# what the heck?



## NaptownWood (Apr 9, 2013)

I put a couple of bowls up here in the last month, and a ring or two, and got one comment. I guess its dog eat dog and I got eaten!

I dont want praise or kudos or ego stroking, maybe just a few more comments about how I can get rid of my tool marks!

BTW, I have tried it all, and I am on green just cut wood, microwaving it as I go, and dealing with constantly moving stock.

Well, I guess I should put up my cutting board then. 59 comments.

I want to get better, ya silent MF'ers.

I am not innocent on providing comments either, but damn.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Ha. Don't know if this gonna help.


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## NaptownWood (Apr 9, 2013)

Was a sinking ship flare anyway. But hey, thanks for the reply!! Hahaha


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

One way you might try, taught to me by a Shopsmith Salesman a long time ago:

Take a stick of wood at least as hard if not harder than the wood you are turning. Press this into the turning stock.HARD. Creates a nice smooth surface. have to watch out though, it might leave a burn mark.

I have been turning RedOak leg spindles. Used a block of walnut as a burnisher. No tool marks..

YMMV


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## NaptownWood (Apr 9, 2013)

Thats a good one. Like pushing shavings into it as a burnisher.

However, I am lost as to the green bowls in one night. Its possible. I have seen mysterious internet videos to collaborate my claims.

The wood moves, and will never true up enough to use a scraper., I will finish these bowls in an evening if it kills me.

This new one was only at 24 percent when halved.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Green wood bowls need to be left a bit on the thick side. get close, then let them dry at least over night, if not longer.

Leave them thick, at least twice what you are trying to get down to. Let them sit to dry.

Then remount them and finish them up. You could do a bunch of green wood bowls on one weekend, next weekend finish them all. In-between the two sessions, the bowls will have time to acclimate and settle down. By leaving them a bit thicker, you can then even up a warping going on. Besides, they will scrape better dry.


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## NaptownWood (Apr 9, 2013)

Damn. Is there no one who can do it in one night? If I can get it to 20 percent or less, and keep it thick, like 3/4 or 1 ", I vant do it? Microwave be damned?

I have heard of a guy who sprays rubbing alcohol on the green edge and scares away the moisture enough to turn a little more, and repeat.

Gotta be a way.


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## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

"One way you might try, taught to me by a Shopsmith Salesman a long time ago:

Take a stick of wood at least as hard if not harder than the wood you are turning. Press this into the turning stock.HARD. Creates a nice smooth surface. have to watch out though, it might leave a burn mark.

I have been turning RedOak leg spindles. Used a block of walnut as a burnisher. No tool marks..

YMMV" 
- bandit571

Walnut isn't as hard as Red Oak is, though.


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## NaptownWood (Apr 9, 2013)

Quit replying to this damn thing. Im trying to work, damn it! Hahahahahah


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

That one was.. Kind of full of knots and such. Wasn't worth using for anything remotely good. It had something called KPI…..Knots Per Inch. Almost three per inch. I also had a chunk of white Oak handy.


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## NaptownWood (Apr 9, 2013)

GD. I said No!! Hahhhahahahaaa


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

Having a hard time understanding your problem. Assume using sharp tools. Are you using three point tool grip and using your body as you either push or pull cut?

Are you trying to turn a complete bowl at one time or roughing out a bowl blank? I would stop using the micro wave before you finish turning a bowl. Wood will dry spinning on the lathe as you turn wood thinner.

Tim normally demonstrates both push & pull cut while turning.





When I turn a bowl from start to finish my final thickness is uniform either ¼" or 3/8" sanding and finishing all done at the same time. I will finish a small bottom section off the lathe after reverse turning.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

I would give you suggestions, but since I have never run a lathe before, I doubt if it would help.

One thing that has helped me, I put right in the title that I want opinions. That seems to open up the conversation.


