Ah, conventional thinking. Orientation of the grain determines the
direction wood wishes to be cut, not direction of rotation, and a
cross-grain bowl blank can (should?) be approached precisely as a spindle,
the only difference being that the arc of rotation is at ninety degrees
relative to a conventional spindle. This is not a problem, because you
initially orient your rest perpendicular to the axis of rotation to
compensate. All the spindle truths are valid, you still want to cut
downhill, your gouge angle for shaving drop is the same. The only
difference is that a bowl blank, depending on how it's prepared, may have
interruptions in the material. These are not a problem if you've anchored
firmly to the tool rest, as the thrust of the wood is still down the edge
into the rest, just as it was with a spindle. As the blank acquires shape,
the toolrest is moved in closer and re-angled. You don't need to compromise
the cut with a narrow-nosed bowl gouge, or attempt to get clearance for the
long handle so you can shear from the wing, and most important, you never
have much extension over the rest, which is the reason behind the hefty
section on a bowl gouge.

PLEASE tell me you don't orient your toolrest parallel to the axis of
rotation on a bowl and hack away.

http://personalpages.tds.net/~upgeorge/index.html

Almost forgot something that's important to us old codgers - interruptions
don't jar your elbow if you let the rest take the thrust, and the tool
doesn't bounce, causing damage to the rest, since your off hand is anchoring
it firmly.

"M.J. Orr" wrote in message
...
Not another test???.....Let me guess.......USUALLY (but not always for
those
that want to start an argument) one is side grain and the other is USUALLY
(same disclaimer) end grain???? Am I close? So much to learn ....so
little
time.......
"George" george@least wrote in message
...
And the difference between a big spindle and the outside of a bowl is ?

"Leo Van Der Loo" wrote in message
...

Bowl gouges are for bowls, spindle gouges are for spindles

being applied to the outside diameter. (It has since been
reshaped into a bowl gouge.)