Toona & Casuarina bowls

[Caveman]

Hi all,
Managed to get some turning time last weekend!
Turned out a couple of bowls.

The red one is Toona - the first thing that I've turned out of this wood - amazing colour - not seen anything like it before - I think this is what you guys know as Aus Red Cedar. Was quite easy going - the wood has quite a strong aroma. Still need to improve my sanding - oh for one of them rotary sanding thingies.

The other 2 bowls were from Casuarina that I had grown here - C. cunninghamiana not the more common coastal species C. equisitifolia.
Are the vertical lines that you can see in the pictures the norm for this wood??? I've not seen it on any other timber. These bowls were from pretty wet wood so have 'moved' a wee bit already (turned to about 5-7mm so shouldn't split).

[banksiaman]

Not bad, not bad at all.

Toona australis (also known as Toona ciliata at one stage) is Australian Red Cedar. Has a nice sweet smell.

Your finish certainly sets the colour off. What finish did you use?

Casuarina's of various species, and species from the Proteacea family (Grevillea, Banksia etc. have pronounced medullary rays, Grevillea robusta and other northern Australian species (Silky Oak) can look quite spectacular when quarter sawn, so these rays are more pronouced.

I like the style of these bowls as well. Look forward to seeing more.

Chris

[rsser]

Hi Andy,

Toona Australis over here is mostly pretty soft, so it doesn't take much to get grain tear out with a gouge. That may be your problem, rather than sanding. Avoid scrapers for the same reason - or if you have to scrape remove the burr first.

And no, I haven't seen that degree of figure in our stuff. Must be your African soil. Good result.

[Edit, re sanding: I prefer a wrap of paper around a rectangle of Scotchbrite for the interior of a bowl of soft timber; get less rippling that way.]

[ss_11000]

love the colour and shape in the first bowl...

[Caveman]

Thanks for the comments.

Chris - I have also turned a few bowls out of Grevillia robusta and noticed the same medullary ray effect.
I use linseed oil followed by beeswax - mainly because that is all I can get around here. It leaves a finish that I am pretty happy with.

Ern - yup this was pretty soft stuff too - the paler area of sapwood had some insects beginning to munch on it. Where I seem to struggle is with the bottom 'corner' of the inside of the bowl. I usually end up scraping that area of the inside as the fingernail bowl gouge I have tends to struggle to get some bevel rubbing at that angle and leaves a pretty uneven surface.
Will try scraping after removing the burr and sanding with the scotchbrite idea - see how it turns out (no pun intended).

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I've found there are situations when I just can't get a gouge in at the right (or safe) angle and have no real choice besides a scraper. Normally I use nothing but scrapers to form the inside bowls of my goblets. Oh... and occasionally a drill to get things started. :D

For woods that don't take scraping well I use a home-made scraper made from round-stock, so I can angle the working edge to get more of a skew-cut action going than scraping. This helps reduce tear-out and ripples considerably. It's still used point-down like any other scraper though... point up like a gouge is asking for trouble. :rolleyes:

[hughie]

[/QUOTE] Still need to improve my sanding - oh for one of them rotary sanding thingies[/QUOTE]

Andy,

drool, sigh, they look real good, damn nice colour as well.The rake from the green timber on the lip of the bowl is very effective.
Sanding thingy, somewhere on the net I came across a guy who makes his own. simple but effective. Will try and back track it for you

For sanding I use a 1/2'' thick and dense foam rubber backer. Saves on finger burn, finger marks, gives a more even finish.

hughie

[hughie]

Andy found a few home made ideas for sanding. some of these should get you on your way. hughie

http://www.easttexaswoodturners.org/woodezine%20-%20Sand%20Inside%20a%20Turned%20Vessel.htm

http://gulfcoastwoodturners.org/RESOURCES/Bowl%20Sanding%20Tool.htm

http://www.hdv.net/tips/Sander%20Instructions.htm

http://www.woodcentral.com/articles/turning/articles_530.shtml

[rsser]

Where I seem to struggle is with the bottom 'corner' of the inside of the bowl. I usually end up scraping that area of the inside as the fingernail bowl gouge I have tends to struggle to get some bevel rubbing at that angle and leaves a pretty uneven surface.
Will try scraping after removing the burr and sanding with the scotchbrite idea - see how it turns out (no pun intended).

Some guys set aside a gouge just for the 'corner' with a very short bevel (or even with two bevels with the steep angle close to the cutting edge). That helps to angle her in.

I like a curved bowl rest myself to reduce tool overhang and then cut with the bottom wing, with the tool rolled right on its side and without a fingernail grind. Sometimes I need to drop the handle low and push the cutting edge up well above the 'equator' while rolling from a position with the flute uppermost to the flute on its side as it heads towards the center. (Hope this makes sense).

[Caveman]

Hi guys,
Hughie - thanks for the info - will do some surfing and check out those links.
Came across another one: http://www.aroundthewoods.com/sanding.shtml
some good ideas. I'm sure I'll manage to put something together to help out.

Ern - Thanks - yup, makes sense. I have a curved tool rest of sorts, so will give that a try.

[reeves]

hey nice pics, good describing...u have apretty good groove on the curve...interetsing to see african grown woods..

cheeeeeers
john