Silver maple natural edge vase

A sharp scraper and light cuts may help with the tear out. Nice job on the 1st one. There will be a 2nd and a 3rd, right?

-- So Many tools, So little time

Nice job Barb! I, too, had problems with some tear outs till someone showed me the proper way to sharpen my chisels. The key is to keep them sharp, if you think they don’t need sharpening, that’s the time to sharpen. Sharp tools=less sanding. That’s huge when you cut your sanding down by 75%. When you start to see tear outs, sharpen.

Erwin Jacksonville, FL

-- Erwin, Jacksonville, FL

Well, I hate to be the first one to comment and I’m probably not now after sitting here looking at it for 10 mintues. But I think it’s a work of art. It’s very pretty and I love the natural edge. I have a few bowls that I bought like that, but never seen anything like this. You should be very proud. It doesnt look like a first attempt of anything.

-- Janice

See, I knew it! I wouldn’t be the first.

-- Janice

Wow Janice, you swell my head! Thank you!
Thanks, BearPie. I felt like I sharpened a lot, but obviously I may have needed to do it more.
And WoodSparky, yes, I’d say there will be others:

-- http://barbsid.blogspot.com/

Very nice work Barbs

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

WOW!!!! Great Job!!

very good, and you finished off the bottom nice too.

-- RStadler

Hi Barb. That is a beautiful vase -especially the first one. I love the look of the silver maple, too
I also have had problems with tear out and catches with a bowl gouge when I do internal cutting. Sharping just before the final cuts helps a lot but I have found that I tip my gouge so the top side is almost hitting the surface but is 1/32 away and use a scrape cut and it will not catch and you can smoothy level out the surface with ease. Also, use a support that goes in close to the inside surface so the gouge is well supported.

Good turning. We look for more in the future! Thanks for sharing.

-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!!

Thank you Jim. I am trying to do all that, but perhaps am not sharpening enough. I tend to concentrate so seriously on the slow cutting I am doing, I forget to head to the grinder, I guess. This silver maple is harder than any wood I’ve tried to turn so far, too. I’ve done fruit woods and mahogany, and this stuff beats me to death all the way through. I’m using a small flat platform screwed on the tool rest post, which reaches inside the turning to about three inches, but beyond that I’m reaching in unsupported. Are you doing a scrape cut all the way to the rim on the inside?

-- http://barbsid.blogspot.com/

Hi Barb that’s a nice job I would at that stage use an internal scraper to smooth out the tool marks I’ve never found sanding really satisfactory on something thats scored it just seems to follow the score marks & using it on a block of wood you have to push too hard & usually knock it out of true in the chuck. Having said all that the last waney edge vessel I made shattered whilst hollowing out, could have cried, it taught me however that it was better to scrape from the bottom & pull out towards the rim that way the tip of your scraper doesn’t immediately collide with the waney edge & grab it may work for you. Anyway well done to you.
Trevor

-- God created wood that we may create. Trevor East Yorkshire UK

Great vase, and a fine collection of blanks too!

-- measure twice, cut once...... most of the time! www.custombuiltjoinery.co.uk

BarbS, sounds like you have gotten some good tips on inside hollowing. If i may add one also, Pro turner Ray Key shown me a tip on tear out. once you get close to your finial depth use a thin layer of paste wax will act as lubrication so your scraper will have a less tendency to grab on problem areas, like end grain tear out.

Your first natural edge vessel done very nice, I agree with imallchalkedup nice finish bottom to your vessel. cant wait to see more.

-- Jeff, Missouri ,"Just because your not bleeding, dont mean your turning safely!"..............http://www.4woodturning.com

Great job Barb. Love that natural edge.

Hi Barb..for a first, ya done good, girl. Tear out at grain changes is pretty normal for all of us..shear scraping, keeping tools sharp and not being afraid of sandpaper (it is a tool) and lots of practice, will tame that beast. Do you have a tool rest you can get down inside? And still get a tool in there? Narrow vases are a bear to do…that’s why I segment!!! Keep them coming…

-- We call the destruction of replaceable human made items vandalism, while the destruction of irreplaceable natural resources is called development.