Bowl roughing

[Paul Zerjay]

I had a newbie over the other day and he was amazed at how I rough a bowl. Since this was the 1st time I met the guy, I asked him to show me what he could do. I had a 10" Dia green blank, cut round on the bandsaw, attatched to the lathe with a 3" faceplate. The bark was left on so basically I had a half log, 10" round, and about 6" deep. The tailstock was brought up on the bark side to help stabilize the unbalanced blank. He immediately started roughing the bowl from the headstock end, (straight chainsawed edge) throwing shavings all over himself and bouncing all over the place. I let him continue for about five minutes, and still he did not have a complete rough. From this point, I showed him my technique. Again the tailstock is brought up to the bark side of the log. The toolrest is positioned at 45 degrees from the ways and the gouge is held with the left hand on the handle and the right hand guiding the tool at the toolrest. The butt of the tool handle is at my left front pocket, and the flute is pointed at about 10:30. No shavings in the face and better yet no bouncing, except alittle at the very end of the cut. With a good sharp ellsworth, the outside of a blank can be roughed in quickly and easily. Is this how you guys do it? Or am I just different?:confused:

[Jim Becker]

Paul, technique is important at any stage of turning, but during those first minutes with a "rough" blank, it can make a difference in many ways as you clearly illustrate. A sharp side-grind gouge is also my choice and I generally work right to left using pull cuts to begin shaping as well as rounding the piece...very similar to how Bill Grumbine shows in his first video. (I learned it from David Ellsworth directly during his three day "retreat") So...keep on working that way given it's comfortable and, well...works!

[Kevin McPeek]

After watching the Grumbine videos my roughing quality and pace increased tremendously. I do admit that I do get chips in the face and faceshield sometimes but as long as I have my flapper shut its all good.

[Sandy Navas]

I've always turned a rough blank from right to left with the tool rest at 45 degrees, UNLESS it starts out being out of round. I have been known, in that case, to pick up my spindle roughing gouge and turn the blank round and then go back to the bowl gouge with the too rest at 45 degrees.

I would, however, put the bark side on a worm screw in the headstock.

BTW I'm left handed, so in going from right to left I use my right hand on the gouge handle, locked to my right side, and use my left hand to hold the gouge bevel on the tool rest at about 10:30.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I go from right to left using the 45, 45, and 45 rule Bill talks about. Very seldom do I have bounce and don't get shavings in the face shield. If doing a NE bowl the bark is at the headstock end and if just a plain bowl the bark side is on the tailstock side after rounding with the bandsaw.

[Harvey M. Taylor]

After chucking the workpiece up if it is way out of balance, I turn it slowly and look at the 'ghost' image of the workpiece. I then adjust the toolrest to take any unusually long protrusion off to help with the balancing. Then proceed as others have mentioned. Just my way of doing things.

[Ken LaSota]

Paul I also go right to left as in Bill Grumbines video,never tried roughing at the head stock in fact I was waiting while reading to hear what happened but nothing bad so that was good,
Ken

[Dick Durbin]

A sharp side-grind gouge is also my choice and I generally work right to left using pull cuts to begin shaping as well as rounding the piece...very similar to how Bill Grumbine shows in his first video.

I haven't been at this very long but I started out roughing bowls like Blair Davis in his video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM7Krp9e9ZM

After spending a day watching Bill Grumbine, I realized that his method made a lot more sense. Bill was gracious enough to regrind my Sorby bowl gouge like his. His method is easier on me and my tools.

[Mike Vickery]

Yep I also do it basically the same as Bill shows in his video. I will say I have gotten a lot faster than I used to be but I doubt I would have then outside completely rough turned on a bowl that size in 5 minutes. Sometimes I am suprised at how quick (for me) I rough out some of the softer woods I get but most of the stuff I use is Mesquite and Acacia and they take me more time.

Out of curiousity how long would it take most of you to rough out the outside of a 10x6 bowl of lets say walnut?

[Barry Stratton]

My biggest challenge in turning is being left handed. Going from headstock to tailstock is the most natural for me, but leads to major tearout as I am cutting "downhill" into unsupported grain. A few tips from the good folks here has me switched around, all backwards, and doing better! I now know to duplicate what I see others do instead of the mirror image I am so used to!

[Jim Stoppleworth]

Like Barry I'm lefthanded. It took many viewings of Bill G's DVD's and many hours of practice and wood rereadied for firewood but I can now turn with my righthand as well as my left. Actually getting fairly proficient at rough turning bowls. Can't imagine trying to turn from the headstock to the tailstock on a bowl blank.

[Bob Hovde]

Yep I also do it basically the same as Bill shows in his video. I will say I have gotten a lot faster than I used to be but I doubt I would have then outside completely rough turned on a bowl that size in 5 minutes. Sometimes I am suprised at how quick (for me) I rough out some of the softer woods I get but most of the stuff I use is Mesquite and Acacia and they take me more time.

Out of curiousity how long would it take most of you to rough out the outside of a 10x6 bowl of lets say walnut?

This depends on how dry the walnut is. I just rough turned a 3 in. section of a walnut log (about 19 in. diameter) and it took me a week. It had been sitting around for several years before I inherited it. I had to stop and regrind my tools (I tried every one!) every 1/2 inch of cut! Next time, I rough turn dry walnut with an axe!

Bob

[Mike Vickery]

This depends on how dry the walnut is. I just rough turned a 3 in. section of a walnut log (about 19 in. diameter) and it took me a week. It had been sitting around for several years before I inherited it. I had to stop and regrind my tools (I tried every one!) every 1/2 inch of cut! Next time, I rough turn dry walnut with an axe!

Bob

To funny. I guess I should have specified fresh cut wet wood. I just said Walnut because I consider it a medium hardness and wanted a baseline.

So if it was dry my were you roughing it out :cool: .

[steven carter]

I'm going to have to get the Gumbine video. I built a homemade Oland tool that I read about on Darrell Feltmate's site aroundthewoods.com, and use it to rough out bowls. It does a great job for me and is pretty fast. I can go either direction with it and usually do. I tend to throw curls of wood in all directions, including on my face shield, and get a kick out of doing it.


Steve

[George Tokarev]

What amazes me is how few people will lop off the end grain in a reasonable match to the sides of what will become the bowl. Means more work with the gouge, and often a whole lot of unnecessary shakin' goin' on.

Where able, I tilt the bandsaw table and do the prep. Where my saw, still without riser can't handle it, I undercut with the chainsaw. No sense in battering yourself and the lathe if you don't have to. Obviously I work tail in, being both right handed and a pin chuck rougher.

[Reed Gray]

For all my bowl roughing, I use scrapers, 1 1/4 by 1/2 thick. I start at the base of the bowl and work out towards the rim (I guess that is what you mean by going right to left). Especially if the blank is rough I like to get the base flat, then work my way down the edge of the bowl to the rim in steps rather than going all the way down then coming back. Once the shape is established, I use the gouge for the finish cuts. Time for a 4 bowl cored set from a blank 6 inch thick by 14 wide is about 50 minutes. These are totally bandsawn blanks, not chainsawn rough, so they turn faster. I have 4 gouges, one for each bowl, sharpened and ready to go before I start so I don't have to stop and sharpen. I use a forstner bit recess in the top of the bowl blank, and use a recess on the bottom. I don't use the tailstock. The chuck never comes off. I core the biggest bowl first, then turn it out, then put the core on and turn the base, reverse, core, etc.
robo hippy

[Stephen Hibbs]

I start the roughing between centers with the curved, barked area at the tail stock, and start next to the tail stock and round it from there back to the headstock. I use a BB bowl gouge.