The making of a goblet

Good show Alin!

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Great blog ! you made it look easy. Thanks for posting

-- ..... art for lifes sake

Thanks! Makes me want to run out and get a Lathe. I’m amazed how thin you can turn things.

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

You do make it look easy. Thanks for making the video.

-- Maplewood, MN

great demonstration and video work!

how do you get the final cut done without the delicate item flying across the room?

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Thanks everybody.

Dennis, on some woods (fruit trees) it is easier than others. I have heard about people that can do 1/64” walls. Mine, by mistake, is about 1/64” in the lower part. I think with a scraping cut I could get all of it 1/64”. Also, what you must have in mind is that wet wood turns differently than dry wood. I do not think you can go below 1/4” with dry wood.

Dan and Rikkor, it is like riding a bicicle (down the hill at 100mph) easy. It is mostly a matter of practice and guts. I mentioned in a post that I destroyed almost anything I made in the first 6 months. To be honest, it was a surprise for me to see the video; I realized that I am quite confident with that enormous bowl gouge. I did not see any significant hesitation (when I turn I’m way too focused to notice these things).

Alin

-- -- Alin Dobra, Gainesville, Florida

Debbie,

After you get to about 1/4”, any mistake (catch) usually means a ruined piece. It is not only the last cut that is the problem. Once you get good enough not to catch the tool, the only danger is going through the walls. Unless I have a defect on the stem, it is usually not a problem at all to make it so thin.

Alin

-- -- Alin Dobra, Gainesville, Florida

WOW!! That was on the inside of a log? It’s beautiful. You make it look so simple and matter-of-a-fact. Thanks.

-- so much wood, so little time. Bradford.

Nice turning and tutorial, Alin!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Alin,

Excellent tutorial. You are indeed very confident with that gouge! Even without the natural edge bark, the finished product is very nice.

-- Mark, Webster New York, Visit my website at http://thecraftsmanspath.com

Well done Alin, like everyone said before me – you do make it look a lot easier than it is.

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

I enjoyed watching you turn that gobblet very much. Thank you!

-- Jesus is Lord!

It is always fascinating watching someone turn when they know what they’re doing. I’m amazed that you can get something so fine and delicate from such big tools. That’s control.

-- When you give someone a chance it may well be their last.

I finally got to see this. Wow, that was great. You are a confident turner.
Was that a ‘standard’ large gouge or something else? I didn’t know they made holders for sharpening them. I always just did it by hand. That sharpening guide looks great.

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

Thanks everybody for your comments.

Russel, it turns out that the larger the tool the easier to control (to a point since it is getting too heavy). I use a 5/8” (1/2” in you are in England since the inside diameter is measured) bowl gouge. The trick to control the tool is to support it on the hip and move the tool from the whole body not the hands (you can see this happening in the videos). A large tool also dampens vibration (always a good thing).

SPalm, I have not turned for long enough to find time to learn how to sharpen by hand. For the first 6 months of turning I got very frustrated since my tools were never sharp. I bought a good grinder and the Woolverine system that One Way is making to sharpen properly. I’m very happy since then (very consistent grind; I do not loose much time since I can put the gouge in while the grinder starts).

Alin

-- -- Alin Dobra, Gainesville, Florida

Just bought my first lathe and now really fired up about using it. Great video! How long can a tree be cut and still be used as green? or is it more the moisture? Thanks!!

-- Larry, Rose HIll

great video Alin. after seeing this i can’t wait to get my first lathe. i love to how you always emphasis saftey such as eye protection and using a sharp tool. thanks for the great video!