Black Walnut Bowl

[Philip Nolette]

I have an end grain black walnut bowl I’m trying to turn. Is it possible to have the wood too dry for turning? I’m having a difficult time coring out the bowl without launching them. In fact, I removed the tenon and used my screw plate. I have sharpened my tools on my diamond wheels but it seems so dry.

 

[Dan Stromberg]

I am by no means an expert (and looking forward to hearing from them) but Richard Raffan recently posted a YouTube video in which he turned a small endgrain bowl. I know that he took special care with the tenon for the chuck because it was endgrain:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EayQJu1jIvE

 

[Doug Freeman]

Are you cutting the opposite from a facegrain bowl? For endgrain rim to bottom for OD, center to rim for OD. While dry wood is harder to cut, endgrain is even more difficult if cutting the wrong direction. Long wing bowl gouges can core an endgrain bowl pretty quickly, but be careful of getting the entire wing edge into the wood - push the handle away from you as you pass through the transition curve to limit the amount of edge cutting wood. Spindle gouges are great until you get too far off the tool rest.

I use chucks, and 3/8” length for a bowl that size is plenty. Im guessing that is ~8” dia, I would use ~ 3” or slightly larger dia tenon. You can decrease tenon dia and lengthen the tenon if desired.

 

[Dean Center]

I agree with Doug's advice, except I believe he meant "rim to bottom for OD, center to rim for ID."

There are a variety of methods for hollowing end grain, but it is much different and much more challenging than face grain.

 

[Philip Nolette]

I am by no means an expert (and looking forward to hearing from them) but Richard Raffan recently posted a YouTube video in which he turned a small endgrain bowl. I know that he took special care with the tenon for the chuck because it was endgrain:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EayQJu1jIvE

Thank you for an excellent video on the subject. I watched it and subscribed to his channel.

 

[Philip Nolette]

Are you cutting the opposite from a facegrain bowl? For endgrain rim to bottom for OD, center to rim for OD. While dry wood is harder to cut, endgrain is even more difficult if cutting the wrong direction. Long wing bowl gouges can core an endgrain bowl pretty quickly, but be careful of getting the entire wing edge into the wood - push the handle away from you as you pass through the transition curve to limit the amount of edge cutting wood. Spindle gouges are great until you get too far off the tool rest.

I use chucks, and 3/8” length for a bowl that size is plenty. Im guessing that is ~8” dia, I would use ~ 3” or slightly larger dia tenon. You can decrease tenon dia and lengthen the tenon if desired.

Thank you for your reply. I guess I am doing everything the most difficult. I recognize that now but am not going to let this go. I will use the wings of my widest gouges and will make it. It will be done one stroke at a time. lol

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

I am doing the exact same thing right now. I found for hollowing the inside a pull cut worked much better than a push cut.

 

[Philip Nolette]

I finally finished the bowl. It was quite a struggle. I had several crack lines that had to tended with CA glue.
My Ace in the hole was going to be my vacuum headstock. I was going to do a super finish like I did on the iron wood bowl. Got it all set up and was pulling a good 35hg and then it launched (several times). I took the 6 or 8 inch screw plate and tied her down hole filled. Finished hollowing it one bite at a time. Now for the bottom.
On my larger bowls I have been putting a rubber exercise pad (glued) so that it stays well on a finished table. So, belt sander to the bottom and then glue rubber mat down. I believe it’s done.

 

[Philip Nolette]

I have an end grain black walnut bowl I’m trying to turn. Is it possible to have the wood too dry for turning? I’m having a difficult time coring out the bowl without launching them. In fact, I removed the tenon and used my screw plate. I have sharpened my tools on my diamond wheels but it seems so dry.

Just wanted to follow up and thank everyone