Lathe Advise

The things you identified may be the problem.

A couple of other possibilities …
~ Tool rest is too far from the workpiece (e.g. removed an inch of material, so reaching farther)
~ Keeping the bevel really close to the cut helps. Imagine a regular chisel – you shave, you don’t scrape

I’m a cabinet guy (which means a hack turner), but there are some amazing turners here, and I bet they’ll have some great suggestions for you.

-- http://www.north40custom.com -- http://north40studios.etsy.com --

Okay, I have been moving my tool rest in trying to keep it as close to the piece as possible and I do understand the bevel needs to run parallel to the cutting surface. I was never taught how to sharpen my tools so my bevel may not be at the right angle if any one knows the angles the are suppose to be at would be great and I am trying to figure out how to post pics of my set-up and tools. I used a bowl gouge and a round nose scraper to hollow this bowl maybe I’m using the wrong tools. thanks for the advise so far and the advise in the future.

-- Wood,clay,metal, and stone are all just materials, until an artist's hand touches them.--TreeFormDesign

Something else my scrapper is a little bent could that cause a problem.

-- Wood,clay,metal, and stone are all just materials, until an artist's hand touches them.--TreeFormDesign

Joshua,

Is it possible that the piece is slipping in the chuck? Even though the chucks hold a piece center, there could be enough variation that if the bowl slipped, it would be off center. I discovered this when I started making pepper grinders. I would turn the shape, remove the piece to drill the center and then return to the lathe. The piece would almost always be off center and have a wobble to it. To help eliminate this, I filed an indicator mark on the chuck and when first mounting the work piece made an alignment mark on the piece so when returning to the lathe, the piece would always have the same orientation.

The other possibility is that the piece is “lifting” out of the chuck. Most chuck jaws are not straight at the “gripping” end. They are sort of shaped like a dovetail. When you are turning the end to be clamped into the chuck, try to match the angle of the chuck jaws. This will give you more gripping surface and a wedge like connection.

As for sharpening your tools, there are several websites that can help you get an idea of the setups. To start with, I would just try to resharpen using the original angles that were on your tools. Although you can sharpen, hone and polish the cutting edges, a simple grinding touch up and maybe a few swipes with a hand help diamond stick will usually be enough to get started.

Here is a site that has some interesting stuff http://www.woodturnersresource.com/

Lew

Here is another link that has some good stuff

http://www.woodturningonline.com/

It’s hard to say without watching you. It may be a combination of a lot factors. However, 99% of the time when I get nasty “tear out” or catches, it was due to improper tool presentation.

I typically start off my blanks between centers, round the blank, rough shape it, and form the tenon. I then mount the blank into the chuck. I true up the roundness, finish shaping, and sand. Next I start hollowing out the bowl, or form. I try to always take light passes with a sharp tool, concentrating on my tool presentation. DO NOT be tempted to “hog out” large chucks of wood and make the chips sail like the professional turners do on DVDs. They are professionals turning green wood with years of practice.

I sharpen my tools with a slow speed grinder using the Wolverine jig system. I try and match the angle the tools came with. I have my best luck sharpening when I imagine the tool is my fingernail; take light passes with a soft touch. I am only trying to bring the edge back, not remove a lot of material or shape the tool. I sharpen my tools frequently, especially while turning dry or cured wood.

Good luck!

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

Thank you guys, Well last night I went back to the bowl I was working on. I’m not sure on the wood type because a friend of mine gave me the wood. I know it is spalted (spelling). But it apparently a very hardwood.
I was trying to shape the outside my gouge grabbed and the bowl blew to pieces. So I got a little angry!
But I moved on chucked up a piece of walnut and turned a Christmas ornament no problem. I think the problems are I just built a new shop and in my old shop my lathe was at waste height in my new shop the new stand is is probably 8 or 9 inches higher I m gonna cut the legs down. I was feeling kind of uncomfortable when turning the bowl and thought it was because I haven’t turned in a month but I think has to do with the height. Second I defiantly think I need to watch some videos and practice sharpening my tools my grinder doesn’t have a rest on it so gonna build one and maybe a homemade wolverine. Dull tools main problem though because my tear out was in my end grain. noticed how high my lathe was when turning ornament and elbow was as high as head trying to make the small detail on the icicle. So that said I will eliminate tool variables and then there will be no excuse accept my technique which I m not shy to say probably needs improvement. But I will work on it and thank you guys again and Merry Christmas. Let the chips fly.