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## NaptownWood (Apr 9, 2013)

I am trying to do it in one go. From chainsaw cuts to applying a finish innabout 3-4 hours. I usually start the roughing out, get it an inch thick, then I microwave if it is still above 30 percent or so. I then get it thinner and start to make the finish cuts. Sharp tool. Usually right at 1000 rpms. Fastest speed I can get without changing pulleys.

I cant sand these things out. I move from bowl gouge, to scraping with a spindle gouge on its side, then a round nose scraper. my scraper form needs help for sure. Then sanding with a pad on my drill.

I do not have these problems with kiln dried wood.


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## NaptownWood (Apr 9, 2013)

Monte, if you buy a lathe, you'll be hooked immediately. And then you'll be wondering why you hadnt done it earlier. And then you'll be cussing tool marks


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## NaptownWood (Apr 9, 2013)

Here is the bowl from last night. Not finished yet. In the endgrain sections you can see the lighter horizontal marks. These marks are not consistent throughout, more like slight gouges that start and stop. This is after sparpening and really lightening the cuts up at 1000rpm. I get rid of these and new ones show up. Eventually, I stop and accept it. The wood is moving faster than I can smooth it-it seems to me.


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## DougH (Jan 14, 2011)

You must have patience grasshopper!


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## Buckethead (Apr 14, 2013)

Try changing your screen name to something feminine, then lift a photo of a pretty woman and use it for your profile pic.

That's what I did and people respond to my posts all the time.


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

Think showed the bottom of this Poplar bowl still working on in another thread or message board. You can see from the inside of this bowl the early and late wood which very hard to cut or scrap. It took running to the grinder after each pass to get rid of torn end grain and tool marks.

This particular bowl is the best of three; two others are hanging in a tree for bird nesting boxes. Either could not get rid of tool marks or almost cut through bottom of the bowl trying. These bowls roughed out shortly after hurricane Alice and just now finish turning.


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## fmarabate (May 15, 2008)

Interesting. Just curious is there a reason for trying to complete the bowls so quickly or are you just challenging yourself? Have you tried Ash? The water literally flies out of the wood as it turns on the lathe.


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## NaptownWood (Apr 9, 2013)

So this may be an issue with wood selection as well as other technical issues. I am using logs which are not much bigger than the finished bowls. A 14" log will make an 11" bowl or so. I see the light white ring just under the rim of your bowl. How would you use a grinder for this? I use a broken grinder wheel to smooth my stone inlays, maybe i can try on the tool marks too.

I am doing the bowls from start to finish for a couple simple reasons. I got my lathe this past fall, im still quite new to it, and i do not have a built up a stock of roughed blanks to grab and turn. Also, patience isnt my strong suit, and i want to have some finished product without waiting 18 months from now to have a finished bowl. The other option is to start stacking the 6"x2" walnut bowls from kiln lumber. Which gets expensive fast. All this wood is free, which is awesome.


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## fmarabate (May 15, 2008)

The great thing about turning is that just about anything you can chuck up on the lathe can be turned. I have seen guys do metal, soap stone, poison ivy, and corn cob to name a few.

Are you bowls warping into oval shapes or are they round but have tool marks? It is hard to tell from your picture. What is your routine with the microwave? If I remember correctly, you have to cook it, then let it cool, then cook it again, taking it in and out, until it is as dry as you want it to be.


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

"How would you use a grinder for this?"

I think the reference to a grinder was with respect to sharpening the tool. You would never take a grinder to the piece itself (unless you are getting into scultping/carving).


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

I am talking about sharpening my bowl gouge. 
I roughed out over twenty five Poplar bowl blanks over two or three days. People stopped taking them. Although Poplar is a hardwood it is not very hard. You can scratch it with a fingernail.

If you look at all the bowls on my project page they are Poplar. Those Poplar rough out blanks were ready to final turn after month or two.

I normally start final turning bowl blanks after three or six months regardless of the species. Big reason takes me so long to get around to some bowl blanks simply get bored turning bowls. Although have a moisture meter, depend upon weight of the blank to determine if blank has reached EMC. Might have better than 98 percent record if actually used a kitchen or mail scale, but hand heft works for me.


