Medium sized White Ash Bowl with Natural Edge

[Bill in Buena Park]

Includes first use of bowl depth gauge as adapted for live edge, and the new hollowing tool. Thanks for watching!

[leehljp]

Great looking bowl. I am in the process of turning my first bowl on my Grizzly. But my tools are dull - well sharper than they were when I first learned how to sharpen but not butter cutting smooth like I like it. I must fine my honing plates.

[Bill in Buena Park]

Thanks Hank. Can't wait to see the first bowl off that grizzly! I had to keep the tools sharp for this ash, multiple trips to the sharpener!

[leehljp]

I learned a great lesson from Russ Fairfield (who passed away a few years ago) Scrapers do better on hard woods (and carbide inserts are scrapers), while the skew is better on soft woods.

A fellow who lives in adjacent town brought me a few bowl blanks a few weeks ago, two of which are soft wood. I am working on those now. Previously, I spent most of my time on pen blanks using my own made scraper even on soft woods that had been hardened/stabilized. As sharp as I keep my hand made scraper, it does a terrible job on the soft wood as Russ had said. I picked up the skew which was sharp and tried it on the bowl. Much better (smooth cutting) but controlling it - is/was very difficult for me. The areas of the bowl where I used it are very smooth, but for some reason, even with very tight grip, it is like my hand makes waves in the wood (but smooth waves). Once it begins cutting, the wood tries to pull it in. I let the edge (mid way from top of blade to bottom) ride on the part to be cut, but once I start the cut, it cuts for a second and then the blade grabs and cuts deep ( 1/16" before I can stop it) The wood is cut smoothly but it had ridges/waves. This is the problem I had 10 years ago and that I have now. I cannot control the cut and that makes it dangerous. One time in the future, it is going to grab and the skew is going flying. Again, I am holding tight, excessively tight as I don't want the skew to grab and go flying.

I have watched a dozen videos over the years and even a few in the past couple of months, but still, I am missing something. I am going to a local chapter of AAW next month and maybe I can watch them and pick up some tips.

[Bill in Buena Park]

Hank, I don't think I would try using a skew on a bowl - the problem there is the change in grain Direction going from face grain to End grain when the bowl is rotating and the end-grain is facing you that is likely where you're going to get the grab and possibly catch. I've had my best luck on the exterior of the bowl using either my 5/8 or 1/2 inch Bowl gouge, and scrapers used in a negative rate position. For interiors the little carbides and scrapers are the way for me to go. my best scraper for inside the bowl is a big 2-inch round nose scraper this really thick and dampens vibrations - once sharpened that thing Cuts like butter.

[Black wallnut]

That is stunning Bill! Thanks for sharing.

[leehljp]

Thanks Bill, for the information. I looked at a 2 inch round nose scraper three weeks ago when at Grizzly and decided against buying one. I am learning that my pen tools are not enough for the bowls. I need larger tools!

[Bill in Buena Park]

Thanks Mark!

Hank, definitely larger tools. And more specific to bowls. I bought this set of bowl gouges at PSI, Grizzly may have something similar - they have worked great for me, and economical:

https://www.pennstateind.com/store/LX298.html

They also have the big scrapers.

[leehljp]

Thanks Mark!

Hank, definitely larger tools. And more specific to bowls. I bought this set of bowl gouges at PSI, Grizzly may have something similar - they have worked great for me, and economical:

https://www.pennstateind.com/store/LX298.html

They also have the big scrapers.

What do the fingernail gouges versus the bowl gouges do differently? I know the physical difference, but I don't know how they cut differently, or in other words their different purpose.

Your bowl picture has me chomping at the bits to turn some.

[cwsmith]

Bill,

Thanks for your video!

I know absolutely zip about turning, but this was a real pleasure to watch and I greatly appreciated your expertise and craftsmanship.

Back in high school (1962) I turned some tapered legs for a desk mfg project my class did. First and last time ever at a wood lathe. While I've occasionally entertained myself looking at lathes in places like HF and in catalogs, I have yet to take the jump...maybe some day.

Your bowl project here was very enticing, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching your work. The bowl is beautiful.

Thanks for all your efforts,

CWS

[Bill in Buena Park]

Thanks CWS! Turning is very therapeutic for me - now It took a while to find my "zen" with the whole thing.

Hank, I believe a fingernail grind is normally associated with spindle/detail gouges, which are supposed to improve their use in cove/bead turning on spindles. I've see the grind attributed to some (but few) bowl gouges; I haven't used the fingernail grind on my bowl gouges, in preference for the "Irish" or "Ellsworth" or "Swept-back" grind, which provides an elongated, swept back cutting profile to the bowl gouge.

Spindle detail gouges don't have the best flute geometry for use on bowls; too shallow and wrong shape. Bowl gouges are generally round on the outside with a U or V flute, and best suited for bowls. They normally come in "standard" grind, which is also nickednamed a "bottom feeder" which is supposed to be good in the inside bottom of a bowl.

Additionally, if you don't already own a grinding jig/setup for your grinder, I highly recommend it - either a Wolverine, or the PSI knockoff (functional and economical). You need the bowl-grinding jig to get good, repeatable grinds. Here are a few links to some other Youtube turners demonstrating the gouges and the grind:

Steve Fulgoni - Grind video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNCZP3veFqk
Reed Gray - Roughing cuts with gouges: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkGN6ap4NJw
Reed Gray - Finish cuts with gouges: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA3apMr6WjI
PSI grinder jig: https://www.pennstateind.com/store/LCGRIND4.html

[leehljp]

Bill, I have the faux Tormek - Grizzly. I had a slow grinder in Japan but left it to a friend over there and bought the 10 inch grinder from Grizzly a couple of years ago.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-W...ce=grizzly.com. I also have a belt sharpener, bench grinder and a Work Sharp. I have the ability to grind and sharpen!

I do need to get the accessory kit for letting me sharpen fingernail and hollow tools: http://www.grizzly.com/products/T100...ce=grizzly.com

[footprintsinconc]

simply beautiful work!