my first bowl

[Mark Pruitt]

Not sure what came over me yesterday. I was at a stopping place at about 1400, looked at that lathe sitting against my back wall that I have hardly used and thought hmmmmmm........ Thinking can be dangerous. :p A few chunks of logs lying about the place that I cut with a chainsaw several weeks ago....might as well make use of one of 'em.....here is the end result:



Not a family heirloom by any stretch:p but it does represent an important step for me and I learned a few things as well. There were two things that I found particularly frustrating--catches and fitting a jam chuck. As to the catches, I guess I just need to watch more, read more, practice more, etc. The problem with the jam chuck is comical in hindsight but wasn't funny at the moment. I got what I thought was a snug fit, Turned on the lathe and the second I touched a gouge to the work, FLING!--it flys a few feet and lands (naturally behind the lathe where I have to crawl to get it:mad: ). I figure I just need to be more gentle with the gouge, try it again, FLING!--there he goes again:mad: :mad: . That happened a couple more times. One time it flew so far I had to go hunt the thing and thought good Lord how can it just disappear like this?:eek: I finally wised up a bit and wrapped masking tape around the bowl's edge, took a mallet and smacked that sucker into the jam chuck and finally I was in business;).

So, is the sensation I felt drawing me toward this what is known as the vortex?:eek: :eek:

[Mark Cothren]

I don't see a pic....:confused:

[Mark Pruitt]

I have no idea what happened to the picture. Trying again....

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mark.........excellent bowl! If I was you..........I'd hope that feeling comes over you again! and .........Yup ........that's the nicer side of the vortex!

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Hey Mark, not bad at all, everyone has to have a first catch, first fling and first bowl, you got them all out of the way in one session! :D

Next time the fit is a bit loose, dip the end of the blank in water, I saw a guy do this at a demo.

Cheers!

[Mike Ramsey]

Pretty good for a first bowl Mark! You are of course wrong as your first
turning will surely become a heirloom within your family.

[John Hart]

....So, is the sensation I felt drawing me toward this what is known as the vortex?:eek: :eek:

More like the sensation that keeps bringing you back!;) :D

Nice Bowl Mark....Way to hang with it!!!

[John Miliunas]

Yes Mark, that's what we affectionately do indeed know as the Vortex! :D What you need to do is to look around your shop and figure out what future tools you still want/need and make a list. Once done with that list, cross off all the items not related to turning, as you will be spending your tool monies on anything/everything related to your spinny thing! :D Once you have acquired all the items on the remainder of the list, start a new one, as there will always be more turny stuff to get, which will without a doubt, outweigh your available income! You may consider adding some drop cloths to the list, so that you may cover up the rest of your tools (except for the bandsaw and maybe the drill press for pen blanks), as you will not be using them for quite some time! :)

BTW, great first effort! It really kind of surprised me to see that piece, as one of my very first ones is almost a duplicate of that, albeit, in Walnut flavor!!! :D Keep it up...You're on your way! :) :cool:

[Mark Pruitt]

...you will be spending your tool monies on anything/everything related to your spinny thing! :D

LOL! So very true. Actually, I have already spent more on tools and accessories than I spent for the lathe itself! The chuck alone--a Oneway Talon--was over $200. I found a great price on Sorby bowl gouges at Grizzly.com, but they still ain't cheap. At least the wood is free for those of us who have chainsaws...:D

[Keith Burns]

LOL! So very true. Actually, I have already spent more on tools and accessories than I spent for the lathe itself! The chuck alone--a Oneway Talon--was over $200. I found a great price on Sorby bowl gouges at Grizzly.com, but they still ain't cheap. At least the wood is free for those of us who have chainsaws...:D

YOU AINT SEEN NOTHING YET, MARK:D

Nice first bowl, keep it up:) :)

[Bernie Weishapl]

Well Mark you got it all out of the road on the first one. It should be a piece of cake now. :p :D By the way nice bowl.

[Ernie Nyvall]

Nice bowl Mark.

I have to admit, I'm curious about your jam chuck setup for the bowl. Not to say that things don't fly off the lathe from time to time, but that many seems unusual. I wonder if you could show a picture of the setup.

Ernie

[Corey Hallagan]

Looks good Mark! I am no stranger to things coming off the lathe. Do you mean the lathe chuck instead of jam chuck? Where you cut a tennon and fit it into the jaws and tighten it?

Corey

[Dick Parr]

Great job Mark, looks sweet!

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

I really like that one, Mark. Very interesting design.

Bruce

[Mark Pruitt]

Looks good Mark! I am no stranger to things coming off the lathe. Do you mean the lathe chuck instead of jam chuck? Where you cut a tennon and fit it into the jaws and tighten it?

Corey


Nice bowl Mark.

I have to admit, I'm curious about your jam chuck setup for the bowl. Not to say that things don't fly off the lathe from time to time, but that many seems unusual. I wonder if you could show a picture of the setup.

Ernie

Corey, Ernie,
I'm attaching a pic of the jam chuck I created, although I'm a bit hesitant to do so because it is so crude. The one and only purpose that this jam chuck served was to secure the bowl while I turned the bottom. My very first step at the lathe was to mount the blank between centers and turn a tenon to mount the blank in my Oneway chuck. The bowl was then held in the Oneway chuck as I formed all but the bottom.

Tonight I looked at one of Raffan's books and saw that a better alternative would have been to rough out a sholder while turning the inside, then re-mount the bowl using the jaws against the sholder and use this method to secure the bowl while turning the bottom; then secure the bowl in the chuck jaws by its newly formed bottom. That would have undoubtedly resulted in fewer (or no) "flings"! Interestingly, I was thinking that it was Raffan that I got the jam chuck idea from...

[Barry Stratton]

That is one GREAT first bowl....and you learned why a facemask is important with those "flings"! Keep them coming.

[John Hart]

Mark...I wonder if you could use the tailstock to hold it in place for the majority of the bottom turning...then just back it away for the final nub that would be left behind.

[Mark Pruitt]

Mark...I wonder if you could use the tailstock to hold it in place for the majority of the bottom turning...then just back it away for the final nub that would be left behind.
Well of course!!! That makes such perfect sense.....dunno where my brain was!:p THANKS!!!

[Jim Dunn]

That's part of the problem with the Vortex. It not only sucks money from your wallet it sucks part of your brain away too. Why would we spend all out money on tools if it didn't.

Nice first bowl!

[Mark Pruitt]

That's part of the problem with the Vortex. It not only sucks money from your wallet it sucks part of your brain away too.
.....which means I'm in BIGGGGGGGGGGG trouble:eek: Oh well, if I have to fry my brain on something it might as well be fun AND legal.....:D