Walnut question

[Rex Guinn]

I have a question on finishing the inside of a walnut bowl, it's about 10" Dia. and I can't seem to get the inside smooth so I don't have to do a lot of sanding. I have tried my 1/2" and 3/8" bowl gouge both Sorby and sharpened to the elsworth grind on a wolverine grinding jig. I did a cherry before the walnut and it is fine. Attached are pics of both.
Thanks

59013

59014

[Dick Parr]

Hi Rex,

For myself on walnut I use a bowl scraper before I try to sand. Walnut gives me a lot of tear-out on the end grain no matter how sharp I get my gouges and how careful I am. So I do a real light scrape using as heavy a bowl scraper as the size of bowl will allow. Some times I even turn it up on edge to get a better shearing scrape with a light touch.

Give this a try and see if it helps.

Good luck.

[Ron Chamberlin]

I have similar problems with the inside of bowls sometimes, ( just walnut). With its open grain, it seems to be relatively soft for a "hardwood". I have sometimes helped this problem by putting on a coat of sanding sealer, or dilute white glue, or danish oil, or something similar. This slightly hardens the surface and helps keep it from tearing out. You have to balance out what you are using against the effect it will have on later finishing. For instance, white glue will probably interfere with later oil absorption.
I am sure many here have more experience and better solutions to this problem. Good luck in solving it. Those are nicely shaped bowls.

[John Shuk]

You might rty to shear scrape it.

[Rex Guinn]

The best i could get it inside and out was sanding sealer and shear scrape, then 60 grit gouge, 180 grit now it's ready for 220 then 320. Hopefully it will look good.
Thanks for all your comments.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Rex I do what Mike Mahoney does on his bowls and have had good success. I use the P & N bowl gouge both 1/2" and 3/8" with the conventional grind to do the final 2 or 3 passes. Sometimes I put some walnut oil or mineral oil on the rough spots and the after sharpening the conventional gouge I hit it a couple of times and generally start sanding at 100. I got this from his video From The Tree to the Table. Just my experience and I do a lot of walnut.