First ever Turning Challenge and Trade

[Hybrid-woodworker]

I wonder if the EZ turning tools could have saved this? Anyone using these to turn a piece of cedar?

[Roger T]

I think tearout would have been a big factor with the EZ tools. Best thing to use is a very sharp gouge and good technique.

[Texfire]

My tools are the EZW tools, the rougher, finisher and detailer. The big cut in the side is where I removed a knot before turning it, expecting it to tear out there. It's the other parts along the rim where that wild grain is running parellel to the rim where it's chunking off. I think I'll try a fresh carbide tip and see if that makes a difference, Failing that, I think I'll flatten it out into a funky plate or base.

I may not have ended up with a finished product worth sharing, but I did learn quite a bunch from the attempt. On my first two bowls I turned the face blank between centers to get a tenon, then mounted it on jaws to turn the interior. This time I used screws to affix a faceplate to turn the base tenon and when I went to remove them the screws snapped off, leaving half their length in the wood. I ended up having to drill out the wood around the screws to get a vicegrip on it to unscrew the remains. Next time, better screws. Also, balancing the blank was a challenge, taking a fair amount of effort to get it round from the rough cut off the bandsaw.

I've got a second blank that was a cedar trunk at the base of a 8" cedar at the base, I was planning on turning it upside down with the roots on the top of the bowl, turning on the end grain instead of the face. Wonder if I'm going to run into the same problems with an unbalanced blank. If I can get turning cedar licked, I'll be set around here, we've got tons of trash cedar around here.

[mikem]

Here is my bowl for the turner's challenge. It stared out from a 8"x8"x4" block of ambrosia maple. The finish on it is boiled linseed oil and shellac.

[SandSWoodcraft]

Here's mine:

Pecan w/ Mylands Friction Polish

[SandSWoodcraft]

My tools are the EZW tools, the rougher, finisher and detailer. The big cut in the side is where I removed a knot before turning it, expecting it to tear out there. It's the other parts along the rim where that wild grain is running parellel to the rim where it's chunking off. I think I'll try a fresh carbide tip and see if that makes a difference, Failing that, I think I'll flatten it out into a funky plate or base.

I may not have ended up with a finished product worth sharing, but I did learn quite a bunch from the attempt. On my first two bowls I turned the face blank between centers to get a tenon, then mounted it on jaws to turn the interior. This time I used screws to affix a faceplate to turn the base tenon and when I went to remove them the screws snapped off, leaving half their length in the wood. I ended up having to drill out the wood around the screws to get a vicegrip on it to unscrew the remains. Next time, better screws. Also, balancing the blank was a challenge, taking a fair amount of effort to get it round from the rough cut off the bandsaw.

I've got a second blank that was a cedar trunk at the base of a 8" cedar at the base, I was planning on turning it upside down with the roots on the top of the bowl, turning on the end grain instead of the face. Wonder if I'm going to run into the same problems with an unbalanced blank. If I can get turning cedar licked, I'll be set around here, we've got tons of trash cedar around here.

It could be the approach angle of your EWT's. If I'm having a hard time with catches i'll raise the back of the EWT handle, dropping the cutter below center and presenting a less aggressive cutting angle. I've only got a finisher, and have turned a dozen items with it on a single cutter, and only rotated it once, so I doubt a dull edge is the root of your problem. I'd be careful with the rougher on bowls, or ditch it all together. The sharp corners are going to give you problems with digging in, especially if you're turning a lot of air on something like a natural edge.

Beautiful work so far. Don't ditch it, that the awesome thing about bowls. If you mess up, just pull a new line or profile and no one will ever know!

[Roger T]

Everyone,

Thanks much for participating in the First Challenge and Trade. As this one comes to a close, there are several that have not posted their pictures yet. If those who have not posted yet, would respond to this thread and let me know if you still plan on making or finishing your piece. If you need another day or 2 to get your piece completed this is fine. Just let us know, so we can know when to do the drawing of the trade names.

Again, Thanks for the participation.

Roger

[Texfire]

It could be the approach angle of your EWT's. If I'm having a hard time with catches i'll raise the back of the EWT handle, dropping the cutter below center and presenting a less aggressive cutting angle. I've only got a finisher, and have turned a dozen items with it on a single cutter, and only rotated it once, so I doubt a dull edge is the root of your problem. I'd be careful with the rougher on bowls, or ditch it all together. The sharp corners are going to give you problems with digging in, especially if you're turning a lot of air on something like a natural edge.

Beautiful work so far. Don't ditch it, that the awesome thing about bowls. If you mess up, just pull a new line or profile and no one will ever know!

Yeah I've tried all that. I actually like the rougher because the square profile allows me to make hard corners and straight lines. I'm not ditching it, I just got tired of it chucking stuff at me today.

[Hybrid-woodworker]

Roger, can you post a list of those entries you have? That way we have a confirmation that you have our entries.

[Roger T]

Ok,

Here is the list of completed pieces.

MikeM

JerrySats

TimV

JWatson

Duckkisser

Croessler

Hybrid-Woodworker

S and S Woodcraft

Indy Cindy

RogerT

JamesAustin

That makes 11 of 15 so far. Im going to give this another day or two for the ones who are close to being finished. Lets call the official end for Wednesday night 6:00pm I will draw the names for the trades at around 7pm cdt. To keep it all above board, I will have my cam on for the drawing.

[JerrySats]

I don't know what the wood is , my finish is Triple E and Hut Friction polish .

[duckkisser]

hmmmm sands how does pecan turn?

[JamesAustin]

My first segmented bowl.

[duckkisser]

My first segmented bowl.

no way thats your first. your segments are pefect at least from this end.

[JamesAustin]

Not my first bowl.... but my first segmented bowl. It was not as hard as I thought it was going to be.

[duckkisser]

looks good james i folcused on my first segment on making the small diamond patterns and then added in the rim as a after thought.

did you use any kind of segment program or layout device to get all your pieces just right?

[SandSWoodcraft]

hmmmm sands how does pecan turn?

I liked turning it after I got it roughed out. Felt very brittle while turning. The nice part about that was there was not much to have to deal with in terms of tearout. Finished very nicely with a couple passes of my scraper.

[JamesAustin]

looks good james i folcused on my first segment on making the small diamond patterns and then added in the rim as a after thought.

did you use any kind of segment program or layout device to get all your pieces just right?

I have a lot of ideas of things I want to try on my next one. I found a chart that gives you the the angle and tangent depending on how many segments you want in a ring. Then you just multiply the tangent and the diameter of the ring you want to make and that tells you the length that the segments need to be. The rings turned out to be a little but more oval because I must have not had my miter angle perfect but I can't tell now that it's turned and finished.

[duckkisser]

looks nice i dont have anything like that but someday ill get one. then i can start burning through all the scraps i have. thinking of taking all the small scraps i have and squaring them up and then just gluing them up into a large block.

[Roger T]

Ok, here is my entry for the Inagural Challenge and Trade. It's an Ash, Rolly-Polly bowl. You will notice no foot on it. 4 7/8" diameter by 1 5/8" deep. Lots of fun, and a piece of cake to turn. First one I've ever done in this style. Hope you all like it. Click on the pic to enlarge it.

[TimV]

I like the flare rim on that Roger.

[BigBen]

[TimV]

Alright! Ben gets his finished! looks great. Nice piece of cherry.

[Roger T]

Last call for those who have not completed their piece yet. The trade will close at 6pm cdt. Trades will be drawn tonight between 6 and 7 pm tonight. You must have a pic posted to be able to participate.

Roger

[TimV]

Darn, and I can't watch since I'm heading to my woodturner's group meeting tonight