New member…. Help please…

[Tappers]

Hi All,

Hope everyone is safe and well in the current climate.

I have recently bought a lathe (Axminster AC370) having used one at school and wanted get back into it for a work escape.

I started with a couple of bowls after watching many videos and am reasonably happy with the results although there are a couple of bits that are bothering me and wondering what I might be doing wrong with technique and wondering if it is ok to ask on this forum for advice?

Hopefully I have done it correct and the photo is attached.

You will notice the marks round the edge that I think/fear is either to do with incorrect tool technique or sanding?

I sanded down to 600 grit to try and get rid of them but couldn’t get there, is it just more sanding or something else?

Many thanks for any assistance.
 

[bodrighywood]

Difficult to see but most likely problem is end grain tear out. Sharp tools and slicing cuts are the best way to eradicate it. Sometimes if it is only a small amount sanding after applying sealer can help but best to cut it off before sanding. Practice I'm afraid, we have all been there and still are often.
Pete

[Wood spinner]

Hello Tappers
Welcome to the forum , Re lines , These need to be eradicated before you start sanding
Best way is by shear cutting / scraping ,  tool handle down and a nice sharp tool offered up to the bowl with the flute closed / on edge , nice and slow
Re sanding go through the grits , Don't miss any grits , I normally stop at 400

[Tappers]

Thanks for the replies.
I have not long bought the Tormek sharpener (wow that seems expensive) but as soon as I can figure out how to sharpen all the tools hopefully it will eventually be the end of the marks.

Thanks again.

[Les Symonds]

One other thing...going down to 600 grit is fairly pointless as a means of removing tool marks. Understandably, your tool technique cannot be good enough at this stage to get perfect results and we all had to accept a degree of poor finish when we first started, but if you have tool marks and slight grain tear-out that you're not yet capable of tooling away, then you concentrate on the 120 grit, not by going down to 600. Keep working with the lower grit numbers until you're happier with the result, before you move on to a higher grit number...and get some first hand help, it could be tuition, it could be from a woodturning club or from a mentor - it's worth its weight in gold!

Keep at it....it will come! Les

[Tappers]

Thanks for the replies.

I note your comments and will concentrate on tool technique and sharpening and then sanding the lower grits first.

I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do I just could seem to get rid of it with the lower grits but I thought/feared it was a sanding issue more than tooling but honestly wasn’t sure.

I have not long completed my 3rd bowl and have an issue with this that again I thought was down to sanding but not 100% sure. There are black/dark lines with the grain at the bottom edge of the bowl in the attached picture.

I don’t recall seeing this before sanding/oiling so could it be tooling/sanding technique or something else?

Thank you again for any advice.

[Wood spinner]

Looks like it my be spalting where the wood starts to decay as it is dead , Some heavier spalting can look really appealing .

[Bill21]

It looks like Plane, some of the stuff I’ve recently turned had grey staining in it.

It’s very tempting to just sand the piece only whilst it’s rotating on the lathe but I always try to finish sand with the grain direction once it’s off the lathe.

[Derek]

Something also to add to some of the answers is that looking at the right hand bowl the ring marks could also be bruising of the wood due to rubbing the bevel too hard, You only need to rub the bevel gently.
The only way to get rid of these is the same as tear out mentioned above is to make sure the tool is sharp and take light cuts


Don't be afraid to sharpen little and often and always a good idea to do this for the final cuts

[Tappers]

Thanks again for the replies.

I have noticed that sometimes I have been holding the chisel too hard and when I relaxed it was easier.

I will also make sure all tools are sharp first.

With regards the 3rd bowl, I wasn’t sure if the dark marks were as result of a sanding error as don’t recall them before, e.g. did I build up too much heat.

Thanks again.