To Shape Interior of Bowl
1.Stop lathe and move tailstock away. Remove center from tailstock to prevent bumping it with elbow.
2.Adjust tool support in front of the bowl just below centerline, at a right angle to the lathe bed.
3.Rotate workpiece by hand to check clearance.
4.Face off top of bowl by making a light shearing cut across the workpiece, from rim to center.
5.Place 1/2" bowl gouge on tool rest at center of the workpiece with the flute facing top of bowl. The tool handle should be level and pointed toward four o'clock, see Figure 23.
6.Use left hand to control cutting edge of gouge, while right hand swings tool handle around toward your body, see Figure 23. The flute should start out facing top of workpiece, and rotate upward as it moves deeper into the bowl to maintain a clean even curve. As tool goes deeper into bowl, progressively work out toward rim. It may be necessary to turn the tool rest into the work piece as you get deeper into the bowl.
Note: Try to make one, very light continuous movement from the rim to the bottom of the bowl to ensure a clean, sweeping curve through the workpiece. Should there be a few small ridges left, a light cut with a large domed scraper can even out the surface.
7.Develop wall thickness at the rim and maintain it as you work deeper into the bowl. When the interior is finished, move tool support to exterior to
8.Work the tight area around faceplate or chuck with 1/4" bowl gouge.
Sanding and Finsihing
1.Remove the toolrest and adjust lathe speed to the appropriate finishing speed. High
speed can build friction while sanding and cause heat check in some woods.
2.Begin with fine sandpaper 120 grit and progress through each grit, using only light pressure. Coarser sandpaper tends to leave deep scratches that are hard to eliminate. Use
3.Remove sanding dust with tack rags, or compressed air and, with lathe turned off, apply first coat of finish. Let stand for several minutes, wipe off excess. Allow to dry before sanding again with 320 or 400 grit sandpaper.
4.Turn lathe back on and make a separation cut through the base. Stop at about 3" and use a small fine tooth saw to separate the bowl from the waste.
5.Apply additional finish coats and allow to dry before buffing.
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