Flutter

The way it has been explained to me ...

The edge is fluttering because it is unsupported. The best support it could possibly have is the material you just got through cutting away. And the problem really isn't the fluttering, it is trying to CUT material that is fluttering.

So hollow a depth of about a half inch or so (whatever is comfortable) all the way to the finished wall thickness, working on only a little unsupported material at the rim. Then take another half inch bite all the way to the finished thickness but be careful not to cut the first half inch again. You now have a full inch unsupported! Repeat until you get to the bottom of the bowl. The trick is to feather each cut into the previous so that there are no ridges, and you can do this if you only have to go a half inch.

The rim will flutter but it doesn't matter to you because you are not trying to cut there any more.

The flutter is more pronounced on a larger diameter piece and different materials exhibit different behaviors. I use the same wood as you (i.e., free) so sometimes I cut more than a half inch at a time because the timber seems inherently stable. And nothing precludes major hollowing in the center as a first step. You could rough out a bowl with 1/2" walls and then begin the finish cuts. Just work a little at a time and then don't go back.

That said, the first time I did a 1/16" wall I also did a 0" floor thickness. So I am no expert at thin walls. And I sand a lot.

BobaLew

Question to one and all. How do you keep the walls of your bowls from fluttering? Right now I am turning stuff out of white oak (because it was free and available) and the stuff is turning out rather nice. Except for this nasty flutter. When I get the walls down below 1/8"and heading for

1/16" the edge of the bowl begins to flutter. There is no problem when I am sanding as I can steady the bowl rim with my off hand. However, I am not good enough to turn with one hand and steady with the other, so I get the flutter that I have to sand out with 36grit.

If I was spindel turning, I could use a "steady rest." Is there such a thing for bowls?

Thanks, any and all helpful hints will be appreciated.

Deb

Thanks to both of you.

Deb

Dr. Deb wrote:

***************************************************************** So, Was that your first funnel?

ken Moon Webberville, TX