My First Bowl

[Tim Malyszko]

This morning, I was bored and could not wait another week for my Turning Class, so I decided to turn a blank of maple I had laying around.

To be honest, I didn't really know what I was doing and had my Taunton's Complete Illsustrated Guide to Turning by my side. After about 1.5 hours of work, this is final product. I'm happy since it is my first bowl turning and turned out about how I wanted/expected. my wife says I need something to throw my pocket contents in when I get home and I figure this would be perfect.

As you can see from the photographs, I was getting a lot of tear-out on the bowl's inner walls, so if you have any tips to prevent that, please by all means share. Also, I was having a lot of trouble getting the inner-center flat with the bottom of the bowl and wound up with a little hump in the middle.

Thanks.

[Keith Cope]

Tim,

That's a pretty good looking bowl, nice job!

[Curt Fuller]

That's a great "first" bowl.

Although I believe in the benefit of good teaching, I also believe that there's nothing that equals diving in and trying things on your own.

As for the tearout on the inside of the bowl, that's something you'll still be trying to conquere years fron now. You'll learn to take light shearing cuts and sharpen you tools better but you'll always find a need for sanding in a few spots. That little hump in the middle can be taken out by using your gouge to "drill" a small depression and the using a pull cut from there.

Looks like you're hooked.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Tim that is a pretty good looking first bowl. You want to keep it so you can see how you progress over time. I did and man what a difference a year and a half makes. As to the tear out I do a couple of things. I either spritz with water (lightly mist to dampen the wood) or use walnut oil or mineral oil on those spots. I then take a freshly sharpened gouge and take a couple of light final cuts. Most times it will take it right out and if it doesn't I will leave the lathe off and sand those spots first then turn on the lathe to finish sanding.

[Mike A. Smith]

Congrats on a first Tim! I just started a few months ago and Curt is right the tear out gets better, but from the notes I've seen posted here it is a continuing issue. Most of the guys (and gals!) on this forum are really good (note some of the wonderful pictures) and they are extremely generous in sharing their experience.

[Nancy Laird]

Nice first bowl, Tim. I like it. As for tear-out, if you find the secret, will you tell me??? I have the same problem. I had that little "center bump" problem too, and I just drive into the middle of the piece down to where I felt it was right, then evened out the bottom from the center. Just my own way of solving the problem. I don't know if I did it "right" or not--I just did it.


Nancy

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Nice first bowl Tim! Getting the form perfect and getting rid of the tearout will come with practice! Keep it up and keep posting photos!

[Jim Becker]

Nice job, Tim, especially considering that this kind of straight-walled form is quite hard to turn. Really....it is...especially the interior and the transition from the sides to the bottom which is a tighter curve. Keep on making and posting more!

[Lee DeRaud]

As for tear-out, if you find the secret, will you tell me???It's easy: in PhotoPaint, under 'Image', select 'Correction...' and 'Dust and Scratch...'. Set threshold to 32 and radius to 8, select 'Preview', and bump up the radius a little at a time until the tearout disappears.

What? Why is everybody looking at me like that? :p

[Jonathon Spafford]

Tear-out is pretty easy to fix as long as you don't try to sandpaper it away... that will take you three days. The best way is prevention, which means making the final passes light and making sure your bowl gouge has a freshly sharpened edge. Tear-out comes from taking a cut with your bowl gouge faster than the edge can cut so instead of making the cut nice and smooth the edge plucks out the fibers leaving those ugly pits. Some woods do worse than others... so that will be an issue too! Once you take your final cut with the gouge take your round bowl gouge to the grinder, put a fresh edge on it, take a diamond hone and take the burr off, and then burnish it on one of those little scraper burnishers you get from Craft Supply or something. Burnishing will raise a sharp hook on the edge and create a sort of micro gouge. Do not use this scraper flat or you'll get a beauty of a catch! Tilt the scraper at 45 degrees and cut with the lower edge. If you are doing this right you should get light fluffy shavings! Once you make a pass or two with the scraper and have most (if not all) of the tear out gone, switch over to sandpaper and sand it well. If you see a bit more tear out, stop the lathe and sand that section by hand. I usually start sanding with 150... make sure that ALL the tearout is gone by the time you are done with this grit! A trick is to use oil or wax while making the final pass with the gouge and the sraper. This will allow the grain to be cut instead of torn. Also, make sure that you are cutting in the right direction. If your grain is running perpendicular to the axis of the lathe then cut uphill on the outside and downhill on the inside... this is the reverse on spindle orientation!

For getting rid of that bump, just take your scraper and position it under the bump and then slowly lift up... the little bump should just pop right off! Works well!

Anyway, the more you practice the better your become... obviously! The bowl looks real nice... keep up the work!

[Tim Malyszko]

Nice job, Tim, especially considering that this kind of straight-walled form is quite hard to turn.

I had no idea and your comment makes me feel pretty good about the results.

Next time, I'll take into account everyone's suggestions on the tear-out and the center nub. I cannot wait to turn my next bowl, pen, spindle, whatever!!! Right now, I just started a TV stand for my parent's condo in the mountains, but I will definately distract myself while the glue dries with turning. Why didn't I get a lathe sooner!!! I love it!:D

9 More days until my 2 day turning class. I cannot wait.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nice job on your first bowl Tim! Form, tear-out & finishing all develope over time and like Bernie stated - keep this bowl, it will always serve as a reference. Lots of good advice concerning the tear-out - one suggestion concerning the center nub - when making your cuts DON'T stop at the center. Just continue to make your cut a little beyond center and the nub will not form in the first place. Course - only go a slight distance past center or the bowl and direction of turn will really fight you. Best of luck to you on turning - it is a lot of fun! Your up and coming class should help you out immensely! Keep us informed and post often - with lots of pictures!

[Tom Sherman]

Tim that's a nice bowl even with the tear out. Like Jim said straight walls are hard to deal with especially at the transition to the bottom. Keep up the good work.

[Gary Herrmann]

I had no idea and your comment makes me feel pretty good about the results.

Next time, I'll take into account everyone's suggestions on the tear-out and the center nub. I cannot wait to turn my next bowl, pen, spindle, whatever!!! Right now, I just started a TV stand for my parent's condo in the mountains, but I will definately distract myself while the glue dries with turning. Why didn't I get a lathe sooner!!! I love it!:D

9 More days until my 2 day turning class. I cannot wait.

You'll enjoy that class, Tim. Tell Bursie the tall guy from last year says hi.

I was going to take his hollow form class a couple months ago, but I had to travel.

Oh, and very good job on that bowl.