First bowl off the new lathe.

[David Wrate]

Really love the new machine.

 

[Richard Coers]

Cherry can be a real bugger for sanding end grain on the inside. This one needs a little more effort. A lot of times I do some sanding, then wet the end grain with a barely damp rag. It swells up the grain and makes the sanding a little more effective.

 

[David Wrate]

Cherry can be a real bugger for sanding end grain on the inside. This one needs a little more effort. A lot of times I do some sanding, then wet the end grain with a barely damp rag. It swells up the grain and makes the sanding a little more effective.

I was wondering why it so challenging to sand!
Thanks for the tip!

 

[Lou Jacobs]

You’ll find whole threads here on end grain tearout. Use the search function and you’ll get some great advice about how to minimize the problem in your bowls. Sorry, I tried to attach a link to another thread but was unable to do it, and am running out for a while. BTW, nice bowl! Have fun with your new lathe!

 

[Brian Gustin]

I was wondering why it so challenging to sand!
Thanks for the tip!

You'll find eventually, however, getting really sharp tools just before a final cut will help a lot, and also, as you get the hang of tool control and minimizing vibration (thinner the wall thickness, the more the bowl will flex oblong as it spins when you apply tool to wood.. the flex would be so tiny you'd never see it, have a hard time measuring it, but it's enough to make those noticeable tool mark spots at the very end, so delicate light cuts would be needed in thinner wall items - I found it helps to practice cutting tiny finials - long thin stems less than 1/8 inch thick teaches you a light touch of a sharp tool!) It wasn't just cherry that would do that to me, though; I got it a lot with Ash as well (plus the "waves" of chatter from pushing a dull gouge into ash wood, or excessive sanding)

I used to make bowls like that, but as I finally began to master bowl gouges and tool control (and working around the tiny bit of runout on my HF Lathe) along with sharpening gouges just before the final cut, I had that happen less and less.. I still get it now and then when I go thinner (but I learned to leave meat in the middle and go in progression down the inside... but I still have that runout on the lathe to overcome) But as mentioned, tearout can be sanded away (with a lot of work) and raising the grain to stand fibers up helps with the sanding, and you may even need to finish off with some hand sanding off the lathe...

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Pleasing form.

 

[Ron Solfest]

Nice shape. I’m not one to give sanding advice as I sand much more than I would like to.

With that said, when making final passes I often think of the advice that Mel Gibson gave in ‘The Patriot’ - “Aim small, miss small”. Resulting tear out from a 1/32” or less cut will be much smaller than from a 1/8” or larger cut.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Now I have to watch that movie, again .

 

[Doug Freeman]

End grain tear out and tool marks are a pita - its end grain, so its harder wood. Knowing the marks have been completely removed can be a challenge - wetting the wood a bit with solvent will better show the marks and evaporate quickly.

I deal with it with power sanding with the lathe off, blending the area into the adjacent surfaces. Might require a lower grit in that area, depending on depth and wood type.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

End grain tear out and tool marks are a pita - its end grain, so its harder wood.

Don't know if i would agree with that. End grain should be the same hardness as the rest of the wood, but being endgrain the fibers are unsupported and create a more difficult cut requiring a different approach. Just as end grain is the most common area for tearout on the outside of a long grain bowl. Needs a special approach.

 

[Doug Freeman]

Don't know if i would agree with that. End grain should be the same hardness as the rest of the wood, but being endgrain the fibers are unsupported and create a more difficult cut requiring a different approach. Just as end grain is the most common area for tearout on the outside of a long grain bowl. Needs a special approach.

Well, it may not test “harder”, but it resists sanding more. Anyone can easily test with a straight grain piece of lumber the difference in sanding.

 

[Karl Best]

It wasn't just cherry that would do that to me, though; I got it a lot with Ash as well (plus the "waves" of chatter from pushing a dull gouge into ash wood, or excessive sanding)

Strangely, I've not had a problem with ash. Oak has also been good to me. Walnut, on the other hand, gives me fits. I rough turned a few score walnut bowls from a tree I took down and some days I'm ready to burn them all.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

One more thing about end grain from flat ww days. It must be sanded one or two grits past the side grain for stain purposes as it absorbs more stain .

 

[Michael Anderson]

One more thing about end grain from flat ww days. It must be sanded one or two grits past the side grain for stain purposes as it absorbs more stain .

That’s true, if uniformity is your goal (as in staining). I can’t remember the exact details, but I watched a video a long time ago on this topic. There was some grit where the differences ended up being marginal (I want to say something like 600). But certainly anything 320 and below, the different absorption between end and long/face grain is obvious.