Thread: bowl in the cave

Very nice job there Dave...i like how you timed it being done....and the kids playing in the sawdust

Mick!!!

Thanks Mick ... the timing was not deliberate, a benifit of info stored on photos.


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

I like the curve on this bowl. I have a Camphor Laurel blank which looks almost exactly the same size + shape, and this kind of bowl shape might be an option for it !
What is it about the swan neck which makes you say to be careful, lots of catches ? I am thinking of adding to my small tool collection at the Brisbane working with wood show and this kind of tool is under consideration for me.

Yeah the swan neck really grabbed, mind you so did the straight one the first time.

I think it is just the angle of aproach and getting used to using them. I am not particularly into carbide cutters but must say this one worked rather well.

In the pic the swan neck looks straightish but if you look at its shadow you can see some of the bend (just the angle of the pic)

I must say I am rather pleased with this shape, very simple but I like it. I left a 2 - 3 mm foot just to lift it slightly off the ground. I am happy with that too.


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

Originally Posted by DaveTTC

Yeah the swan neck really grabbed, mind you so did the straight one the first time.
I think it is just the angle of aproach and getting used to using them. I am not particularly into carbide cutters but must say this one worked rather well.
In the pic the swan neck looks straightish but if you look at its shadow you can see some of the bend (just the angle of the pic)
I must say I am rather pleased with this shape, very simple but I like it. I left a 2 - 3 mm foot just to lift it slightly off the ground. I am happy with that too.
Dave the turning cowboy
turning wood into art

Looks good Dave, and done pretty quickly.
(I won't mention Brendan's 10min bowl. )

The angle of attack with carbide tools isn't as critical as with a gouge, but still important. Although horizontal and in line with the centre is recommended, I find that mine cut best with the handle raised very slightly. (That might just be my cutters, and not relevant to other brands.) Also, I've found that when working with hard hardwoods, it's not a bad idea to sharpen them at the end of each day. Nothing like starting the day with freshly-sharpened cutters.

That swan-neck tool looks interesting. In the photo, it looks like the cutter is at 45 degrees to the curve, like it's set up for shear scraping.

What brand are your carbide tools, ('Easy' maybe?), and what diameter are the round cutters?
I'm using a Sorby Turnmaster, and find the round cutter a bit big for some things. Your's look better for small radius curves.

Originally Posted by Hermit

Looks good Dave, and done pretty quickly.
(I won't mention Brendan's 10min bowl. )

The angle of attack with carbide tools isn't as critical as with a gouge, but still important. Although horizontal and in line with the centre is recommended, I find that mine cut best with the handle raised very slightly. (That might just be my cutters, and not relevant to other brands.) Also, I've found that when working with hard hardwoods, it's not a bad idea to sharpen them at the end of each day. Nothing like starting the day with freshly-sharpened cutters.

That swan-neck tool looks interesting. In the photo, it looks like the cutter is at 45 degrees to the curve, like it's set up for shear scraping.

What brand are your carbide tools, ('Easy' maybe?), and what diameter are the round cutters?
I'm using a Sorby Turnmaster, and find the round cutter a bit big for some things. Your's look better for small radius curves.

This time next year I may try and compete with the 10 minute bowl

I found these cutters work better as a shear scraper.

Not sure what cutter they are. They must have a radius of no more the 10 mm. Worked a charm. Not sure how many bowls I could get from one cutter.

These are home made by a guy in the States. You are right. It seems the swan neck is made to shear scrape. The other one I used straight across the bottom and in shear under the rim.


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

Originally Posted by DaveTTC

This time next year I may try and compete with the 10 minute bowl

I found these cutters work better as a shear scraper.
Not sure what cutter they are. They must have a radius of no more the 10 mm. Worked a charm. Not sure how many bowls I could get from one cutter.
These are home made by a guy in the States. You are right. It seems the swan neck is made to shear scrape. The other one I used straight across the bottom and in shear under the rim.
Dave the turning cowboy
turning wood into art

Thanks, Dave. Now that you mention it, I vaguely remember seeing some similar cutters on eBay a while ago.
Do you by chance have a link to the supplier?

I've heard you can get up to 40 bowls from a cutter, but I reckon that's if the wood is softwood or green. Mine are noticeably blunt after a couple of hours on well-seasoned old hardwood. A touch-up with a diamond hone helps tremendously. I spin the cutter and hold the hone against it, (a DMT 600G Dia-Sharp credit-card hone).

I will have a look around. I did have some links to various suppliers at one stage. It dues work very nicely. Getting a flat bottom was a breeze.

Any deeper and I would probably have angled the rest into the bowl.


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

Originally Posted by DaveTTC

Yeah the swan neck really grabbed, mind

When using an offset tool with a swans neck, it is important to over have tool rest back far enough so that the contact of the tool on the rest is only on the straight part of the shank.

Any attempt to use the tool with the curved part of the shaft in contact with the rest will result in the tool wanting to rotate into the wood and will lead to a dig in.

Hope of use to some.

Cheers

Tim

Thanks Tim

Had my woodturning club meeting last night and someone else also suggested that could have been a factor. Likely it was. I will pay more attention to overhang and what is resting on the rest next time.

I'd press like but don't have that option on tapatalk


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

Hi dave,
That, s a nice looking bowl mate,
did you just want to try out the new swan neck
as you could have done the inside with a gouge
or even a scaper, either way it looks good
(I see you have given up on the spirals)...
Well done on the bowl looks good
Cheers smiife

Thanks Smiife,

the spirals will be back!!!

Yeah I have never done a hollow form and thought it would give me some practice while I can still see what I am doing.

Oh I have no decent scrapers to speak of


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

Dave
Nicely done on the bowl. Keep up on making them and you will get faster.

Originally Posted by Hermit

....(I won't mention Brendan's 10min bowl. ).......

Now to be fair it was a smaller size bowl. I watched the video and it was interesting to see how quickly one can be made. It gives me a perspective on what to aim for.

Originally Posted by Christos

Dave
Nicely done on the bowl. Keep up on making them and you will get faster.
Now to be fair it was a smaller size bowl. I watched the video and it was interesting to see how quickly one can be made. It gives me a perspective on what to aim for.

Yeah, I was just having a dig. Dave's doing very well, and much better than my 10 hour (and 10 day) bowls.