George,
Sorry, but I'm unable to picture the techniques in my mind when you discuss
how the gouge is used.
I've been sort of "lurking" in this group a while. I'm self-taught; I've
read a bunch of books on
turning, but never been mentored or even seen a video. I'm trying as best I
can to learn good
practices. My approach with the gouge depends on whether I'm making a cove
or a bead.
For a cove, I usually rest the the gouge on the piece, flat, not cutting,
and slowly back the gouge
until it just begins to shave, then roll the gouge into the bead, cutting
with the side cutting edge
of the gouge. For a steep cove, I rotate the gouge 90 degrees before
cutting, so the gouge
is resting on its edge. The gouge is then lowered delicately into the cove,
rotating as it goes,
again cutting with the off-center cutting edge of the gouge. If you could
clarify your techniques,
I'd very much appreciate it, so I could experiment. Many thanks. -- Phil
"George" wrote in message
...
Had to work, but SWMBO recorded all but the first few minutes of Norm
Abram
venturing into bowl turning Saturday. It was a repeat, I have to
believe,
as he was using what looked to be a 46-700 Delta.

Now I know that a lot of people, perhaps most, don't turn as I do, but I
found myself talking to the tube as he stepped up to the spinning blank,
placing his body in the throw zone. Then when he turned his gouge (yes, a
bowl gouge - Packard WW logo) almost nose up and began to round the blank
that way, I had to close my eyes. Does anyone really do things this way?
Have to believe Norm got some sort of instruction prior to the episode, so
someone must, but why?

I'm a coward, so I never put my body into the throw zone, rather I work
from
the tailstock end. Tried the other way and didn't like the odd dirt,
water,
and bark that could come off and hit me, much less the hidden crack that
might release a chunk in search of my chin. I also begin my cuts at the
base and orient the gouge so the paring cut is being taken across the
blank
from bottom to top, rather than turn the nose up where it might tear huge
chunks out of the end grain. With the paring cut there's no direction
difference felt, because I'm cutting face grain entirely, really rather
than
running the long grain and digging end.

It makes more sense to me to stand clear of the throw zone and pare,
rather
than cut and tear my way around. Maybe that's why people complain about
chucks being weak, needing full body armor to turn, and not using the
biggest edge they own to waste away wood - they're cutting like Norm!