New to Woodturning, Need Help

[mbeach]

Hello,

I am new to woodturning, only been doing it for 3 days. I made my first bowl and had some 'feathering' on the grain. I am not sure how or why I got this. I am wanting to know how to get rid of it, so there is a smooth surface.

Any help would be appreciated.

Also, I am in Winston Salem area. Always looking for wood and other giveaways. Let me know. Thanks!

 

[tom hintz]

Very sharp tools and making cuts so that yo are working "down hill" or with the grain will help a bunch. Then, you sand a bunch anyway and hope for the best. Some wood just gives yo more trouble with the grain thatn others, some individual pieces of wood are worse also. I like making very light final cuts with a very sharp scraper or bowl gouge. I also use the Oneway Termite, also taking very light cuts with it to calm the grain down. But then, I sand a bunch also. (Notice how that keeps coming up? Get used to it....)

 

[mbeach]

Thanks for the advice... Would you mind clarifying what you mean by working downhill or with the grain? I am very new to this and not sure what you mean.

 

[tom hintz]

Check out the story at the link below. learning to read grain orientation is important in all forms of woodworking. the key is to work so your tool does not run into the edge of the grain where it can pick it up. If you work the other way, the tools just slices over the edge. this is way harder to explain in words than to show. With a bowl, that usually means cutting from the inside of the back out towards the rim.

http://www.newwoodworker.com/readgrain.html

 

[mbeach]

thanks for the article. I now understand it a little more. However, when making my bowl, the feathering was only on 2 sides opposite of each other.... How do I work with the grain when spinning a bowl?

 

[tom hintz]

The two places is because the grain runs across the bowl. some of the bowl is all long grain where the grain doesn't bother anything. You have to look at the grain to see which way it is running, then make sure yo are cutting with rather than against the grain. Most of the timethat means starting the cut at the bottom of the bowl and working back out to the rim., And then, that sanding deal again...

 

[mbeach]

Thanks! I Will give that a try the next bowl I make! Appreciate the help!

 

[PChristy]

Hi Mike - glad to have you on board - this group of ppl will help you in amyway = if you don't mind how about jumping over to the "Who We Are" forum and tell us a little about yourself =
Thanks
Phillip

 

[NZAPP1]

Hello,

I am new to woodturning, only been doing it for 3 days. I made my first bowl and had some 'feathering' on the grain. I am not sure how or why I got this. I am wanting to know how to get rid of it, so there is a smooth surface.

Any help would be appreciated.

Also, I am in Winston Salem area. Always looking for wood and other giveaways. Let me know. Thanks!

Mike
I am in Clemmons also and turn a little. I would be more the happy to help you. You are welcome to come over to my shop if yo like. I also have a couple of maple logs that you can have just send me a PM
PS I have the next 4 days off :eusa_danc

 

[Rob]

I use a shearing cut with the bowl gouge on those grain tear outs, it's kind of hard to explain, WoodArtz did great job of explaining and showing me, but it's a very light cut so your getting small shavings instead of large strings or chips.

You didn't mention the type of wood, or if it was dry or green. Turning the bowl green, only partly then letting it dry is a great way to turn bowls, green wood turns so pretty.

 

[Robert Arrowood]

I cheat I use my 80grit gouge:rolf:.If your lathe has a reverse sand the bowl in reverse.That will help it rolls the grain back over.And will shear it off.At least thats what I've read:eusa_thin.My lathe don't have a reverse:no:.Of coarse right now it don't have a foward:cry_smile.Harbor freight sent me the WRONG bearings:kamahlitu:kamahlitu:BangHead:.But thats another story:evil:.

 

[woodArtz]

Here's an older link from one of the resident turning pros:

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f32/how-deal-torn-end-grain-16669/

 

[JRD]

Sharp tools, and light cuts working from the inside of the bowl to the rim.

Even then, get to know your new best friend, the 60 grit gouge. You'll need his help from time to time.

Glad to see another one has fallen to the dark side.

Jim

 

[mbeach]

Thanks, I used green wet poplar wood. I also do not have reverse turning, so that is not an option.

 

[mbeach]

Thanks for the article, It did help me out. I will have to use the 60 grit gouge. Thanks

 

[Mike Davis]

One thing I have learned is green wood is 1000 times more likely to tear out than extremely dry wood. Green turning is faster and easier but not good for finishing. Put that bowl in a paper bag, let it sit for a month then try it again.

Or soak it in alcohol, wrap the outside with brown paper and weigh it each day until it stops getting lighter. That will be about as dry as it will get. Then finish turning it.

Green wood fibers bend over instead of cutting off.

 

[mbeach]

I will give that a try. Thanks Mike

 

[Sir Chiz]

Mike,what you are experiencing is commonly called "end grain tearout", it's most common near the pith of the log,(bowl). The two areas are probly 180 degrees from each other, just behind the center of the end grain,as the top rotates toward you.
As mentioned, sharp tools are a must, but more important is the position of the cutting edge the wood fibers.
On the outside of a bowl,make your cuts from the smaller diameter (foot) to the larger (rim), inside the bowl, cut from the larger diameter (rim) to the smaller, (bottom).

Here are some pics (I hope), notice the position of the cutting edge to the rotating wood being cut, and the position of the tool handle.
The wood fibers are being supported(pushed into the "taller" fibers behind them), so they cut more cleanly, as opposed to breaking and laying over, "tearout".
Two cuts with a sidegrind gouge, and one with a conventional gouge.

HTH.

Phil.

 

[mbeach]

Phil,

Thanks for the info and pictures. that will help out a lot.