"Toller" wrote in message
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"Maxprop" wrote in message
ink.net...

"TonyM" tonym.le"at"comcast.net wrote in message
. ..

I've turned about 150 species of wood into spheres but never tried to
make a bowl out of oak, why work a difficult wood when there are so many
others to choose from.

Amen to that. I had a goodly supply of white oak, some of it turned when
wet and the rest dried before turning. And I can say with complete
candor that I've never been as frustrated with any other wood. Tearouts
and catches are common, and the end products are really quite
indistinguished unless the grain is irregular. Simply not worth the
effort and frustration. Recently a neighbor cut down a black oak and was
surprised when I turned down his offer to take what I wanted.

Interesting that everyone hates it.
I have only done three pieces of oak (one red and two white), but they cut
easily with no tear out at all. Maybe I should quit while I am ahead.

A lot of my problems with oak undoubtedly deal with my relative
inexperience. I've been turing about two years and have a lot to learn
about the process. I keep my tools sharp in the extreme, so it must be my
technique. I've no delusions about that. And since the original poster
mentioned that he, too, is a neophyte, I thought my experiences might be
more appropriate to his situation than that of some of the more experienced
turners herein. I'm sure many contributors to this NG can turn oak with
nary a problem. However at this stage of my experience, I've pledged to
keep frustration at a minimum--life seems more pleasant that way. :-)

Max