Thread: Grain tearout

Bryce,

other more expert hands here will give you better instruction, but here's my TBW:

- do the final cuts with the gouge as close to 90 degrees as you can get
- sheer scrape with the gouge to remove any hills, not the hollows
- last chance, sheer scrape with a scraper.

If you do it right, you shouldn't need to sand too much.

Talk with all the guys, especially Ern as his finish cuts are fine.

Jeff

Hey Bryce,

What speed are you finishing at?? I found that if you can jump up to the next speed for your final cuts and really sharp tools, like jefferson said you hardly need to sand.

Just my 2 bobs worth

HazzaB

FWIW

Sometimes skill and sharp tools just won't cut it

I can't comment on macassar, but certainly have had examples of cranky grain that defy technique. I have even seen the great George Hatfield revert to a scraper on some difficult blackwood, during a pepper mill demo at our club, so it happens to the best.

That said, there are a few things which can be done to reduce the problem:

Contrary to the rules, sometimes the skew is the worst tool on a cranky spindle. You might be better off with a sharp gouge. Further, smaller may be better than larger. I have at times reverted to my smallest bowl gouge, to make a finishing cut on a brushbox spindle. The smaller "bite" gave an uneven ridged surface, but no tearout. It was easier to sand that to fair, than to sand away chipout.

Grain direction might be confusing, and at times, an "uphill" cut may give a better result.

I have also on occasion used the "short point" of the skew with better results than a planing cut. Again, a ridged result, but more easily sandable. Can be useful if you have isolated patches of twisted grain.

regards

You might try using Ubeauts sanding sealer let dry then , light cuts with sharp tools .Works for me .

The timber is said to be brittle, so +1 to light cuts with a small tool but esp to honing the tool edge and removing any wire from it, and doing this often as the edge will go quickly.

Good luck.

Edit: also use a short bevel.

Some additional thoughts: fill the grain with CA glue. this will help to support it while you cut it. And as Alastair said cutting up hill is important but this can confuse some people. So what you need to do is cut in a direction that has grain supporting grain. And sometimes nothing really works 100% so get some 60 or 80 grit sandpaper onto it.

I have tried all of the above advice and it all works sometimes. No 2 bits of wood are the same even the same species have good and not so good. I now resharpen for the final cuts as a matter of habit and am not ashamed to use the scraper or sometimes the 60g paper. Wetting with water or a wipe of oil before the last cut can sometimes work also. With tearout just try doing something different. And sometimes there is that bit of wood that was meant for the fire anyhow.
Regards
John

Originally Posted by orraloon

I have tried all of the above advice and it all works sometimes. No 2 bits of wood are the same even the same species have good and not so good. I now resharpen for the final cuts as a matter of habit and am not ashamed to use the scraper or sometimes the 60g paper. Wetting with water or a wipe of oil before the last cut can sometimes work also. With tearout just try doing something different. And sometimes there is that bit of wood that was meant for the fire anyhow.
Regards
John

Yup.

Got to this page....
https://www.woodworkforums.com/search.php

type tearout into the keyword box & select Woodturning forums in the Search Forums box.

There are 3 pages of threads, that should keep up busy for a day or so.

Originally Posted by bryce247

Hi Everyone,

first time poster, long time reader.

I have a question that i'm hoping someone might be able to help me with. When I'm turning certain woods, especially Macassar, I find that grain tearout is a problem. The tools are sharp. I find having to sand the last few mm is the only way around it. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to avoid it or at least minimize it as much as possible. Thanks

Bryce

Bryce, Macassar usualy turns well. You havn't said what you are trying to make. Is it a spindle turning or side grain piece? What tools are you using?