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"just one last cut"

Roger Wiegand

Roger Wiegand

Beta Tester
Joined
Nov 27, 2018
Messages
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Location
Wayland, MA
Website
www.carouselorgan.com
I've just created my first real art piece, a commentary on the frailty of man and the danger of hubris. It's a paean to Herodotus, who told us to count no man happy until he is dead. (Depressing sod, he was-- at least I haven't eaten any of my children).

I'm calling it "Just one last cut"

7B8299D6-6FA5-4331-B64A-0AF75054B2A4-X3.jpg


And things were going so well...
 
put mine on a shelf up high, but still visible as a reminder that I already took that “one more cut” next time I’m tempted to take it. Works for a while...
 
My skiing buddy (an orthopod) made sure we all knew that 80% of all serious skiing accidents happened on what was intended to be the last run of the day, so we always stopped after the second to last.

Not a classics prof, but guilty of being a University of Chicago undergrad, which is almost as bad. I see evidence everywhere that Hubris, Atë, and Nemesis are alive and well, doing their work in the world.

I think I invented some new bad words in the moment.

Today is a new day though, and I'll have at it again. Dust to dust, firewood to firewood.
 
Think we've all done that once or three times.
Pretty turn.
Guess if you had enough thickness, could make a kind of "feature" ring--just a thought. Or use it as a teaching aid,
 
I guess the real question we need to ask ourselves when we do that has to do with "what happened?" In all likelihood it could have been a fine last cut, as most are. So, what did I do that I have to remember not to do again?
 
That catch looks like a classic error, and a turning cut that I don't use. I would call it a 'peeling' cut. Some prefer to cut more with the wing/flute straight up, when going down the inside of a bowl. Problem with that cut is that if you come off the bevel at all, you get a major catch. I always roll my flutes over to the 3 o'clock position and cut with the nose of the gouge. I still get a high shear/slicing angle, and there is no possibility of the wing digging in.

robo hippy
 
The cut is done, but the save is not. That’s why we have CA glue and turquoise powder. Fill the space with the lovely turquoise power and ca, sand it smooth, apply your fav finish, and Bob’s your Uncle.

Enjoy, Tom
 
Robo has it right, that's exactly what happened. I know better, I wasn't thinking/paying attention, wanting to just nip off the last little ridge and poked my knife in there without adjusting my angle first.

DW suggested that I do a series of them around the bowl as decorative elements, filling them per Tom's suggestion. I don't think I'm going to try the repeats, but the fill is a possibility.
 
Roger Wiegand said:
DW suggested that I do a series of them around the bowl as decorative elements, filling them per Tom's suggestion. I don't think I'm going to try the repeats, but the fill is a possibility.
Click to expand...

Instead of a cut just carve that ring all the way around and then fill,
 
There is a hole punched through the side, which makes a carved ring harder. I'm just going to nail it to the wall as a reminder to pay attention before sticking the knife into the wood.

I keep my 'nest of shame', a bowl of practice eggs with the mark of Zorro from skew mishaps, near the lathe for the same reason.
 
I keep my first bowl attempt on a shelf in my workshop as a reminder. Oh, and did you know it's a bad idea to try to turn the inside of a bowl with a continental gouge?
 
Roger Wiegand said:
There is a hole punched through the side, which makes a carved ring harder. I'm just going to nail it to the wall as a reminder to pay attention before sticking the knife into the wood.

I keep my 'nest of shame', a bowl of practice eggs with the mark of Zorro from skew mishaps, near the lathe for the same reason.
Click to expand...

You could do some creative damming with tape and plastic and then fill it with resin. The hole works in your favour that way :-)

So far, I've managed to cut off below the catch when I've done that. I've given away quite a few shallow dishes that were going to be rather nice little pots or bowls.
 
It happens.

A couple years ago I had 3 guys in a 3 day bowl turning class
We were doing so well I decided to have them do a NE bowl.
They all were just about done Hollowing their bowls nice even walls. Each was working on removing the last of the wood from the bottom.

As I was standing next to one he waved his gouge around while shutting off the lathe, hit the bowl, shattered it. Not 2 minutes later I was watching another student finish a sweet cut to the bottom - bowl finished - he then pulls his tool back letting it slide into the side wall - no more bowl.

two non-turning catches in under a 120 seconds - would have thought I taught them better.....
 
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