to avoid tearing out

Wall to bottom juncture- the best approach here is to work toward having a smooth curve and not a juncture cutting the interior surface with your gouges

flat bottom- I have the best luck with a 'standard grind' gouge with about a 60 degree bevel picking up the cut on the wall and cutting a smooth bottom

[Tom Megow]

I checked out the AWT Club. Their April meeting is on making Furniture. I'll see what the May Meeting is about.
Thanks

[Marc Himes]

Hi Tom. I agree with Steve's advice and I am glad to see you looked into the club. Club meetings usually have a demo but also show and tell and other things going on and it would be a good way to get in touch with some of the members who may help you. Even if the meeting is about furniture you may find something helpful in the demo, but for sure it will be interesting and FUN. Besides, do you have anything better to do that day?

[Thomas Canfield]

Tom - you did not say what size bowls you are turning. I only recently got a curved rest for my Powermatic 3520B and my little Nova Comet II. The straight tool rest worked on my 3520B up to about 18"D and 8"deep and then the reach was too much for my 5/8" bowl gouge and I bought a 3/4" Thompson to cut the bottom. The curve tool rest would have been a cheaper route and I ended up having them make anyway. I do not like to use a scraper on side grain bowls and prefer the cut of a bowl gouge. You do need to go to a different grind angle for a deeper bowl and sharper radius corner, but you can also do a little more with the standard grind by moving your cutting position from center to above center as you make the transition curve from side to bottom (I think that was a Bill Grumbine video trick).

[Jim Hipp]

Tom - If you contact the Wood Craft store in Pelham, AL you can get on their email list. They occasionally have classes on wood turning. When I visited the store I spoke with Van who is a turner and he offered this beginner some good advice. Best of luck from Springville AL.