End Grain Tearout

[arcos]

I have spent some time working toward 'Angels Hair' shavings to avoid tearout... Sharp and light! Have achieved as was shown in a video where the shavings re incredibly fine and removing any tooling marks also.

I currently have a piece of Mimosa on the lathe that I simply cannot stop the tearout!

Is there anyway of 'stablising' the end grain to avoid this?

My fear is that the Mimosa that I have access to is all going to be like this, due to it's age, and will be a constant issue for every turning. If there were some way of stopping/reducing the tearout I think I will be able to use most of the donated wood!

[Bill Mooney]

give your timber a coat of soft paste wax & use a sharp tool & this may help by lubricating the tool & reducing/eliminating tearout.

[arcos]

Thanks Bill

I actually used some BLO and varnish mix and then went over again with the gouge. Result was a little better but not much.

Gave the piece a good soaking and with more BLO and varnish mix, left to soak in and then wet and dry paper to try and 'fill' some of the tearout. The result is not that bad actually and really didnt take as long as I was expecting.

Finished bowl can be seen in the gallery in a little while

[Bill Mooney]

I'm pleased you managed OK. If it happens again coat your bowl with a good coat of danish oil & sand after a few minutes & a slurry will form to fill in the tear-out then allow to dry before finishing.

[arcos]

Thanks Bill...

I think thats kind of what I did? 

[thebowlerhattedturner]

I do not think filling the tearout with a slurry is conducive to a good finish.You have after all just filled it and as any self respecting craftsman knows the use of filler should be discouraged. We are trying to raise the standards of woodturning not lower them.
 Try swamping the area with super glue or a wood hardener/stabiliser and let it dry and then cut it out cleanly.
Regards
John BHT

[arcos]

John BHT

I agree that 'filling' is not ideal and certainly does not give a perfect finish.

Looking at the bowl closely and in good light you can just about make out where the tearout was. This is a huge improvement in what was really ba tearout.

Swamping/'filling' with super glue or wood hardener may achieve a better result but is it not an alternative to using the slurry to lubricate the wood?

[Bryan Milham]

Arcos,

a further thought. You purchased a new set of Bowl turning tools. Do you know how to sharpen a scraper and more importantly set a 'Burr' in it to take those 'angel hair' shavings you mention?

[arcos]

As was suggested in a previous post, I used a square cut scraper to try and remove the tearout.

Having looked at the wood in more detail and some other pieces that I have cut, I am unsure that it is even fair to call it tearout. The wood is so 'rotten' that I really do not think that I will achieve very much in the way of reducing tearout.

I am in the middle of turning another piece right now and feel that the fibres are extremely loose in some areas, particularly the end grain. Super Glue or wood hardener as suggested by John BHT is quite possibly the way forward or some way of stabilising the wood.