On Tue, 3 May 2005 13:58:39 -0400, "George" george@least wrote:


Short answer, it's what drops the curlies rather than throwing the chunkies.

Longer answer, it's presenting the tool to the work so that the rotation
draws the wood along the edge to cut and release. It involves beginning
almost perpendicular to the surface to get the cut started, then rotating
the tool so it slides and peels. The motion of the tool - downgrain, of
course - allows a continuous twisted shaving.

Have you taken a look at my page at
http://personalpages.tds.net/~upgeor...20Pictures.htm, where I show
the gouge angles I use? They're just quick illustrations, but you can see
how the leading edge of the gouge begins the cut, while the trailing end -
the convex shape keeps you from digging in - is almost vertical as it
finally severs the shaving.

In roughing a bottom, you cut from center outward, bottom to top like
http://personalpages.tds.net/~upgeor...ugh%20Page.htm , hugging the
rest, until you've got an uninterrupted surface. It's easier to get one in
close than out near the rim. Then you can guide the bevel and peel like the
last picture on that page. Page five shows some inside hogging, center
toward rim and vice versa - both are downgrain - check the broad gouge in
http://personalpages.tds.net/~upgeor...-Thickness.jpg to see
the twist and fall.

You can see gouge angles for roughing (used as a skew), forged spindle and
bowl gouges on http://personalpages.tds.net/~upgeorge/Smooth%20Two.htm Note
that the worst mechanical support is the one for the bowl gouge, especially
if you use either a square-top or round toolrest. I'm resting it on two
places in the picture. This is why a lot of people use long tool handles on
their bowl gouges - they're using themselves to steady the tool instead of
the rest. If they were using forged pattern gouges on edge, the rest would
take the knocks as they take the shavings, and the vertical travel of the
handle would be much less. The Nova has square-topped rests, which favor
the forged gouges with a blunt, rather than fingernail grinds.
http://groups.msn.com/NovaOwners/geo...to&PhotoID=228
gives a look it the rest, and at the way I collect shavings - I let them
fall into a bag! The better you support the tool on the rest, the less you
have to take it in the elbow.

A-B-C
Anchor the tool to the rest.
Bevel touched to the surface.
Cut to the curl.

Once you've got the curl, continue. Pull or push, as appropriate, with the
opposite hand along the rest. Your good hand rotates to compensate for
differing curves as you go along. I like to show off sometimes by raising
one hand or the other as I'm cutting. You have to actually have a bevel
guiding to do this, though, and you can't rotate the gouge for curve as
easily.

I've got some other pictures that might help, if you don't mind off-group.


wow! thanks, George..
I printed this out, it's a LOT to absorb at one reading...
I've seen your pages and the pics that you mentioned, but as my knowledge and
experience increase, they begin to be understandable..

I spent this evening just playing with branch wood on the chuck.. different
grinds for the tools, lighter pressure, smoother cuts, etc.. paying attention to
where the shavings (well, still mostly chips) were going... quite an experience
and opened a few mental doors..


mac

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