newbie needs help

[Cory Martin]

Hi all, just wanted to say what a wonderful site and thanks for all the input. I just started turning bowls and am fasinated, and very very humbled. Having a little trouble hollowing. It starts off well but as i come down the side wall i start getting quite a bit of vibration. I have started rolling the gouge towards the center and that seems to help. I just wondered if there is something else i should be doing or is it a matter of technique.

Thanks cory

[Reed Gray]

It is a matter of tecnique. It is also hard to explain in words. I gather that you are getting the chattering on the inside of the bowl, and not on the outside.

If you are using a two fisted white knuckle grip that is part of the problem. Very little pressure is needed, and almost all of it comes from your back hand, not the one on the tool rest. You don't need to force it.

Turning very thin walls, say 1/4 inch and less is another part of the problem. There isn't much wood, and the walls will flex as you turn, even with the least pressure from your tools.

Try to find the nearest club and go to some meetings. These meetings have been my biggest learning experience in my 9 years of turning. You can see things being done, and ask questions. They usually have a list of mentors who like to help you out also. Look up the AAW site, and they have a listing of all the clubs.

From my Kung Fu teacher,"Teacher, am I doing this right?" " 10,000 more times!" " But teacher, that is what you said last time." He smiled and walked away.

robo hippy

[Jason Slutsky]

I'd have to agree with Reed, Cory. I'm a new turner also and had the same trouble that you're having. My best finishing cuts have been my final one or two passes. They were very light and didn't chatter much if at all. It was then I realized "Oh, maybe I'm pushing too hard while hollowing!"

I'll tell you what I was taught early on also...use that bevel! It makes a world of difference.

Another thing would be the type of bowl that you're trying to make. Making a bowl with more of a "box" shape (like a letter U) is more difficult for a novice than making one with a sweeping arc (like the bottom of the letter O.

My $.02...

-Practice, practice, practice.
-Keep your tools sharp.
-Post questions here.
-Join a club.
-Rent or buy some DVDs...Like Bill Grumbine's Turning Bowls Made Easy or Richard Raffan's Turning Bowls.

[Cory Martin]

thanks guys, reed it is the chattering on the inside and i'm pretty sure i hold the gouge very tight. Also I bought bill Grumbines video very recently and enjoy it a great deal

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Cory....Welcome to the Vortex! As stated above it is often a matter of two things.....technique and tool sharpness. Often when I'm making the final cut, I resharpen my bowl gouge so it's as clean a cut as possible and it helps reduce the amount of sanding I have to do to clean up the bowl. Good luck! Keep at it!

[Dave Carey]

I'm too new at this to really offer an answer but am having the same experience. I sat through a couple of demonstrations by Kirk DeHeer from Craft Supplies at last week's woodworking show in Chantilly, VA. His advise was to use a bowl gouge with a flatter grind. I don't have the terminoligy right I'm sure but he took a bowl gouge with a fingernail grind and essentially blunted the tip (the result was two bevels on the front) making sure that the new tip was blended into the preexisting side bevels. He only used that gouge when cleaning up the bottom of the bowl. Used the standard bowl gouge for the sides and roughing ou the bottom. I'm sure the folks here can make more sense out of that than I have, but for what it's worth ...