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That "tic, tic, tic, tic" sound just before your bowl comes apart, and the pieces become missiles in your shop.....!

Odie

Odie

Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
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Missoula, MT
I've only heard the sound once, and it must must have been 20+/- years ago.

Ever since, I've been listening for the warning sound, but haven't had a major separation since that one time.

Just wondering if anyone here has had a major break up of a bowl/vessel, or whatever.....and, there was no warning "tic,tic,tic" sound.....?????

-----odie-----
 
odie said:
I've only heard the sound once, and it must must have been 20+/- years ago.

Ever since, I've been listening for the warning sound, but haven't had a major separation since that one time.

Just wondering if anyone here has had a major break up of a bowl/vessel, or whatever.....and, there was no warning "tic,tic,tic" sound.....?????

-----odie-----
Click to expand...
Might have been one. but for a couple of the ones that blew apart on me on the lathe in absence of a heavy catch, I only felt it.. no sound (well, duh, I'm deaf as a brick wall) , but I could feel it in the gouge - it isn't foolproof because I also get that sensation when cutting over a knotty area or heavy grain transition, but it almost always makes me stop and take a closer look these days.

But, I did have one split apart, but not fly apart, with no warning of any kind... didn't even touch a gouge to it, and there were no visible cracks while mounting it .. turn lathe on, turn to get my gouge, look back, and the spinning bowl looked too out of shape, so I stopped to check it out, and voila, it was split along what I assume was ring shake (even though it had been drying for months it still held together til it had centrifugal force on it I guess)
 
Maybe 8 years ago. No warning noise.

I turned a NE bowl from a macadamia nut limb that had two deep ridges with the pith in.
It was maybe 5x10 turned from the whole log oriented to make two long voids on each side.
It was maybe 3/16 thick.

When I reverse chucked it to turn off the bottom I left the lathe at the same speed I used for hollowing it.
On the second light cut it flew apart.
Should have known to turn the speed down a bit.

It was turning fine no vibration a slight propeller noise from the two voids.
Why - the stress over time was too much for it, maybe an unseen defect around the pith,
Or the piece had begun moving creating stress.
Disappointing.

Luckily I got to see a nicely finished bowl in the same style at the next club show and tell.
I had given similarly ridged blank to a student an told him how to Mount it to get the voids.
 
While rough turning a green 12" bowl, I noticed but did not adequately appreciate a line of bark inclusion. Things were going along fine until, BAM a new fist sized hole appeared in the sheetrock in front of me. I weighed the 6" chunk of rim that had flown off and it was over a pound. Without realizing it, as the diameter of the outside got smaller, the sound wood that was holding things together disappeared, until only the bark was holding the chunk in place. Fortunately, I didn't pay a severe price for the lesson.

When I'm turning and hear the Tick-Tick sound, it means I've found a nail in the wood. Something you don't have to watch for with your store bought exotic blanks, Odie.
 
Well, the video that I did on Standing Out of the Line of Fire was one that there was no warning. I have heard that sound many times. Mostly on pieces that had 'invisible' cracks. The noise only happens when I am turning the inside of a bowl.

robo hippy
 
2016 was the only time I experienced that sound. Just before I stopped the lathe thinking there was a piece of metal or something. I didn’t see any crack or embedded material. New to turning at the time and after starting the lathe just a few revolutions BAM! I was out of the line of fire and not hit. Haven t heard it since, but haven’t forgotten it either.


E992BCA4-1C96-44E7-B9AC-F002E85BCF8D_1_201_a.jpeg
 
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Dean Center said:
When I'm turning and hear the Tick-Tick sound, it means I've found a nail in the wood. Something you don't have to watch for with your store bought exotic blanks, Odie.
Click to expand...

Au Contraire mon Frere!

Many times, the more intense the figure, the more possibilities that something is hiding beneath the surface!

Problems I encounter, include voids, bark inclusions, minor hairline checking, knots, worm holes, discoloration, deterioration/rot, stress cracks, seasoning/drying shrinkage voids and separations,, mineral stains, fire burns, unusual growths, sand, dirt, rocks, nails, and all kinds of other foreign objects.

If I told you how many times a very expensive piece of exotic wood turned out to be a total failure, you'd be surprised......but, from my POV, it's all just part of dealing with these very desirable timbers.

-----odie-----
 
odie said:
Problems I encounter, include voids, bark inclusions, minor hairline checking, knots, worm holes, discoloration, deterioration/rot, stress cracks, seasoning/drying shrinkage voids and separations,, mineral stains, fire burns, unusual growths, sand, dirt, rocks, nails, and all kinds of other foreign objects.
Click to expand...
are you sure you didn’t leave out anything?
 
For me it was one tic and a boom - because I use a pivot pin, it's easy to apply excess pressure into the cut. My hands were 3-ft behind the fulcrum and the cutter 8-in in front - no time for daydreaming.
 
odie said:
I've only heard the sound once, and it must must have been 20+/- years ago.

Ever since, I've been listening for the warning sound, but haven't had a major separation since that one time.

Just wondering if anyone here has had a major break up of a bowl/vessel, or whatever.....and, there was no warning "tic,tic,tic" sound.....?????

-----odie-----
Click to expand...
me too only one bad one, once bitten....
 
odie said:
I've only heard the sound once, and it must must have been 20+/- years ago.

Ever since, I've been listening for the warning sound, but haven't had a major separation since that one time.

Just wondering if anyone here has had a major break up of a bowl/vessel, or whatever.....and, there was no warning "tic,tic,tic" sound.....?????

-----odie-----
Click to expand...
I heard it once when I was turning the inside of a segmented multi-axis vase. Luckily the outer surface was triangular in shape so the result was a small hole in one side. I felt like I had ruined all of the planning and assembly work that went into the 'twisted' segmented vase but then I had an idea..... why not create a similar hole on each of the three sides and call it success. Luckily I still had enough wood to to a redesign. Here is the result
 

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  • twisted vase with holes.jpg
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I read, a long time ago, that a blank turning at rpms under 1,000 will fall .Rpms more than 1,000 will cause the blank to fly across the shop. If
I hear a tic, I'll put the blank in the burn pile. Better to be cynical than injured.
 
Mayor breakup ? yes had one last year, not from centrifugal forces, but it still became two halves.

As I was about ready to part off the 12" high lampshade, I thought I should try to improve the inside top area and stuck my right angle sander into it, next thing I know, the sander got flung up, Bang, and there were two halves, one still mounted on the lathe and the other laying on the lathe bed :oops:, yes OOPS

As I had checked the walls with light, I took a picture looked OK and then right after NOT OK.

Poplar lampshade.jpgTwo halves.jpg
 
Breck Whitworth said:
Odie I would like to communicate with you but in a private message, I can't for the life of me figure out how to do that anymore with the new upgrades, please let me know how or maybe you could send me a message. Thanks
Click to expand...
Top right of the screen next to your name, the envelope icon - "Conversations" - are the private message system - start new conversation..
 
Hmm, thinking about the hearing it part. I usually have the radio blasting, and am half deaf, and don't wear the hearing aids in the shop. I have been able to 'feel' it on some occasions.

robo hippy
 
Breck Whitworth said:
Odie I would like to communicate with you but in a private message, I can't for the life of me figure out how to do that anymore with the new upgrades, please let me know how or maybe you could send me a message. Thanks
Click to expand...

Breck, I'm just now realizing you posted this.......and, since we communicated the other day, I suspect we've already covered anything you wished to discuss.

-----odie-----
 
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