Thread: How do I stop this happening

The grain seems certain to have had something to do with the breakage, and the thinness of your turning - not that knowing the "WHY" makes the loss any easier to accept.

soth

Pity, it looks like you were doing damned well with it, too.

Even when the grain's dead straight, as soon as you get that "wobble" you know you're in trouble.

To help prevent it, I do my sanding and finishing in stages. Turn a bit, sand/finish it. Turn the next bit, sand/finish it. There's still times I gotta go back and sand it all over in which case I set the toolrest up as though I was hollowing it out, then rest my right hand on that with my fingers splayed inside the mouth of the goblet to limit how far it can wobble.

Of course, this means doing all the sanding/finishing left handed, but I'm getting used to that...

Darn, it sure was lookin' good too.
Possibly torque is your enemy, but Cedar is a fairly brittle wood (at least ours is).

Like Skew said, work your way down in stages but you can also try making a cone to fit over your live centre and into the cup so you can bring the tailstock up to support the top while you finish the rest. Looks like it was going so well too! Not having the grain parallel to the stem would have made it difficult regardless.

Don't go back to bowls until you have mastered the Goblet. Skew may be a "Rookie" at goblets but I think he knows what he is talking about. Believe me if you think you are going to make goblets w/o snaping a few stems you have another think coming. One of your pictures shows the goblet off the chuck. When you get to that stage, it should stay in the chuck until it is finished or parted off the spigot. I don't care how well you center and get it back to the arrangement, you can't mount it on exact center a second time, and with the stem as thin as you have it. the slightest variance would start stressing it out of balance.

Also a piece of dowel between the bottom of the goblet's bowl and the tail center would have helped steady as you finished. A stedy rest would help also.

But I believe the biggest mistake was to take the work from the chuck before it was finished.

Lets see the next one. Back in the saddle , as they say...

Originally Posted by Hickory

But I believe the biggest mistake was to take the work from the chuck before it was finished.

Very observant Hickory - shouldda been a walloper. Damned good point - didn't click with me

A tennis ball and live centre makes a good support for goblet bowls. Holds the bowl steady and does not mark your finish. Not too much pressure though when you bring up the tailstock, just enough to give very light support.

Ha ha, na guys, thats actually after it snapped, just stuck the pieces together for the photo. I woulnt remove a piece till it was finished.

I think Sprog's idea of the tennis ball would have helped you keep the wobble out of it.. with just enough pressure to keep the live center spinnin'.
just ramblin'
You were in the short rows, too. Woulda been a really nice goblet.

Yeah, I really like the tennis ball idea, simple and effective, OK, talked me in to trying another one.

G'Day Benji

Was looking good too. But we all have breaks especially with Red Cedar. Look forward to seeing next one!

Cheers
Bernie

Maybe the stem is just a tad too thin. The weight of the base doesn't have to be off centre by bugger all without it having a drastic affect on the stem geting a wobble. Nice looking goblet all the same. Good luck with the next one. It will be really good once complete.

Originally Posted by benji79

Ha ha, na guys, thats actually after it snapped, just stuck the pieces together for the photo. I woulnt remove a piece till it was finished.

so what was your problem ?
a bit of glue , drying time , whack it back on the lathe and try again , if it brakes again glue it up again , it wont be perfect but it will be finished

I thought about it, but i didnt think it would hold in the lathe. Ill give it a go if you think it will hold it with out it flying off..