Got some black walnut for the first time

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Attachment 395199Here is where I am at. I still need to shape the bottom half - bring it in some. A couple of issues:

Some tear outs. -Mainly using a bowl gauge. How do I avoid? Sharper tool? Scraper? Negative rake?

I have to figure out how to deal with the bottom. A tenon or an inset tenon. Notice the tail stock support is pushed in a lot. I guess that is a problem with that type of spur. I had to crank it in a lot since the whole got buggered up some when I lost control of the lathe. I might have to take off a lot of the bottom. I was thinking of perhaps having the bottom inside of the bowl swell up some so I do not hit the hole plus some will come off if I use a tenon.

I do not think I am planning to leave the bark on the edge. I have never had good luck (mainly cherry) in keeping it complete.

Thanks, David

David, thank you, I use a recess (what you call an inset tenon ?) pretty well exclusively, usually in the ⅓ size of the diameter of the blank, dept depends a bit, deeper heavy wet blanks need more depth, something like ¼ to ⅜ “ deep.

The recess is removed or reshaped and finished when the bowl has been returned and finish sanded, like shown below, shape the outside to be able to do this.

bowl centered.jpg foot finish turned.jpg


bottom foot to be reshaped.jpg finished foot.jpg

Use a sharp bowl gouge to get the best surface, not scrapers, they will cause tearout, especially with the fairly soft Walnut wood, cutting from center bottom to the top is your best way to go,

cut direction.jpg direction of cut.jpg.

It is a bit early to get the best bark adherence, December to february is the better time for that, but why not try, all you have to loose is some bark .

Practice is still the best way to get better at it, so go do it, and yes wood does grow on trees, have fun and take care.

[Thomas Canfield]

My mounting method is different from all above it seems. I use a cardboard circle template to locate the center and mark outside of template with chalk. If under 17" diameter, I take to drill press and level the blank with shims to drill a 3-1/8" diameter flat using Forstner bit for 3" faceplate. I then take the blank to band saw and trim off excess material if less than 6" thick, no riser on bandsaw. I also use a recip saw, handsaw, or go outside to use chainsaw on some major out of balance pieces to help balance. My Powermatic 3520B with the faceplate and live center in tailstock is then able to handle a lot of out of balance material. The 3-1/8" Forstner bit trick also works on hollow forms. The faceplate and leveling on drill table eliminates the need to try to balance the piece on the lathe and use a drive center that is almost sure to spin on a large piece. Pieces too large for drill press are drilled using a 1/2" hand drill and bubble level to check the face/block level. That has worked for at least 200 pieces so far, natural edge, regular, and hollow forms.

[David Metzman]

Thank you every one for the advice. Here is where I am at. I left it in a bag bc I was out of town and hollowed it last night. I used a oneway hollowing tool and then did the rest by hand.

I will say, the shape is not too elegant. It is 17 inches across. Also, it is 7/8 of an inch thick. I am always nervous of making big pieces too thin - also bc cutting air here.

Also, Prashun - what do you mean by "In addition to chainsawing the corners, you can cut a large chamfer in the tail side of the blank. "

thumbnail 4a.jpgthumbnail (2) 4b.jpg

[Chris A Lawrence]

what do you mean by "In addition to chainsawing the corners, you can cut a large chamfer in the tail side of the blank. "

They probably mean cut on an angle near the rim to the base to take off some of the meat so you dont have to turn it all off. A good ratio is the base should be 1/3 the diameter of the rim. If you dont want that shape bowl you can reverse it. Drill a hole in the center of the cut side of the blank the size of your jaws and turn off the bark side to shape the outside of the bowl. Make a recess in the base to accept your jaws. Then reverse the bowl and turn the inside. Once dried remount and take a little off the outside to true it up and hollow the inside to the desired wall thickness.

[Prashun Patel]

Chris Lawrence: "They probably mean cut on an angle near the rim to the base to take off some of the meat so you dont have to turn it all off. "

Yup. The thing is, this is often trickier (albeit faster) than just turning it, because you have to brace the blank when you chainsaw it. If you don't it will roll or spin dangerously.

[Chris A Lawrence]

Chris Lawrence: "They probably mean cut on an angle near the rim to the base to take off some of the meat so you dont have to turn it all off. "

Yup. The thing is, this is often trickier (albeit faster) than just turning it, because you have to brace the blank when you chainsaw it. If you don't it will roll or spin dangerously.

I put my threaded spindle lock pin in that resolves that problem.

[David Metzman]

I mounted it by drilling a hole, not very big in diameter a bit over an inch, and using pin jaws and tail support. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the lathe started vibrating so much that when I went to turn the speed down I actually turned it up and then it walked across the floor. Also it reamed out the hole and bent the ends of the jaws

[Chris A Lawrence]

I mounted it by drilling a hole, not very big in diameter a bit over an inch, and using pin jaws and tail support. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the lathe started vibrating so much that when I went to turn the speed down I actually turned it up and then it walked across the floor. Also it reamed out the hole and bent the ends of the jaws

For that size bowl 1 inch is to small I make a 2 1/8 inch hole for my 2 inch jaws

[Reed Gray]

I am also curious as to how you mounted it to the headstock. For me, I always turn with the top of the bowl to the headstock. Most of the time I drill a recess with a bit forstner bit and expand the chuck into that. That is a pretty secure mount. Face plates work too, but they need a fairly flat surface to mount onto. The more rounding you can do before you put it on the lathe, the less work you have to do once it is on the lathe, but there is a point where the lathe can do it faster.

If your chain keeps coming off the bar, you most likely have too much slack in the chain, and there is a set screw type adjuster on just about all saws. Loosen up the bolts that hold the bar on, turn the screw a turn or three, then tighten up again. You do want a tiny bit of slack in the chain, not snap tight. Bar oil and a sharp chain are essential. Your local saw shop may be able to help.

Lemon juice does cut some of the black from the walnut, but not all of it.

Other than that, it sounds like you need a hands on session with a mentor. That is better than any video, at least most of the time....

robo hippy

[David Metzman]

I mounted it by drilling a hole, not very big in diameter a bit over an inch, and using pin jaws and tail support. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the lathe started vibrating so much that when I went to turn the speed down I actually turned it up and then it walked across the floor. Also it reamed out the hole and bent the ends of the jaws

[Prashun Patel]

I don't use the chainsaw on the lathe; Mine's gas and spits oil. I use a log buck. Even better, a circle cutting jig on a bandsaw with the table tilted does an even neater, safer job.

[David Metzman]

Here is the finished product. A bit of a rough finish. 16 inch diameter. First bowl I made in over a year so my skills (never good) are rusty.black walnut bowl.jpg

[Chuck Sager]

I turn lots of walnut and when it’s fresh I get spit at by the wood there is so much water in it. All that water creates a problem because of weight if the blank isn’t balanced. I use a face plate and turn the speed down till the blank is in balanced then spin it up and enjoy. Walnut is one of my favorites to turn. Good luck

[David Metzman]

I do not know if it just me, but I have been having a lot of tear outs also on another bowl I am making - on the outside. Is that just me?

[robert baccus]

A bouncing lathe is something I had to tolerate early in the game. There is a very easy and inexpensive way I worked out to fix this by a modification to the lathe. Holler if you want instructions.