What am I doing wrong?????

[Growley]

Yeah, but I'd take a 60MPH softball to the ribs any day before taking a gouge to the eye at whatever ridiculous speeds a chuck could throw one. I finally got smart an bought some safety goggles the other day...just in case. I figure with as much as I love making pipes, I'd rather do it with two good eyes and as many good fingers as possible.

Protect your assets, Eyes, Hands, Brain.

[KurtHuhn]

Jeez, be careful! I only tossed a block once, and that was when I didn't tighten the chuck before turning on.

If you properly crank that Oneway down, there's no way in hell that block will come out - you'll snap a chisel or gouge before you lose a block. Make sure you have at least an inch of purchase on the block, crank it down with all your might (you really can't damage the chuck doing this) and you should be fine.

From there you have to focus on technique. Read as much as you can about wood turning, and watch as many videos as possible. Regular wood turning has lots of helpful info for pipe makers who turn their bowls. One of the most important things is to be sure you've got all kinds of hard and secure grip on that tool, and use the toolrest to keep it from moving around. It's scary shit, but in time you'll get it down.

What chisel/gouge are you using to rough it in?

[scotties22]

After catching three different sized of spindle gouges i went and got one of these.
http://www.woodcraft.com/product/208021 ... ugher.aspx

Other than some chatter and tear out on the shank I turned this afternoon things are going a lot better. The suggestion of leaving the live center on the block really helped too. Gave me the confidence to not flinch everytime I went to make a cut. I am trying to find a way to take a bowl turning class this Sunday, but it will cut into my football time

At least I'm no longer scared shitless that the block is gonna come flying and take off a boob or something. Dudes might look okay, but I don't think I would be able to rock a bikini anymore with just one

[KurtHuhn]

Oooh, those are nice! I made one similar that uses round inserts. It's awesome fro really hard stuff like stonite and tru-stone. I got the idea from a pen making forum.

If you can make that turning class, I strongly recommend it. Wood turning is full of nuances that are VERY difficult to explain in typed text.

[scotties22]

And as a bonus the class is taught by Anthony Harris over at Acme pipes.....two birds, one stone type deal.

They make a easy detailer (diamond cutter, kinda like a cutoff tool) and easy finisher (round cutter). Those are the next two things I'm going to buy. I really like the idea of just buying replacement heads instead of sharpening them.

[KurtHuhn]

That's kind of a no-brainer there.

Replacement cutters are really convenient. Not cheap, but the last a long time.

[JHowell]

Also, I have not used an Easy Wood Tool, but I would be very afraid to use a scrapper for rough turning. My opinion is that a scrapper would be much more prone to a catch than a gouge.

Except that it ain't. It's like a lathe tool. The amount of "bite" you can take is governed by the back angle. With a scraper that angle is low. With a gouge, that angle is high, nothing preventing you from sticking it in there and kerpow. Also, scrapers are dead easy to sharpen. Get thick, heavy ones, keeps vibrations down. Perhaps try it, then it won't be a speculative opinion.

Or not. I don't really care how anyone else makes pipes, just trying to help.

[scotties22]

Could some of my problem be the briar I am using??? I have broken two shanks tonight and not because of catches. I am hitting flaws in the wood and blam, a huge chunk comes a bustin off. I have some good Italian briar due in before the end of the week. Maybe I will just wait until I get it. I have broken shanks now, one on a pipe I had already drilled and one on a pipe I was gonna drill after I pulled it off the lathe. The damage is pretty consistant between the two. I hit a huge flaw and then have another nice piece of firewood.

I am still drilling on the drill press. The idiot I am, I forgot to get an arbored chuck while I was at Woodcraft.

[wmolaw]

Could some of my problem be the briar I am using??? I have broken two shanks tonight and not because of catches. I am hitting flaws in the wood and blam, a huge chunk comes a bustin off. I have some good Italian briar due in before the end of the week. Maybe I will just wait until I get it. I have broken shanks now, one on a pipe I had already drilled and one on a pipe I was gonna drill after I pulled it off the lathe. The damage is pretty consistant between the two. I hit a huge flaw and then have another nice piece of firewood.

I am still drilling on the drill press. The idiot I am, I forgot to get an arbored chuck while I was at Woodcraft.

Drilling the holes on the lathe with a Jacobs chuck was, to me, worth the price of the lathe. Granted, didn't pay a whole hell of a lot for my Ricon, but it was worth every penny just for the ease and accuracy of the drilling.

As to the flaws, it seems to me, in my VERY limited turning experience, that when I have hit a flaw the only time it really catches is if I am pressing in WAY too hard, trying to take too much material off too quickly.

I'm sure, however, the more experienced folks can give you more insight.

[Tyler]

Could some of my problem be the briar I am using??? I have broken two shanks tonight and not because of catches. I am hitting flaws in the wood and blam, a huge chunk comes a bustin off. I have some good Italian briar due in before the end of the week. Maybe I will just wait until I get it. I have broken shanks now, one on a pipe I had already drilled and one on a pipe I was gonna drill after I pulled it off the lathe. The damage is pretty consistant between the two. I hit a huge flaw and then have another nice piece of firewood.

