"Sherfey's" wrote in message
news:mPeJd.27532$EG1.26690@attbi_s53...
I just started turning and I am hooked now. I have an endless supply of
black walnut that was given to me and all I have to do is go out to the
woods and cut it to lengths and bring it home. I took a sample peice that
has been sitting for about 6 mos. and cut it upthis way..........I cut
through the length of the log dead center so I have two halves looking at
it
from the end. Next I cut it the same way but to the thickness I wanted (
about 6 inches ). Then I cut out a round blank on a bandsaw. When I
start
to turn the blank, I get spots where the wood is nice and smooth and I get
spots where it is fuzzy. Both of these spots oppose each other. Is this
a
grain issue or am I doing something wrong?


You're picking up the ends of the grain in those opposing spots. Take a
peek at
http://www.woodturningplus.com/Five%...id_a_catch.htm
but don't hack the inside as he's doing, and you can get good surface all
the way to the button on the bottom.

Look at Fig 3 and 4, and notice that there is a cutting option which will
sever the fibers across their direction, regardless of their orientation,
except for the two pieces of face grain. Lay your toolrest at a point below
center, roll your gouge onto its edge, taking care not to bury the nose -
easily done on narrow-flute bowl gouges - by rotating it slightly upward,
leaning part of the bevel on the wood for support. Broader gouges are more
easily handled for this cut, but they're not called "bowl gouges," so a lot
of people won't use 'em.

http://personalpages.tds.net/~upgeor...dle-Hollow.jpg Shows a
1/2 spindle gouge hogging,
http://personalpages.tds.net/~upgeor...orged-Trim.jpg shows a
3/4 forged or Continental pattern gouge finishing. Same cut works to a "T"
outside. http://personalpages.tds.net/~upgeor...rged-Gouge.jpg

Best evidence that you're cutting the wood is that the chips don't fly
reactively, but drop as they are cut, running down the gouge or falling
directly. Your optimum shaving is smooth on the side cut by the edge, and
twisted to show you've got a good skewed bevel support.