I didn't read the Losing the Battle thread down below till yesterday, and paused to think about it for a bit, then this morning, ready to respond, I found it 'closed to further comments'... Harumpff!!! I was out of town, and out of contact for a bit, and that is probably why I missed it...
So, when demonstrating, the main thing I do differently on bowl turning is my preference for scrapers for all of my heavy roughing and for all of my shear scraping. "When I started, I didn't know the difference between a gouge or a scraper, and could gouge equally deep holes with either tool." We all use what works best for us. Now, for those that don't like the scrapers, the comment I get that I have never understood is that "scrapers don't cut/slice, they scrape." It makes no sense to me from the point of view "if they don't cut, then how come I can get long ribbons of shavings from them???"
I do consider the article from Russ to be very out dated, as in BCBN or before CBN wheels. That totally changed the burrs we get on our scrapers. Another 'new' development is the metals we are using a lot more, like the M42 and the V10, which were pretty experimental at the time. I do think I had my first CBN wheels about this time... So, the broken over wave is much more typical of the standard grinding wheels, and the burrs from the CBN wheels are more upright rather than hooked. The CBN wheel can produce a very fine and very sturdy burr for cutting, and depending on how fine of a CBN wheel you use, you can get glass smooth surfaces, as clean as any cut you can get with a gouge. The most important part of the cutting edge is presentation as in the higher the shear angle, the cleaner the cut. The particular tool is not the issue, the edge and presentation is.
Hmm, well maybe we should add in not only presentation, but the presenter... We have all seen masters of a particular tool that we have 'issues' with and they make it look easy. Then, when we take it upon ourselves to try again, it isn't that easy after all. This is called experience. With some coaching and mentoring, we can all get better.
I don't think there is any right or wrong way to turn, unless you are blowing things up and having things come flying off the lathe. The destination is the goal, how we get there, well, "All of the creator's children are different, and some of us are more different than others." Why yes, I am! I can't think of any thing that has only one approach when solving any problem...
Now, for me, I don't use swept back gouges at all, and haven't for some years. Why? I consider them to be more of an all purpose tool, where, for me, the specialty tools can do some parts better... Now have I opened another can of worms??? Well, I can use worms, how about catfish bait: the more it stinks the better it works!!!
robo hippy
So, when demonstrating, the main thing I do differently on bowl turning is my preference for scrapers for all of my heavy roughing and for all of my shear scraping. "When I started, I didn't know the difference between a gouge or a scraper, and could gouge equally deep holes with either tool." We all use what works best for us. Now, for those that don't like the scrapers, the comment I get that I have never understood is that "scrapers don't cut/slice, they scrape." It makes no sense to me from the point of view "if they don't cut, then how come I can get long ribbons of shavings from them???"
I do consider the article from Russ to be very out dated, as in BCBN or before CBN wheels. That totally changed the burrs we get on our scrapers. Another 'new' development is the metals we are using a lot more, like the M42 and the V10, which were pretty experimental at the time. I do think I had my first CBN wheels about this time... So, the broken over wave is much more typical of the standard grinding wheels, and the burrs from the CBN wheels are more upright rather than hooked. The CBN wheel can produce a very fine and very sturdy burr for cutting, and depending on how fine of a CBN wheel you use, you can get glass smooth surfaces, as clean as any cut you can get with a gouge. The most important part of the cutting edge is presentation as in the higher the shear angle, the cleaner the cut. The particular tool is not the issue, the edge and presentation is.
Hmm, well maybe we should add in not only presentation, but the presenter... We have all seen masters of a particular tool that we have 'issues' with and they make it look easy. Then, when we take it upon ourselves to try again, it isn't that easy after all. This is called experience. With some coaching and mentoring, we can all get better.
I don't think there is any right or wrong way to turn, unless you are blowing things up and having things come flying off the lathe. The destination is the goal, how we get there, well, "All of the creator's children are different, and some of us are more different than others." Why yes, I am! I can't think of any thing that has only one approach when solving any problem...
Now, for me, I don't use swept back gouges at all, and haven't for some years. Why? I consider them to be more of an all purpose tool, where, for me, the specialty tools can do some parts better... Now have I opened another can of worms??? Well, I can use worms, how about catfish bait: the more it stinks the better it works!!!
robo hippy
Yeah, I know what you mean about spending recklessly on wood turning tools.......but, the good news is that behavior does slow down somewhat after about 25 years, or so! 
