Turning the inside of a staved bowl usually is not too difficult. However, the level of difficulty depends on several things. The first is the depth of the bowl, because the deeper the bowl, the more difficult it will be to turn. For beginners, a maximum depth would likely be around 6". The deeper bowl will be more likely to have chatter marks due to vibration of the wood and make a clean cut more difficult. At the same time, the cutting tool will need to extend further over the tool rest, also resulting in chatter because of tool vibration.

The wall thickness of the bowl is also a consideration. The material selected for most work should be at least 3/4" to 1" in thickness, sound, and free from defects. Thin wood is more difficult to turn and may even result in the work coming apart during the turning process. Another consideration is the diameter of the piece. I would suggest a diameter no larger than 8", at least in the beginning. Perhaps 6" would be a better limit, because smaller work will turn with less vibration and it will be easier to produce a satisfactory surface.

It is very important that the joinery be precise and all the joints fit tight and secure. Use high-quality glue, such as Franklin Titebond, and work with precision and accuracy. Let the glued-up piece set at least overnight before beginning the turning process.

The bowl can be turned safely and accurately using several different methods, depending on tools available and the experience and confidence of the turner. As the bowl is staved, the vertical surfaces will be flat grained with no end grain to deal with other than at the top of the bowl. For the beginner, I would suggest a heavy 1/2" scraper, with a thickness of at least 3/8". The tool should be sharp with a burr edge and held in a trailing position. To hold the scraper in the trailing position, adjust the tool rest close to the work so the tool will have less overhang. Raise the tool rest to the height necessary to position the scraper blade at the center of the bowl, and have the handle above center, probably an inch or so. This position allows the burr edge to cut efficiently, and raising the handle will pull the cutting edge away from the surface, preventing or reducing problems with “catches.” A 6"-diameter piece should be turned at around 1,000 RPM. This should reduce the vibration due to the uneven interior of the bowl. If necessary, the speed could be increased to about 1,500 RPM. Higher speeds will allow a cleaner cut and reduce tool chatter.

Once the inside is turned with a 1/2" scraper, the interior will have a series of small ridges or shallow coves due to the shape of the narrow scraper. At this point, a heavy scraper, 1-1/4" to 1-1/2" wide x 3/8" thick, would do a good job of smoothing the interior. Freshly sharpened and used with a light cut, the scraper will produce a finish which would need very little sanding.

A more experienced turner who is skilled with the bowl gouge, could make bevel-rubbing cuts from the top inside to the bottom corner with the gouge edge, producing a smooth cut which would require little sanding. However, the bottom inside corner would need to be finished with a sharp scraper which would work on the inside radius.

I have been using different contrasting woods to make various projects. Unfortunately, I am experiencing “bleed-through” on woods such as padauk and holly, and ebony and maple. What is the best way to stop this from happening?

The problem you are having with “bleed-through” is a challenge for all of us who work with different woods and are gluing the pieces together to produce striking laminated work.

Bleed-through is a major problem when sanding end grain of stock which contains several laminated contrasting woods. One way to help solve this problem is to avoid using those woods which are a major problem, and one of the major offenders is padauk, often called African vermillion. The brilliant orange color is sought after, but on end grain is a major problem. Substitute bloodwood for the padauk. The colors are very similar, but bloodwood is harder and more dense and the sanding dust is not so apt to transfer to the other woods. My friend, Ray Allen, used to sand with what he called his “wiping technique” on woods that sanding dust would “bleed” across. He would start the sanding on the wood that was least likely to bleed, such as holly, and sand from the holly across the padauk, then lift the paper. He would not sand back and forth. Using a clean piece of abrasive paper, he would repeat the process. Ray would also use air to blow the area clean between sanding passes. Another technique used by Joe Wagner is to seal the end grain with sanding sealer and let it dry before sanding. Frequently use air to blow the sanding dust from the area before continuing the sanding process. Once the sanding dust becomes embedded in the end grain, it is very difficult to remove. If the surface to be sanded is cut clean and smooth, it should require very little sanding, which will help solve the problem.

I finally got my old Walker Turner lathe set up last night and tried to do some turning. What I quickly noticed was that the tool rest seemed very rough as the tools were sliding along it. Part of this is probably due to the backs of the old turning tools I was using not being completely smooth, but it feels like the tool rest itself is kind of rough as well. Any recommendations as to the best way to correct this problem? I thought about applying a lubricant/wax to the tool rest first, and going after the rough spots with wet/dry abrasive paper, but I’ve seen articles where several professional woodturners have recommended filing the tool rest first. What do you suggest?

It’s always satisfying to restore an old piece of equipment. Memories start coming back and the anticipation of having the machine run again and be productive always increases interest and enthusiasm. For a lathe to function well and allow quality work to be produced, the tool rest must be in top condition. There are several ways a tool rest can be refurbished and the surface will be smoother than new. Frequently, tool rests are pitted from rust or scarred from use. Cast iron is relatively soft and vulnerable to damage during daily use, particularly if the edges of skews or scrapers have not had their edges rounded slightly before use.

The easiest way to restore the surface of a tool rest is to hold it against a horizontal belt sander of some type. The revolving belt will produce a surface which is flat and smooth with sanding lines running parallel to the tool rest. This operation will quickly dull the belt for wood sanding, but is a great way to dress a tool rest. Position the tool rest parallel with the sanding belt and exert firm, even pressure, pushing the tool rest evenly in contact with the belt. Examine the tool rest frequently, making sure the tool rest surface is smooth and even. Don’t remove any more metal than is necessary to restore the surface to its original shape and condition.

A tool rest can also be restored by holding it in a vise, or left on the lathe in the tool rest holder. Draw-filing the contact surface is easy to do with a flat mill file. Just clamp the tool rest securely and file nearly parallel to the length of the tool rest. This will make a smooth surface the length of the tool rest.

For minimal dressing and restoring a smooth flat surface on the tool rest, use a sanding block about 12" long and secure a strip of cloth-backed 100-grit abrasive to the block. Sand the surface of the tool rest with strokes parallel to the tool rest length. This will produce an excellent finish on the surface.

I was reading about vacuum chucking on an online turning forum and I’ve been considering exploring the technique, but I don’t know anything about it. Could you please explain when it is best to use this procedure and how I would determine the maximum weight the technique will support? Are there other factors to consider before I jump into this thing?