I am still drilling on the drill press. The idiot I am, I forgot to get an arbored chuck while I was at Woodcraft.

I still think you are doing something wrong if you are breaking shanks, flaws or not. If the tool is cutting cleanly, the flaw won't matter unless it's just hideously cavernous.

By way of perspective every pipe I've made in the last twelve years was on a lathe. At about pipe 15, I got a Oneway chuck. Since then I've never had a piece of briar come out of the chuck, and never broken and shank or otherwise had a catastrophic failure from turning. (I probably will today after writing that!)

I use a 3/8" spindle gouge.

I have a really crappy video and an even worse choice of shape to demonstrate with, but this is me turning:
http://youtu.be/9uCDVVX1UeU

I have the tool way extended off the rest in the video because of the nature of this shape. Ideally one would work with the rest much close and very little of the tool overhanging the back of the rest. Nevertheless my angle of attack is decent, and I get a nice safe cut,

[potholer]

scottie
you may find scrapers easier- to begin with as JH says much less prone to catching and turn as fast as the work piece allows.

turning is an acquired skill and i agree that the soft ball would be the easy option!
misjudgements / mistakes have cost me broken ribs and broken knuckles in the past and 3 bent skews. i imagine bending a roughing gouge would result in catastrphic failure.

regards
dave

[taharris]

The bottom line is that there are many different ways to accomplish what you are trying to do and none of us can really help you unless we can see exactly what is going on.

My recommendation is to go your local Woodcraft and take a turning class or two.

Todd

[scotties22]

Perfect timing...there is a class that has an opening this Sunday. But, my husdand is out of town and I'm having trouble finding someone to watch the kiddos. Maybe I'll luck out before Sunday morning and find someone. I can always record the Chiefs game and watch them get decimated at a later time...

The last shank I broke I could have stuck a flathead screw driver in. It was huge and came out of no where just before the bowl/shank lunction.

[wdteipen]

I'm with Tyler; I've never had even a large flaw like you describe cause catches. A picture or video of your setup and approach would probably give us enough information to tell you what you're doing wrong. If I get a chance, I'll take a video of how I do it and post it with the same tool you're using.

[scotties22]

I have one more eb that I can throw on the lathe and take a video. I will try to get it done tonight. If I can't make the class I might just give Anthony a call and see if I can swing by his shop one day next week. I am at a loss as to what I am doing wrong. I really appreciate the help.

[RadDavis]

Also, I have not used an Easy Wood Tool, but I would be very afraid to use a scrapper for rough turning. My opinion is that a scrapper would be much more prone to a catch than a gouge.

Except that it ain't. It's like a lathe tool. The amount of "bite" you can take is governed by the back angle. With a scraper that angle is low. With a gouge, that angle is high, nothing preventing you from sticking it in there and kerpow. Also, scrapers are dead easy to sharpen. Get thick, heavy ones, keeps vibrations down. Perhaps try it, then it won't be a speculative opinion.

Or not. I don't really care how anyone else makes pipes, just trying to help.

Once again I, very helpfully, agree with Jack. I use a Robert Sorby "Spindle Master" for all of my shaping. It's not a spindle gouge, as it's not fluted. It's flat on top and rounded on the bottom with a rounded cutting end, so it's more like a scraper.

It's never caught on anything. It shapes briar and ebonite with ease.

I once tried one of those things with the rounded carbide insert on the end. Razor sharp, and it really wants to self feed into the wood, which is not good. I sent it back.

Rad

[wmolaw]

Also, I have not used an Easy Wood Tool, but I would be very afraid to use a scrapper for rough turning. My opinion is that a scrapper would be much more prone to a catch than a gouge.

Except that it ain't. It's like a lathe tool. The amount of "bite" you can take is governed by the back angle. With a scraper that angle is low. With a gouge, that angle is high, nothing preventing you from sticking it in there and kerpow. Also, scrapers are dead easy to sharpen. Get thick, heavy ones, keeps vibrations down. Perhaps try it, then it won't be a speculative opinion.

Or not. I don't really care how anyone else makes pipes, just trying to help.

Once again I, very helpfully, agree with Jack. I use a Robert Sorby "Spindle Master" for all of my shaping. It's not a spindle gouge, as it's not fluted. It's flat on top and rounded on the bottom with a rounded cutting end, so it's more like a scraper.

It's never caught on anything. It shapes briar and ebonite with ease.

I once tried one of those things with the rounded carbide insert on the end. Razor sharp, and it really wants to self feed into the wood, which is not good. I sent it back.

Rad

Hmm, I have a tool shaped like this, though not a Richard Sorby. I've been using gouges, may give this a try.

[taharris]

Scrapers are for wimps.

Real men use a gouge!



Todd

[wdteipen]

Scrapers are for wimps.

Real men use a gouge!



Todd

I'm just thankful that I'm not the one that is wrong for a change.

[scotties22]

I really think I could sit and watch those little guys fight all day long