Curious: How do others start a turning?

Am curious, what’s your “go to” tool for roghing/shaping a bowl blank?

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David Hill

David Hill

I collect & use Texas woods---but prefer Mesquite.
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I know there’s always more than one way to get something done. It seems I learn something every time I go into the shop—- isn’t always an epiphany, but something nonetheless.
So I thought I’d pose a question.
Here’s my response—
Since I started turning, I’ve changed how I approach roughing and shaping bowl blanks. Initially I would just use carbides —square or round— didn’t matter. Now I use primarily roughing and bowl gouges with a some square carbide to shape the tenon.
 
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All I have is carbides....

:blush:
 
Only traditional tools for me. Gouges cut and leave a much better surface than scrapers.. If need to hog away a lot of material I'll use my traditional scrapers, they work just as well as carbide tools (which are scrapers) at a fraction of the cost.
 
I went the other way, learned with traditional tools and then switched to the dark side (carbides) Why? Because I don't have to put much thought into them about angles, riding bevels, etc. Just keep the rest close to the work and hog off material in rapid fashion, all the energy is transferred down into the rest and that substantially reduces the severity of catches. Now all I really have to concentrate on is speed that the work is turning, and the form that I am creating. Also because I save a lot of time not grinding and sharpening my traditional tools. Carbides sharpen in just a few seconds on a diamond hone, (no you don't have to throw them away when they finally do become dull) These are just a few of the reasons I have switched to carbides almost exclusively. jmo. And yes they are just a scraper, ever hear of a shear scraper? I have been playing with the angle of the carbide for a final shear scrape before sanding, every bit as good as a traditional tool imo.
 
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I like a big bowl gouge(3/4” or 5/8”)for initial roughing then I switch to a smaller bowl gouge for final cuts(1/2” or 3/8”). I like the mass of the bigger tool initially, but I seem to get a better surface with the smaller tools. I tend to sharpen them all before starting and use them all until they’re dull... sharpening in batches seems more efficient for me.

A word of caution... if your roughing gouge is a spindle roughing gouge with the small tang, they have a tendency to break with catches. If it’s milled from solid stock like Thompson or Dway, breakage isn’t much of a concern.
 
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I started with carbide tools. I have a good set of Sorby traditional tools that I am trying to learn to sharpen and use. My goal is to get where I can use either/or ad need dictates. (Or I just want a change!) I don't know enough to know which I like better yet, still in the infancy stage of turning! Tony
 
I use a 1" spindle gouge for almost all of my initial roughing work. It's sharpened with wings (like a bowl gouge) to reduce the possibility of catches. Works well for me.
 
I normally use a bowl gouge (90%) but sometimes a square carbide. I normally start with the carbide if the bark looks very nasty or otherwise may dull a gouge quickly.
Thinking about it, it may depend on mounting also. I am more prone to continue with the carbide if the item is mounted with a drive spur vs faceplate, wormscrew, or pin jaws. The latter allows the removal of the tailstock and rotation of the headstock. With the carbide my cuts are as close to straight into side grain as possible and requires little handle movement compared to a gouge.
 
Since you asked, I start with a 5/8" bowl gouge most of the time. I have a bunch of carbide tools, but save them because of the woods I turn. Lots of dirt, some rocks, and grit in the bark wreaks havoc on carbide edges. Tool steel is a lot easier to sharpen than carbide, therefore it's the excuse I'm sticking with.

If the wood I'm going to turn is clean, then I'll use a round carbide as it's easier for me than using a square cutter.

I also use my Chuck Plate for every form I start. I have 2 spurs that are ancient relics in my shop that haven't been used since August, 2010, and I have 4 worm screws the are virgins. :lol2:.................... Jerry (in Tucson)
 
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I pretty much always use a bowl gouge for all the steps of turning a bowl, though if I'm having trouble with tearout down the bottom of the inside I'll try a rounded scraper.

(Oh, and shaping a dovetail tenon for the SuperNova chuck jaws, I'll sometimes use a spindle detail gouge to get a sharp inside corner.)
 
[QUOTE="duncsuss, post: 456686, member: 630
(Oh, and shaping a dovetail tenon for the SuperNova chuck jaws,[/QUOTE]

OT but which jaws? The Powergrips, 100mm or 130mm bowl jaws? All of the others require a straight tenon; even the Powergrips require a straight tenon unless using as their "reverse dovetail".
 
I like the round carbide for outside work and a ring tool like the termite (I own both sizes) for hollowing.
 
Mike Mills said:
OT but which jaws?
Click to expand...
Jaws for which I use dovetail tenons:
- 50mm jaws
- 75mm bowl jaws (can be used with a straight tenon -- but it has to be about 1/2" or longer to reach the serrations)
- 100mm jaws
- step jaws
 
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