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Judy
18th June 2000, 02:15 PM
As a moderator of a wood list I received this question from someone ...could anyone please help him?

*I've been trying to turn two acorns which have .at this stage, to
be turned with end-grain at two points on the side. I have tried ,
without success, to tool these end-grain areas to a smooth finish using a half-inch gouge.
Is there any way that I can remove/smooth them without sanding?
The acorns are both 're-chuckable' at the moment, but I would like
to give them a tool finish if possible.
Marty*

Many thanks for any suggestions http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif
Judy

RETIRED
18th June 2000, 07:09 PM
Gooday.

Have they tried the long point of a skew?

It should cut across the end grain and leave a smooth, burnished finish.

------------------
Ian () Robertson
"We do good turns every day"

Judy
19th June 2000, 01:02 AM
Thank you for your help http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif

I'll let you know the outcome when he replies.

cheers
Judy

Judy
19th June 2000, 01:10 AM
PS: I've referred lots of people to this site through the wood list I have.
Just thort you'd like to know that you're becoming infamous....er sorry famous...LOL

Judy http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif

RETIRED
19th June 2000, 07:03 AM
Gooday.

Judy, probably the former. http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif

------------------
Ian () Robertson
"We do good turns every day"

ubeaut
20th June 2000, 12:58 AM
G'day Judy

With the end grain on the side of the piece rather than the ends Marty will have to turn up hill rather than down hill in the traditional spindle fashion. This way the tool will be cutting with the grain and not against it.

Hope this helps.

Cheers
Neil http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif

ubeaut
20th June 2000, 01:46 AM
Back again.

Here are a couple of pretty ordinary looking acorns http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/frown.gif showing the direction the tool should cut when the grain is running accross the acorn and also the full length. This might make a bit more sense than just saying cut down hill.

http://www.ubeaut.com.au/ACORN.jpg

Cheers
Neil http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif

Judy
22nd June 2000, 04:32 PM
Thank you Neil and for all your help http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif
This was Marty's reply so he was obviously very grateful:

*Dear Judy (and also Neil),
Many thanks for your help. I'll try to give this a try tomorrow
evening, I hadn't even considered turning uphill. Logically it should
solve the problem. It's also been suggested to me that if I go from 1/2
inch gouge to 3/8 inch to 1/4 inch gouge I can smooth out a great deal of
the end-grain effect. Just as you go from 80 grit paper to 240 grit. i.e.
successive grades of paper.
I shall enjoy experimenting. Thanks again..
Regards, Martyn,*

Thanks again guys http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif
cheers
Judy

ubeaut
22nd June 2000, 10:54 PM
Well that's a new one on me. What an absolute load of old cods wollop.

Tell Marty not to believe everything he hears. Could only have come from a non turner or someone who thinks they are a turner. Going to smaller gouges would have the reverse effect and would actually create more problems than ever (the lighter the gouge the more chatter you will get on the work). Stick with the 1/2" or 3/8" and you should be fine.

The best piece of advice anyone can give to Marty or any novice turners, is. Go and get a lesson or two from a real woodturner. You will be amazed what you will learn and the results should be astounding.

Just out of curiosity why a tooled finish and not a sanded finish? You have to be a pretty good turner to get away with a tooled finish alone.

Cheers
Neil

Judy
22nd June 2000, 11:15 PM
Thanks Neil http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif

I was way out of my sawdust here in giving advice to Marty so I didnt...and just as well...LOL
Your good advice has been sent on to him.

cheers
Judy

Judy
23rd June 2000, 10:31 AM
Hi Neil
I received this answer from Marty today and thort I'd pass it on.
There's much confusion in the camp now...LOL

*Dear Judy
Many thanks. Actually the advice comes from Peter Child, a
professional turner of many years standing and author of the book "The
Craftsman Turner". He tours internationally and his son Roy Child is the
designer of the coil chuck and design tools for woodturners.
Where, oh where, can we novices turn to if experts disagree ? LOL
All taken in good part!!
Regards, Martyn. *

cheers
Judy http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif

ubeaut
23rd June 2000, 03:39 PM
Me again

Peter Childs advice about the smaller tools may be fine in the hands of a top flight turner who can handle the tools really well. However, Marty is obviously a novice or he would not be asking these questions on a woodlist or BB. The whole idea seems to me, somehow related to the ridiculous notion that rubbing 2 pieces of 120 grit abrasive paper together will give you 240 grit.... LMAO

I have been teaching turning for almost 30 years and this is the first time I have ever heard of such a proposal.... LOL I certainly would not tell a student of mine to do that any more than I would let them start sanding with 80 grit, if they need an abrasive courser than 180 they haven't been cutting the timber correctly.

We all have our own ways of getting the job done. A good turner with a properly sharpened spindle or detail gouge would start and finish the cut with the 1/2" gouge and that would be that, even better still they would probably use a skew chisel. Depending on the size of the acorn it shouldn't take any more than a dozen cuts at the most.

If you need to change tools to get a smoother or finer finish then I would suggest that there is something drastically wrong somewhere.

I guess Marty will just have to resign himself to the fact that some experts know what they are talking about whilst others only think they know............ Which one am I??? Well, I think I know, but I don't consider myself an expert, so maybe I don't WHO KNOWS?? ;

Tell Marty I wish him good luck with the acorn. And not to use the skew if he is going to use it as a scraper. http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif

Cheers
Neil http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif
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Nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/wink.gif