# Avoiding tear out and getting a clean finish.



## waterboy12 (Dec 16, 2012)

I've done 4 bowls so far. All out of poplar. And I can tell a difference between my first bowl and my last one. I ruff everything out with a gouge, then use a bowl gouge to ride the bevel and round nose scraper for the inside of the bowl with a speed of around 800rpm. I would like to know if my speed is ok or if its too slow? Would speeding up give a cleaner cut? Is there anything else I can do to ensure a cleaner cut? Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. 
Josh.


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## Kevin (Dec 16, 2012)

I'm pretty much a newbie turner too Josh, so I hesitate to give much advice other than general things. One thing I have found that cannot be emphasized enough is to maintain sharp tools. Sharpen them more than you think necessary. The other thing I do is avoid scraping unless I have to. If I can use a cutting edge vs a scraping one I will. I do use a carbide scraper to rough out bowls when the blanks are green but I prefer my roughing gouge when it feels okay to me. 

But that's my two suggestions. Cutting is better than scraping, and make sure your tools are sharp sharp sharp. You'd think that's comon sense but I find myself even using dull tools simply because I got in a hurry and didn't sharpen it knowing I should.


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## Vern Tator (Dec 16, 2012)

Keeping in mind that poplar is a pretty soft wood, to get a clean cut you will need a sharp tool. I turn both the out side and the inside with a bowl gouge. I use a scraper as a last resort, generally with difficult grain. Basically it doesn't matter what tool you are using, if it isn't sharp you don't have a chance, this includes scrapers. If you have only turned 4 bowls, you shouldn't be to hard on yourself, try not to judge your work by others, some of the turners here have decades of experience, and we still can screw up a piece. So, in summery, half of turning is tool control, the other half is sharpening.


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## waterboy12 (Dec 16, 2012)

Well I like to think I keep pretty sharp tools. I stop every so often and resharpen. The only reason I use a round nose scraper is its easier for me to control(possibly because Ive only turned 4 bowls). Maybe I'm taking the easy way out. When I use a bowl gouge on the inside of the bowl it "skips" and I get these ridges ever so often. I know I need to work on tool control but I just thought I would ask... thinking that maybe there was something simple I was missing. 

This is one i did this afternoon after work. There are spots that are as smooth as glass and others have tear out. If you look real close you might be able to see the ridges I'm talking about. 
http://i572.Rule #2/albums/ss169/nasty01cummims/36C30DBD-BF6B-4CBA-A244-1487F1E2A77E-2286-0000040973995D9E.jpg


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## DKMD (Dec 16, 2012)

Good advice so far. That skipping on the inside often happens when the bevel is not rubbing... If you're cutting with just the tip, it will hop around and leave ridges. Grinding a secondary bevel or relieving the heel of the gouge sometimes helps in that situation. A standard grind gouge with a steep angle is great for inside bowl bottoms... Better than the fingernail grind in my hands.

I'm a big fan of scrapers, but I rarely use them flat on the toolrest. Instead, I like to roll the tool to the left pointing to around 10 o'clock and shear scrape from the center outward. I use very light pressure when doing this, and I can usually get those 'angel hair' curlies and a decent surface. It takes a little practice, but it's a nice trick to have in the arsenal.

One other thing that may help... Try for a more consistent curve from edge to center. That steep sided, flat bottom shape is actually one of the tougher shapes to hollow especially at the transition from side to bottom. Just as a rough guide, try to make the base of the bowl about a third the width of the rim(ie. six inch bowl with a two inch base).

You're doing a great job... Keep it up!


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## NYWoodturner (Dec 16, 2012)

Josh - Kevin said it best. Sharp tools and cutting is better than scraping. That being said, two things I would consider. #1 look at the angle of approach. When your turning inside a bowl the angle is completely different. Not only is your handle pointed differently, your edge is too. Listen to the sound your chisel makes as you approach the curve. When the sound changes try tweaking the angle of the edge. #2 look at the radius of your chisel / gouge. If it is a tight curve, as in the picture you show, you may need to go to a smaller radius gouge... Like a 1/4". A larger radiused bevel may not navigate a really tight curve. Look at these two issues and see if they help
Scott


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## waterboy12 (Dec 16, 2012)

Thanks a lot guys. The gouge I'm using is a 3/8 fingernail gouge and the bevel is pretty steep. I might look into a 1/4 gouge like you suggested Scott. When I place the bevel on the bowl and raise the handle to drop the edge down..I feel like I'm really having to bring the handle up a long way before the cutting edge makes contact and to fallow the curve inside the bowl takes a lot of movement...more movement than I feel like I should be making. But then again...I don't know a while lot.


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## davidgiul (Dec 16, 2012)

DKMD said:


> Good advice so far. That skipping on the inside often happens when the bevel is not rubbing... If you're cutting with just the tip, it will hop around and leave ridges. Grinding a secondary bevel or relieving the heel of the gouge sometimes helps in that situation. A standard grind gouge with a steep angle is great for inside bowl bottoms... Better than the fingernail grind in my hands.
> 
> I'm a big fan of scrapers, but I rarely use them flat on the toolrest. Instead, I like to roll the tool to the left pointing to around 10 o'clock and shear scrape from the center outward. I use very light pressure when doing this, and I can usually get those 'angel hair' curlies and a decent surface. It takes a little practice, but it's a nice trick to have in the arsenal.
> 
> ...


Yoda has spoke.


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 17, 2012)

All above advice is excellent. Keep in mind that some pieces will have tear out no matter what you do, especially when the grain changes direction. When that happens I just stop short of finished form and slow the lathe down and sand with a really rough paper and work through the grits stopping the lathe often to check my progress. Try some different woods too, maple is excellent to turn and learn with and it's everywhere and cheap. When I first started turning I remembered reading a quote from a master, can't remember who, but it was something like this. "turn a 100 bowls and look at the differences from the first to the last" In other words practice practice practice. For just starting out your doing great. 
Personally I like a scraper but I may use it differently than some others. First I grind it and then roll a bur on it with a card scrapper bur tool. I hold it at a downward angle off the rest so the end of the scrapper is below the rest, I take very light cuts at about the speed you mentioned. Also using a scrapper like this it is very rare to get a catch as the tool falls away rather than getting pulled in. It's a shear cut as David has explained.


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