Replies

1. 
   lwj2 | Mar 04, 2005 03:33am | #1

   What sort of problems did you run into?

   Leon Jester
1. 
   dovetail3 | Mar 04, 2005 04:26am | #2

   Where do I staart. I shaped a goblet with ####fairly narrow stem. When I began to remove the
   wood for the interior I couldn't get the gouge
   to remove any material. Then the piecd broke off
   in the stem. I really never removed any material
   from the interior. Was it a mistake the green
   douglas fir was oriented with the end grain at
   the opening of the vessel?
   Thanks
   Ken

1. 
   Telemike | Mar 04, 2005 08:52am | #3

   Goblets are usually turned along the grain so that you're hollowing the endgrain. Some thoughts:I've used doug fir for lots of cabinets and other stuff. But I wouldn't turn anything other than large architectural stuff with it, if I were fortunate enough to have such a big lathe. Doug fir has thick bands of soft wood alternating with very hard bands of harder wood. It easily separates (splinters) at the interface between hard and soft. I sand doug fir edges with leather work gloves since I don't want to put another spear through the palm of my hand.Also, most doug fir is new growth with wide growth rings these days since we cut the old stuff asap for 2x4's (what a waste). A thin stem is likely to have only one hard band in it and the soft wood is truly soft. Not very good wood for a goblet.When turning stuff like this, I use a forstner bit in a drill chuck in the tail stock to drill the biggest possible hole down the middle to the depth I'm looking for. Then, I use a gouge to open up the rest of the bowl.And, you might want to leave the stem thick until the inside is hollowed and sanded, then thin it down. It would give more support for cutting and sanding the inside.

1. 
   dovetail3 | Mar 04, 2005 09:17am | #4

   Your comments make a lot of sense. Thanks
   very much. I guess my biggest mistake was not
   drilling out.
   Ken