Newbie problem

[cmccarter]

Question:

I don't have a lot of experience turning, a couple of classes at a local rockler dealer and a few little acorn birdhouses and pens but what do you do when you get a piece of wood that just refuses to be cut easily. I have a piece of locust as well a a piece of tiger wood but every time I try to turn them I get catches and big tearouts. This is dry wood. My tools are sharp and i have tried both low and high speed without luck. I am open to any and all suggestions.

Chester

 

[woodArtz]

Well, your in good company. Locust is harder than most of my tools and dry Locust is like cutting a block of stainless steel. So... extra sharp gouges or skews using high angle shearing cuts. Then, resharpen the tools every five minutes or so. Good luck. :icon_thum

 

[CaptnA]

The first thing I'd suggest is try some more user friendly wood, poplar is a good wood, and most green wood is much easier. Its hard to beat fresh vut cherry for learning to turn, imo. I'd stay away from the pine family unless you enjoy frustration! Not knowing your skill level, but you said new turner, so wood choice can be important. ANY wood can be turned. Some really turn and finish well, others - not so much. Once you get some more practical skills it is easier to transition to some of the more challenging woods.
The adages start straight out - sharp tools, light cuts.
I can't say enough about sharp tools. Correctly sharpened with the proper angles.
Dull or improperly sharpened tools can be enough to turn people off turning altogether.
Check at the local wood stores, you said you'd taken a class, maybe you can find a mentor in your area. A skilled turner can teach you more in ten minutes than reading or watching videos for hours. Although
I know more self-taught turners than 'trained' ones, its hard to unlearn doing things that can be done better. I know!

 

[boxxmaker]

Thats why they use that stuff for fence post,it tougher than iron :gar-La; I'v turned small pieces that were dryed and it wasn't TOO bad,That stuff when dry puts a hurtin on DT tools and Craigs Ci1 rougher and them suckers are bout the toughest tools you can get.Like said already,I would look for something softer to turn,like iron maybe :rotflm:

 

[pudspens]

if i was you i would try segmented bowls SO MUCH EASYER:rotflm:

 

[MrAudio815]

Chester,

You may try to make yourself some oland tools. They HHS bits are cheap from Habor Freight and you can then do a scraping action instead of a cutting action. The cutter will below center so that you wont get catches, it doesn't make the wood super smooth, but at least you can get it round. Then when it is round you can use a very sharp tool to do the cutting action and take off only hair like shavings. If you get a catch again, I would say to use the easiest cutting tool.Your hands and a nice piece of 80grit sand paper.

You may also try putting sanding sealer on the piece and let it dry, as this will help the wood be more consistant throughout. It also helps other woods out when it looks like you have hit it with a hammer and your tools are sharp. The wood is soft in some areas and hard in others so the soft area get beat like a hammer and is all smashed together. The sanding sealer helps prevent this by making all the wood hard, or the soft wood harder. It helps out a bunch~!

And puddin is right, segmented turning is a whole lot easier as you are not cutting against the grain. SO NICE~!


Good Luck and let us know how it works out for you.

 

[cmccarter]

Thanks for all the input. I think I'll put them on the shelf for now and come back when I have a little more experience.

chester

 

[Gunslinger]

I get catches and big tearouts. This is dry wood. My tools are sharp and i have tried both low and high speed without luck.

JMHO but from what you said your tools are sharp. So, I assume your are losing bevel support or using too much wing on a gouge.
For the skew, if you get large ‘wake me up" type catches it is probably from getting the long point into the wood resulting in a deep, nasty, but localized catch. If losing the bevel support you will typically get a spiral/skating/thread pattern down a fairly long length.
You can get instant catches losing bevel support on a gouge or by taking too large a cut (getting too much wing into the cut).
You will still get some tearout, mostly on endgrain, even when you become a master. (I’m still trying to become an apprentice) If not, there would not be the number of video’s out there teaching how to avoid/overcome it.
Wish you good luck.
Mike