Smooth bottoms?

Re: Smooth bottoms?

MikeinCapeMay

>I use a radias scraper. Make sure that the scraper is sharp and take light, smooth cuts. Also, check the library or local book stores for Richard Raffin books. He has several on boxes and reading his techniques will help. That scraper can't be too sharp.

Re: Smooth bottoms?

John Trant (Baltimore/WashDC)

>I have found that turners learning to make endgrain boxes often have this problem. Too often, the box is aggressively hollowed out with a scraper (resulting in deeply bruised grain) followed by a few light finishing cuts. The bruise is always too deep for finishing scraping cuts to remove the imperfection. I suggest aggressive hollowing should be done with a gouge, refined/deepen with a reasonable application of a scraper and finally finish with shear scraping of a freshly sharpened scraper.

John

Re: Smooth bottoms?

John K Jordan

>>I use a flat scraper and the surface

>I get is really rough...

I use a flat scraper with the corners radiused a bit to keep them out of the way. Make sure the scraper is REAL sharp. I hone the top flat, sharpen on a Tormak, then burnish to raise the edge. Take extremely light cuts. There should only be wisps of wood removed.

If grain itself is tearing I do the same thing as in other places such as the sides of a bowl - besides lighter cuts and sharper tools I might dampen the grain with water, oil, or wax, apply sander sealer, or use CA glue in extreme cases. You can also try tilting the scraper a bit for a shear scrape, but that can be difficult at the bottom of a box.

Another thing is to make sure the tool is not flexing. Thin scrapers far from the rest can be a problem. There are some very thick and strong scrapers available. To get the toolrest down inside the box, I use this special rest from BestWoodTools made for boxes that actually fits into the box: http://www.store.yahoo.com/bestwoodtools/unboxres.html

JKJ in East TN

Re: Smooth bottoms?

tek-Brunswick, Ohio

>Alan Lacer did a demo at our club. He used a hook tool to get a nice finish on end grain inside a box. He said a ring tool would work also. A very light cut with either tool makes a nice finish. He also showed how to make the hook tool from 0-1 3/8" drill rod. I haven't made one yet but I plan on doing so. Some types of wood scrape better than others. The hook tools and ring tools cut rather than scrape. They should work on softer woods that tear out scraping. Alan hones his scrapers with diamond hone. I tried that and it really helps on those light finish cuts.

Re: Smooth bottoms?

Russ Fairfield

>All good advice so far.

Tool support is a problem. Scrapers do not like a long extension out from the tool rest. Sometimes they start acting more like a "chatter tool" than a cutting tool. Getting one of those long flat tool rests (I think it is called a "box rest") that fits into the box and supports the scraper up next to the wood will solve a lot of your problem with torn grain.

Re: Smooth bottoms?

John K Jordan

>>He used a hook tool to get a nice finish

>on end grain inside a box. He said a ring

>tool would work also.

That's a good point that I forgot to mention. I usually use a ring tool to clean out the bottom on endgrain after hollowing and just before scraping. The ring cuts pretty cleanly, then the scraper takes out the high spots.

I use the Oneway Termite. They recommend using it for all endgrain hollowing.

JKJ in East TN

Darn it!

Thomas Skaggs, Go Illini!!

>Thread headings like this are too tempting for wise guys like me. ;-)

Tommy

Re: Darn it!

Wally Dickerman

>Come on Tommy, we're talking woodturning here. Serious stuff!!

Wally

Thanks guys

Robert Tutsky

>Well I can see I have my work cut out for me. I will be getting a scraper that is more thicker than the one I currently use and that flat box rest is also on my list. I never honed my scraper before and I'll be doing that from now on. Thanks for all your help.

Rob

Tried shear scraping?

Dominic Greco in Richboro PA

>Robert,

I recently posted a couple of pics showing a kingwood and a chechen box I turned. The Chechen was soft and tore out a good deal.

At the time I was not using my shop built box rest. I was using a standard tool rest. NEXT time, I have to remind myself to use that darn box rest! :>)

The advice about not initially taking too aggressive of a cut makes a lot of sense. If you bruise the wood too deep, there is no amount of cutting that will get rid of it and leave you enough wood for a normal thickness base! DAMHIKT

At first, I used my small, freshly sharpened backwards "P" shaped box scraper to cut the rounded bottom. Then I was able to use my small (again, freshly sharpened) Sorby shear scraper to remove any marks.

I've found that when using the "P" scraper, I actually used it like a shear scraper. I angled the blade and was taking only light wispy cuts. Since I was taking light cuts, it took a bit of time. But it left me with a very smooth surface.

See ya around,

Dominic

cheat ;)

matthew fallon

>get it relatively smooth and pour some thin CA glue in there heh

::waits for attack:: :P