-- Wood,clay,metal, and stone are all just materials, until an artist's hand touches them.--TreeFormDesign

The recommended height is for the spindle to be elbow high.

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

Hi Josh,

Woodturning like anything else takes lots and lots of practice. The best short cut to the top is practice while under the guidance and direction of like minded individuals in a local woodturning club. A list of those clubs and the ones closest to you is available through the American Association of Woodturners (AAW) at http://www.woodturner.org

Having been introduced to the AAW some 10 years ago is the best thing I ever did. I now belong to 4 different clubs and turn professionally.

Mike

“One good turn deserves another”

you’ve gotten a lot of good advice.. what tool are you using for hollowing? craftsman are better then average for spinning.. a few things that helps me.. increase the speed, sharper tools and finer cuts.. my 1st year i turned a lot of bowls with an 80 grit gouge.. but with practice, when i take a piece off the chuck, it’s ready for 3 or 4 hundred grit.

look at some offset hollowing tools. and try to get the tool rest as close to the wood as possible.. i have found that an extra hour on the lathe using finer cuts can save hours hand sanding.

and when we say sharp tools, i can shave with most of mine,, very sharp

-- it's not a sickness, i can stop buying tools anytime i want

btw, i sharpen by hand using a stationary 6 inch sander with 600 grit.. a jig to hold the tool at a perfect angle might help.. and i almost never start and finsh a piece without a trip or two to the sanding station.

-- it's not a sickness, i can stop buying tools anytime i want

Check out the videos on WOOD Magazine.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

are you turning end grain? because that could also be something. end grain catches a lot especially with gouges and since i’m a beginner to i use a scraper on end grain.

The wood Mag video was very helpful. I watched the one on bowl gouge tech and between sharpening my tool (which I am building a jig) and bowl gouge tech. I think I am going to see a huge difference.
I am going to build a sharpening jig similar to the wolverine jig here is the the youtube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgeeBJSCC0E
He actually is using the same Craftsman tool set I have on the video with the sharpening jig. On the wood magazine video he is using the same bowl gouge I have. But I am going to slow down and really start paying attention to my technique. Thank you guys for all the help and encouragement.

Its hard to be a perfectionist, when you want it know.

-- Wood,clay,metal, and stone are all just materials, until an artist's hand touches them.--TreeFormDesign

Also I am going to woodcraft today to by a 120 grit aluminum oxide wheel and a medium grit from home de pot.
I have an old grinder that was my dad’s and I think the wheel has been on there for probably 15yrs gray stone probably 30 to 60 grit. This should help tremendously. I have noticed that I can get the skew really sharp and have no need to sand after using it I just got to get everything else to that sharpness.

-- Wood,clay,metal, and stone are all just materials, until an artist's hand touches them.--TreeFormDesign

Well I Built My homemade Wolverine jig and put new stones on my grinder and all I can say is OMG what a difference that has made.

-- Wood,clay,metal, and stone are all just materials, until an artist's hand touches them.--TreeFormDesign

Josh,
By now you’ve probably heard enough, but – I had a problem last night with my Nova 2 chuck. I got it only a month ago, and I have NEVER been satisfied with the gripping power. I turn several bowls each month and I have always used my faceplate and then flipped the piece to use a “jam-chuck “set up using a piece of scrap in the faceplate.
I was giving the Nova another try last night when it predictably slipped it’s gription again and caused the piece to begin the telltale “wobble”. When I took the chuck off the lathe and tried to recenter the piece – 2 of the jaws didn’t close fully – there was an internal problem with the chuck- and I’m thinking the problem was always there, just not as pronounced, which was contributing to the “fly-away” events I’d been experiencing.
Fortunately, I called Woodcraft where I had purchased the chuck and the customer service representative said she would airmail me another chuck along with a prepaid sticker to ship the defective one back. I’m REALLY Hoping that the chuck was defective all along and that I can really start using it properly.
Mike

-- .......and if ya screw up, you can heat yer house with it......