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How to part off the base?

John Torchick

John Torchick

Joined
Jan 24, 2010
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Cleveland, Tennessee
This is a "sort of" goblet that I have been sweating over for the last two days. Totally new to inletting or hollowing end grain or any grain, for that matter. Need to work on some of my interior technique as I left some tool marks. Posting a photo as how to part off part of the base on the left side. Plus, I want to recess the base a bit so it will sit straight. Best way to part? How to hold the piece to recess the base? Many thanks to the forum!
Walt Wager was most helpful in getting started. Mike Waldt has a video that expanded on using various tools for inletting end grain. Thanks to both!!!!20200213_154347.jpg
 
I assume.its between centers now. I use the parting tool.to get close. Then I use the toe of the skew and cut in as far as I can. Then I carve away the rest and use my drill.chuck in the headstock with sanding discs to finish it. You can just leave.off the skew and sand a lot more after using the parti g tool.
 
Can you re-post that photo, or describe exactly where you want to part that piece?

If you have room and material to spare on the left, make a relief cut by parting down to about one quarter inch with a 1/8" tool close to where you want the finished bottom. Then, with light tail stock pressure, use the narrowest parting tool you have to part in on slight angle to the right as you simultaneously hold your left hand loosely around the piece in order to catch it when it comes off. A bit of hand sanding will be required to smooth out the bottom. Using a thin saw blade when you want a recess is not an option.
 
Tom, want to part the left end just about even with the left of the "READ THIS FIRST" sign. Only have a 1/4" parting tool...for now. The headstock has a multi-tooth center, FYI.
20200213_154347.jpg
 
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John, in order to hollow the end grain, you will need to chuck up the base end. It's really important when you have something hanging out that far, to have a really well made tenon. The face of the chuck jaws need to make solid, uniform contact with the perfectly square and flat end of the piece. Keep that in mind as you plan your parting off.

If this is something you haven't done before, 5 minutes with one of the coaches from your local club would save a lot of grief.
 
That's cool, the 1/4" tool will work okay. So you'll make a part straight in, then start another parting cut angling your way slightly to the right to get your dished bottom. A sharp tool is important, high speed is NOT.
 
Sharp tools are a necessity. I have been watching a DVD by Lyle Jameison on bowl turning. He says if you think the tool needs sharpening, you are overdue for sharpening. Got a lot going today so I might have some time tomorrow or Sunday to finish this turning. Got some others in mind, too. Thanks for the replies.
 
If you have an adjustable chuck you can cut a tenon on the top or bottom of the piece between centers and then move the piece into the chuck and work on the top or bottom profile.
This simplifies the parting process as the piece is firmly mounted in the chuck to avoid the rookie mistake of letting the piece bounce off the floor when parting off. If you are hollowing this piece you will want it mounted in the adjustable chuck to allow your end grain hollowing or drilling with the tailstock mounted Jacobs chuck. You can turn a tenon the proper size and part it most of the way with your parting tool and finish cutting it off with a hand saw, this reduces the rookie mistake of bouncing the piece off the floor when parting the work piece when the lathe is running. With practice you will be able to part pieces off on the lathe while it is running but that usually takes time to develop the skills and control to run the parting tool and hold onto the piece while it is turning on the lathe.
 
Part is already hollowed, just need trimming. Have a couple of ideas based on replies and from my own mind (scary, isn't it?).
 
There are several steps involved in the process, the first has already been mentioned and that is to first mount it in a 4 jaw scroll chuck and what I would add is you should have enough excess material as in the photo to work on the under side of the base. The piece in the upper left of the photo is what is left over. The bases on the goblets are deeply under cut such that the outer rim is the only thing contacting the surface.DSC00224.JPG
 
I agree with the methods described here. But one question sticks in my mind: What "hand saw" do you use for that final cut? This could apply to goblets, bowls, boxes, etc. I went to Amazon and found at least dozen sellers of "Japanese hand saw", which is typically a 6" long blade with 10-20 TPI, in a thin blade and a simple cylindrical handle. It is used usually with cutting only on the pull stroke. The thin blade often allows cutting of protruding dowels flush with a flat surface, since the blade can bend easily. They supposedly all have sharp teeth.
But here is the rub: saws that appear on Amazon to be identical cost anywhere from $7 to $40! Every one has reviews both good and bad. They all use hard steel. How does one choose between them? Does anyone here have experience, either good or bad, with thin blade hand saws?
 
Todd Williams said:
I agree with the methods described here. But one question sticks in my mind: What "hand saw" do you use for that final cut? This could apply to goblets, bowls, boxes, etc.
Click to expand...
I never got a Japanese saw... same problem as you - not sure what to get and the prices range from outrageously high to suspiciously low.
After getting down to a nub with a parting tool, I use a hacksaw with whatever hacksaw blade happens to be in it. It's got a thin blade that'll get into the slot left by the parting tool and it's cheap. And it works for me.
But I'm not trying to cut it off flush or clean, just get it parted off and I'll either carve/sand it away or re-mount the piece and turn the bottom clean.
 
Pull saws - Like most any other tool, can often be chosen based on the brand. I tend to prefer Suizan brand saws myself So far I have yet needed to replace a blade, they are still wicked sharp and cut well, I use them quite a bit in flatwork - I have a Ryoba , and one of their newest creations for dovetailing (9-1/2" Dozuki) and a flush cut saw. Although I managed to break a couple teeth on the flush cut trimmer recently as I often use it to finish a parting cut on lathe and banged it on my tool rest, so I will probably be getting a new one soon. (Linked here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T9K59D1 ) I had a couple other brands of pull saws - I got one from Rockler (cheapest Ryoba they had) and one from Amazon (also cheap), neither of them really ever cut all that well and fit and finish were not that great, so I'm sticking with Suizan since they have held up over the last few years I have used them sometimes almost daily. They aren't the cheapest, but they also aren't the most pricey...
 
I have a plastic handled no-name pull saw for years and it's one of my favorite tools, for this exact use. It must have jumped into my basket some time when I was shopping for something else, probably on sale as I'm sure I would never pay full price for one of the high quality Japanese saws. Bottom line is: this is not a demanding application, most will work fine, you're overthinking it, Todd. Just go buy one and be happy.
 
Do some experimenting first on practice spindled, my experience is a parting tool cut tends to pull out some wood fibers, leaving a less than perfect surface. Using the long point of a skew, or the nose of a spindle gouge, can true up the surface left by the parting tool and a finished surface.
 
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