Hello Fred or any other that cares to chime in,

I've been learning to turn since last October. What I would like to
understand is the theory/mechanics of end turning. When making a bowl with
the grain running perpendicular to the axis of the lathe I start at the
outside of the blank and work towards the middle and all works rather well.
What I don't understand is why one would, with end grain turning, start in
the middle and work towards the outside. I would assume that it has
something to do with the orientation of the wood fibers, i.e., cutting from
the middle to the outside means that the fibers one is cutting are supported
by those next in line to be cut. (Apologies here if my description is
garbled or unclear).
If the fiber-support assumption is correct, then why, couldn't one start at
the outside on end grain turning and cut to the middle? It seems that in
both cases adjacent fibers support those being cut until the very end of the
cut.
I do keep my bowl gouge sharpened but it does seem that end grain turning is
much more work intensive than cross-grain turning.
Thanks,
-Kevin



"Fred Holder" wrote in message
...
Hello Moggy,

The bowl gouge is the preferred tool for hollowing a bowl. Assuming the
wood is
mounted plankwise on the lathe (i.e., the grain is perpendicular to the
axis of
rotation), you should cut with the bowl gouge toward the middle of the
bowl.
Drill a hole to approximate depth of the bowl. Then start back and inch or
so
and cut toward the hole you've drilled with the tool cutting slightly
above
center and the flute pointing to about 1:00 o'clock. Cut down toward the
center.
Move back and out about 1/4 inch and make another cut toward center. Each
pass
should take you a bit deeper and closer to the outside of the bowl. When
you get
to the bottom of the hole you drilled, check your wall thickness for
evenness
and thinness. Calipers do a nice job, but the thumb and forefinger also
works
quite well.

Use a round nose scraper to take light cuts and removed any ridges left by
the
gouge.

If the grain is running parallel to the axis of rotation. You reverse this
process and cut from the center hole up toward about 10:00 o'clock with
the
flute pointed in the direction of cut. This is sort of a scooping cut and
as you
get deeper you'll get closer to the outside. Again use a scraper to
lightly cut
and remove the ridges left by the gouge.

You'll likely get a dozen more ways to do this and they will all be right
if
they work. There is no wrong way to do things, only ways that don't work
for
you.

Fred Holder
http://www.fholder.com/

In article , moggy says...

Well, have had my lathe since December now, mastered the old light pull
and
other items, decided to turn to bowls and hollowing. I don't have too
many
problems with the outside, but hollowing, whatever tool I use, just seems
to
dig in. What tools do you recommend for hollowing, say just a small
shallow
bowl. I have a bowl gouge, several skew chisels, a parting tool and a
couple
of scrapers (and a couple of roughing out gouges of course)


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