Bowl turning

[John Torchick]

I picked up a back issue (February 2018) to reply to a post on another forum. The cover highlighted an article by the noted Glenn Lucas. The article was a very straight-forward approach to turning a bowl. Only thing was his use of four tools; I only have one bowl gouge. Just need to take it easy and experiment with that one. I'm reminded of the video of the fellow in the Middle East with a skew and treadle lathe.

 

[Tom Albrecht]

Bowl turning was one of things I wish I had learned with a mentor/ teacher. Learning on your own has some advantages, but the learning curve really straightens out a lot when you have some knowledgeable guidance.
I found that spindle turning was much easier to pick up than the bowls, plus the disasters were much smaller and easier to swallow.

 

[Rob Price]

Agree 100% with Tom. Find someone to teach you hands on. I had a buddy just come watch me turn for a few hours. He didn’t touch a gouge just watched (I offered to let him turn) but even from that he was able to learn and improve. One novice teaching another.

Every professional turner has their own way and techniques. Not to mention they all have a preferred grind(s). There are many ways to turn a bowl.

I learned on Richard Raffan books and a video I bought on Amazon Prime. He does most of his bowl work with one grind and one gouge. I don’t use those techniques any more myself but it was a good place to start.

 

[Tom Albrecht]

Agree 100% with Tom. Find someone to teach you hands on. I had a buddy just come watch me turn for a few hours. He didn’t touch a gouge just watched (I offered to let him turn) but even from that he was able to learn and improve. One novice teaching another.

Every professional turner has their own way and techniques. Not to mention they all have a preferred grind(s). There are many ways to turn a bowl.

I learned on Richard Raffan books and a video I bought on Amazon Prime. He does most of his bowl work with one grind and one gouge. I don’t use those techniques any more myself but it was a good place to start.

Oh right, Raffan was my first teacher by book and video. But that was way before there was Amazon. Back then it was only Craft Supplies-- and Dale Nish's was the other book.

 

[hockenbery]

For open bowls of a hemisphere shape or shallower
I use 2 tools on most and 3 on those with stubborn grain

1/2” bowl gouge Ellsworth grind (5/8” bar diameter)
3/8” spindle gouge

1 1/4” round nose scraper for the inside bottom center if needed for the bottom center inside.


If you use a 40/40 grind then you have to pair that with a bottom of the bowl gouge with a steep bevel because the 40/40 can only ride the bevel about a 1/3 of the way down the inside wall before the gouge hits the rim.

I encourage you to find a mentor. Use their method for 4-5 bowls then begin experiment with other methods if you want. There are many ways to turn bowls and they all work.
One will work better for you.

 

[John Torchick]

Have a chapter member who has offered to help me and my grandson. Just a matter of getting schedules together.

 

[robo hippy]

First turner I was influenced by was Richard Raffan. His book and a video. I thought every one turned like him.... I have a bunch of videos up on You Tube, mostly on bowl turning. Hands on sessions are priceless, and usually better than any video. I have several go to tools, but do prefer the 40/40, and a BOB (bottom of bowl) gouge, and rely heavily on scrapers for heavy duty roughing, and shear scraping. Some times I use NRSs for the bottom of the bowl and the transition areas as well. They work excellent on some woods, and not well at all on others.

robo hippy

 

[John Torchick]

Reed, thanks. The round nose gouge I ground for the interior of the piece I posted also had a bit taken of the top to give make a NRS. Video said to hold the scraper with the handle up to prevent a catch but with the NRS grind, level or very slightly down will work. If the piece had been more stable, the interior would be much better. I'm too much a perfectionist?

 

[Dean Center]

You can do standard shaped open bowls just fine with one bowl gouge. It needs to have a nose angle of around 50-60 degrees. If you have trouble getting around the transition zone, the curve between side and bottom inside, you can grind off the heel so the bevel will be shorter and it'll steer around the corner easier. As a beginner, IMHO, you will probably benefit from the full length bevel's greater stability.

I have tremendous respect for Glenn Lucas, as a person as well as a turner, and especially as a teacher. His bowl hollowing method involves working down one depth level, smoothing the side wall, then moving on to the next, and so on. It's not the more traditional 'try to cut all the way to the center continuously with each cut' method. He is looking for maximum speed and efficiency and his slightly modified tools work well in his hands and with his method.

When you've done a dozen bowls or so, you can look at his excellent bowl DVD or attend one of his classes and try out his way of doing things to see if it suits you. Same thing for David Ellsworth's method or Stuart Batty's method or Mike Mahoney's method or Jimmy Clewes' method or my method. For now, use your one gouge and the method recommended by whoever is your coach/mentor and be happy.

 

[Curt Fuller]

John, pack you bags and jump on a plane Ireland for a Glenn Lucas hands on class. ;-) That sure would be fun but an unreal option for most. But I see you live in SE Tenn. One other thing besides getting a mentor to show you the basics. You're in wood heaven. Get some nice wood to learn on. Cherry, soft maple, something that turns like butter so you're not fighting a nasty piece of wood while trying to learn.

 

[odie]

Bowl turning.......there are as many opinions, as there are those who make bowls......and, you know what they say: "Opinions are like xxxholes.....everyone has one!

Keep in mind that the larger the shaft diameter of the gouge, the heavier it will be. The heavier it is, the more stable it will be. A newbie turner will tend to have the "death grip" on his/her tools.....and, in a way......that tends to stabilize the tool, but prevents you from having a smooth flowing transition through a curve. So.......as your knowledge and confidence increases, your grip becomes more relaxed, which allows that smooth transition of the tool over the tool rest. A light grip, with a heavy tool is optimum, but sometimes the grind shape of the smaller tool is better for some applications.

As for bowl gouges, I tend to think the minimum would be three of them......1/4", 3/8", and 1/2". (This is the English measurement, so the shaft diameter is actually 1/8" larger than the designation.)

Another "mandatory" tool for bowl turning would be a scraper. A new turner could get by with one round nose scraper. That way he could scrape left and right, and plunge straight in with the base flat to the tool rest. In addition to that, he could shear scrape left and right with a single round nose scraper. Ideally, though......quite a few scrapers will serve all the needs a bit better, if the grind is specific to the task.......soooooo, a variety of scrapers will eventually be in the tool bag of the more advanced bowl turner......

John......go ahead and give bowl turning a try with your single bowl gouge. It can be done with great success........but, you will quickly be thinking of buying a variety of different tools in short order! Some will become your favorites, and you are the only one who will ultimately decide what your best tools are!

-----odie-----

 

[john lucas]

You know your always welcome up here for a day of turning.

 

[John Torchick]

Bowl turning.......there are as many opinions, as there are those who make bowls......and, you know what they say: "Opinions are like xxxholes.....everyone has one!

Unless you have a colostomy.
Finishing up a bowl that turned out half-decent. Looking to finish the bottom now. Have Cole jaws but the trim is tapered a bit; might not have the grip needed. Also a jam chuck is an option. Need to have it done by 4 PM next Tuesday.

 

[John Torchick]

You know your always welcome up here for a day of turning.

Many thanks. Things should be slowing down around here. Will keep in touch.

 

[robo hippy]

Opinions and rear ends..... Some of them stink! Got that one from my dad....

robo hippy

 

[Mike Johnson]

Opinions are a lot like bowls every woodturner has at least a hundred of them piled up in the corner of the shop.