Do I have a lot to learn!!!

[TDHofstetter]

Oooo, that hurts... but it happens to all of us. We just don't usually post pictures of the 'splosions. :)

Hurts extra-bad when it happens with an unusual or especially beautiful piece of wood, too.

Personally, I use both expansion-mode and compression-mode clamping with my chuck. It depends on what I want to do with the piece, and how big the piece is. Sometimes I glue on a waste block and use that as a tenon - therefore using the chuck in compression-mode. Sometimes I make a plywood ring & glue that to the piece, using the chuck in expansion mode. Sometimes, if the piece is plenty long, I'll just cut a tenon right out of the piece itself... or if I want a fairly heavy foot I'll cut a recess.

It's one of those things ya just learn as you do.

-- Tim --

Lesson: An aptitude adjustment.

[Sawduster]

I'm surprised that the mesquite warped or changed at all. It is usually very stable, even going wet to dry real quick. I keep a bottle of CA glue handy and squirt some in any cracks as they appear and it seems to stabalize them real well.

Don't know if you've got a bowl gouge, but it is a real necessity. Spindle gouges flex enough to cause some really bad catches, and if you've got an unsecured crack, that is the place they'regonna catch and break the wood at the split. Another thing that may seem counter to what you would normally think, is get the speed up as soon as you get the piece balanced. I don't mean to crank it up all the way, but a notch or so above minimum is the ticket, depending on the diameter of the bowl. And ride the bevel, even if it mean getting the gouge at an angle on the horizontal plane, Get the bevel making contact, then slowly roll the gouge so that a cutting edge starts slicing. Play with the rolling slowly for the best cut.

I prefer to use a tenon and contracting mode with the chuck. Physics of the wood being compressed inward is a lot stronger than pushing it apart. I will cut a groove as though I'm gonna expand and make it wide enough so the jaws fit into it, then DT the inside edge and contract the chuck onto it.

[WoodMangler]

I guess I'd have to say... or rather I say I have to guess that mesquite is not a good wood to learn on... can ya find an oak or popular tree down somewhere?

Sorry, but here come the questions :)

What kind of gouge are you using?

Tool rest height? (i.e. does the cutting edge of the tool line up with the center of the wood?)

Have you watched the Ellsworth video?... you'll be amazed at how much it helps watching someone who knows what they're doing!

I try to use compression mode on the chuck as much as I can... that is to say, I try my best to plan ahead so I can use compression rather than expansion.... seems to work best for me...

[ASLNROX]

Thanks Tim and Jerry,

1. Had to share my goof since Dick was kind enough to sahre his gift of wood, at least others might learn from my gaff.

2. Thanks for all the help! Great stuff, had not considered mauch of that, will give it a try today as I try to learn to use this new chuck!

Thanks again for the help!

Blessings,

--Mark

[link:home.earthlink.net/~maspaulding/ | Mark's Garage Shop]

[ASLNROX]

Hi Marc,

I am using a Henery Taylor 3/8" bowl gouge. Wings are good, just like teh picts in wood magazine this month. Rest is just below the center.

I have a couple Raffan videos, but i need to go to the wood show next week and watch someone do it in person, I learn better that way.

I am sure it is keeping the angle as I am getting lots of catches. I may try a spindle gouge and Jerry suggests and see how that goes.

I found teh compression works MUCH better for me. I have a buch of green oak and walnut in back yard. Back to the bench and learning curve! Thanks for the help.


Blessings,

--Mark

[link:home.earthlink.net/~maspaulding/ | Mark's Garage Shop]

[WoodMangler]

"I may try a spindle gouge and Jerry suggests and see how that goes."

I don't think Jerry suggested that... at least I hope he didn't!

Let's see.... how should I put this...

[font size ="7" color ="red"]

Don't![/font]

It is a really bad idea... you think you're having catches now?...

I screwed this picture up, and didn't feel like fixing it :)

http://a1.cpimg.com/image/E9/18/1699...-0200013C-.jpg

It should read "Bowl Gouge" and "Spindle Gouge"... anyhoo, what it's supposed to show is the severe angle a spindle gouge meets the wood, which makes rubbing the bevel impossible... so, catch city eh...

I haven't tried it yet, but Raffan uses a small spindle gouge for hollowing out end grain... and (so far) that's the only time I've heard of using a spindle gouge on a bowl (maybe I'll hear about others!)

[Sonny Edmonds]

Whatcha got left has pen stock potential anyway, don't let it get the best of you.
Practice, practice, practice....
Try, try, try....
Watch, watch, watch....
But don't cry, cry, cry....

Turning is a whole different ballgame, to say the least.
My best tool is a scraper. It forgives me a lot. Just light touches to the wood and take your time.
Then when you get the hang of that, go up a notch or two.

Don't forget the wood has the advantage on the lathe.
You can do it. It just takes a lot of practice. ;)

:D

[link:www.sonnyedmonds.com | Sonny Edmonds]
"Precision Firewood Specialist"
God Bless America !
One Nation Under God!
"I was raised around lead based paint.
It ain't an excuse, just a fact."

[Al_Rivard]

Mark,

I use my chuck in expansion quite a bit. When I first got it I was cracking out a lot of bottoms. Someone told me not to use a lot of pressure. I was just plain tightening it to much, now I expand until I get contact and then give it about a quarter turn more.

[DaveZ]

Hi Mark, bummer on busting up the stuff from Dick, chit happens :'( no biggie. Looks like a break with the grain. A couple of things I can comment on

1) Your blank would continually go out of round probably because it's changing as you relieve the stress. This happens and I am of the opinion that you can chase this out of roundness until the cows come home at which point you will have turned a toothpick ;) But it's tough to beat, to myself I call these blanks eggbound. You have to commit to an exterior shape and live with it, keep your top edge of the bowl a little thicker/rounder to hide this eggbound condition. A thin lip will highlight it.

2) If you are gonna rough out a bowl on a chuck, you gotta go gingerly until you get it roughed out (both sides) After you've balanced it and lightened the load you can get more aggressive

3) From your last pic, I see you have a depth hole but you are starting on the interior from the outer edge. Right after drilling the hole, I would reduce the interior to rough shape(approx 3/4" thick) starting at the hole and working back to the rim.(usually with a round nose scraper) When you now cut that rim it will be much thinner and easier to form. Then I would finish cut from the rim to the bottom.

Dat said, could be that the bowl had a crack in it you couldn't see. With the bowl twisting and squirming ( see pith in pic 2) an edge might have lifted and caught your tool, kinda a reverse catch if you will :) HTH

Sometimes it's just bad math(see my next post :+ )

[ASLNROX]

Thanks you all, this is great stuff! Gives me some direction for PRACTICE (X10).

Thanks!

Blessings,

--Mark

[link:home.earthlink.net/~maspaulding/ | Mark's Garage Shop]