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## NaptownWood (Apr 9, 2013)

So I have to wait.


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

Let's review;

If want to turn a green bowl shoot for a ¼" or 3/8" uniform thickness. Bottom will always be a little thicker due to chuck or faceplate mounting. If getting tool marks go sharpen your tool and take light cuts.

Understand some species of green wood can and will warp as you try to turn. If not careful will have catches and possibly lose part of your bowl, or whole blank flies off the lathe. Don't force the cut slow down and work on those high spots. Keep shooting for a uniform thickness.

I work on removing torn end grain and tool marks on the outside of the bowl before working on the inside. May take several light passes to do that. If getting lot of torn end grain and tool marks on the inside may decide to let that blank dry little more before final turning.

Whether bowl blank is green or seasoned you can leave tool marks due to wood species, grain orientation, and poor technique. Some bowl blanks require you to sharpen your tools more often than others. Some bowl blanks within the same species will defy everything you try to do to it.


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## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

Nothing to add about the turning, because I have 0 experience with a lathe.
I may regret saying this, but your language (MFers) will immediately cause many members to avoid posting on your threads. Sometimes it's a warning sign that the thread is going to deteriorate.

With the best of intentions,
Your Mom


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## DougH (Jan 14, 2011)

Sandra - ROTFLMAO


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## mpax356 (Jul 30, 2011)

"Nothing to add about the turning, because I have 0 experience with a lathe.
I may regret saying this, but your language (MFers) will immediately cause many members to avoid posting on your threads. Sometimes it s a warning sign that the thread is going to deteriorate.

With the best of intentions,
Your Mom" 
- Momcanfixit

Excellent post, Sandra. My thoughts exactly. I am reluctant to offer help or suggestions to anyone with what I would consider a belliigerant or non genteel post.


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## NaptownWood (Apr 9, 2013)

In my circle, that is a term of comedy and endearment. Regardless, I got more information from these comments than any of my project posts, so mission accomplished, and for those that did offer help, it is greatly appreciated.


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

NaptownWood-Maybe I missed something, but I just reviewed your last 6 projects and didn't see anything in your project description asking for comments or advice.

I don't know about anybody else, but I don't offer advice unless I am asked to do so.

Some people take umbrage at unsolicited comments or criticism.


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## NaptownWood (Apr 9, 2013)

If I post another bowl, I will put that in the description. I dont think that there were any comments at all on the last one And if anyone else is still reading this, consider it an open invitation to critique anything I have done. I prefer brutal honestt and advice from experienced folks. If in the past I didnt ask within the project title or description, I would check the past projects of a commenter for similar work, and I would ask in the comments section, or by PM.


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## gwilki (May 14, 2014)

I likely still don't understand the driving force behind wanting to finish them so quickly, but FWIW, here are my 2 ways of turning from wet.
1. I finish turn from log to final in one go. The bowl must be thin. It will warp as it dries, but if it is thin enough, it can take the warping without cracking. I wet sand, then let it dry out for a few days. Then, I sand off the lathe. Since I've taken off the tenon, I have nothing to hold on to, and since it's warped, it's tough to sand while it's spinning anyway. I tried microwaving and it just wasn't worth the time and energy. As to tool marks, light cuts, very sharp tools and practice will remove them.
2. I turn to a wall thickness of about 10% of the bowl's diameter. So, a 10" bowl has a 1" wall thickness. I seal the end grain and put them in a paper bag. They dry slow. The idea of sealing only the end grain is to allow the end grain and the side grain to dry more or less evenly. In my climate, drying takes several months! When they come out, with luck, they have warped and not cracked. I jam chuck them and turn the tenon round. Then, I grip the tenon and turn the bowl to final shape and thickness.

I don't profess to be a turning wiz, but I've learned from some very good turners. These two methods are followed by many, and I suggest that they would do well for you, too.


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