catches

Bernie, The first golden rule is ; YOU MUST HAVE SHARP TOOLS!!!!!!!!!!!! The simplest of all tools is the scraper. The golden rule for it is to keep the back of the handle higher than the cutting edge. All other tools must have the back of the handle lower than the cutting edge. Now with the handle below the cutting edge, you must rub the bevel while you cut. All beginners should rub the bevel on the work without cutting, then slightly raise the back of the handle until a chip appears. Now move in the direction of cut. There is a lot more to this, body position, arm placement,etc...... That's what you have to learn from another turner. Go to the AAW website and find a chapter near you. Turners are a friendly bunch.

Rich

1) Don't give away leverage. Keep your toolrest as close as possible to the work. Additional benefit is you won't be one of those who worries about nicks and dents in it, because the tools won't bounce.

2) Cut downhill to gain the support of the underlying wood and aim to sever the fibers en passant as they slide down the edge of the tool.

3) Shavings are your instant critique.

Look at the shaving. When hogging, if the piece is adequately held, both sides of the shaving may be ragged, because you're not cutting en passant. When finishing, they should have a smooth edge where the tool cleanly severed the fiber. Note that catches or incipient catches produce ragged-edged shavings.

Watch where they travel. The Russian proverb "where wood is chopped, chips fly" is true. You don't want them to fly when finishing, you want them to fall as they are separated from the work. You are not supposed to be chopping, but cutting. The shavings should fall, not fly in some Newtonian opposite reaction.

4) The bevel rubs both ways. Use the bevel in conjunction with your toolrest to maintain the optimum cutting angle once you get it. The vector should be more parallel to the edge than perpendicular for the best cut and the least catch. That way you take advantage of the gouge's natural curve to clear the work. I am obliged to cut over the bed of my lathe, therefore I use forged gouges which allow me to cut with only modest handle down angles/distances.

The others have given good advice. But then there is the obvious:

Practice Practice Practice

The more you work with it the more natural it will seem. You will find yourself automatically doing the right things.

Deb

As you approach the lathe, the tool should contact the tool rest first, then rub the bevel. At this point you are not making shavings. Slowly bring the edge to the wood and you should get small shavings. You can try this with the lathe powered off and turn the work by hand. With the bowl gouge you will see shavings as you turn it counter clockwise the bowl will gab the edge and slam it down. if the scraper comes off the rest you can see the wood catch it and slam it down to the rest. With the skew if you loose the bevel it will skate on you. If the cutting edge comes up to the top you can see it grab. By tuning the wood by hand you can see it and feel the tool. Allen Lacer's video the skew, the dark side / the sweet is exellant in demoing the catch with a skew. Intallecually I know what not to do but putting it in practice is something else. I was trying to turn out-board with a jet1236 with the extension on the tool rest. I violated the first rule. I did not make contact with the rest first. When the catch came it slammed the bowl gouge down onto the tool rest with enough force to break the cast iron extension. The tool rest and half extension bounced off my foot. A painful reminder of what not to do. I expect some of the better turners can give more detail answer to your question.

Bruce

Dr. Deb wrote:

Lots of good advice. One caveat, though. Don't ride the bevel when using a scraper. That has a different mechanism of action and riding a scraper bevel will CAUSE a dig in.

Hi bernie, Since you turn only occasionally, after you find the reason (there is one and you will solve it) for your catches, you may still get a few and think you have forgotten how to turn. At least I do after a lay off. When possible, take some warm up scrapes and cuts on scraps before you resume turning. Arch

Fortiter,

Seen some nasty shots of the storm that went through. Looks like more then anyone could turn. Hope you come through unscathed.

James

Arch wrote:

Buy this book:

You don't have to buy it from B&N, but buy it. Keith Rowley spends a lotof time drilling into you the rules for using chisels. At times, he seemsto be wearing the subject to death (and some times gets a bit dry), butlisten to this: Any catch you get (ANY catch) will come from breaking oneof the three or four rules that he presents. It's really just that simple. When I started out, whenever I'd get a catch, I'd think about it - and with little or no effort, it was usually easy to see EXACTLY which rule I'd broken, and how I could have avoided it. It's a powerful teaching experience.

Really. When people just say "buy a book", it's not always what you want to hear, but I can promise you that if you buy this book, read it, and apply it, you'll be thankful.

steve

Hi, Steve,

If you are getting catches while spindle turning, one thing that may help is to drive the wood using a safety center - really just an old dead center - the kind with a cup and a center point, but no bearings. I found a picture of one on Amazon at

this instead of a 4-prong drive center, with a good live center in thetailstock. Friction along the cup is sufficient to keep the block spinning.If it stops instead of cutting, tighten the tailstock. The reason I find this helps is, when you get a catch, the wood just stops. If you keep the tool in the wood and shut off the lathe (you may get a little burning from the friction where the ring contacts the wood), you can see how the tool was digging in - which point caught, was the cutting edge above or below centerline, etc.

Also, keep in mind the ABC's of turning (as offered by Micheal Mocho at Arrowmont - Thanks, Micheal!) A - Anchor. Make sure the tool is solidly in contact with the tool rest before contacting the wood. B - Bevel - Present the tool to the wood so the bevel touches first. Rub the bevel against the wood as it turns. C - Cut - raise the tool handle so the cutting edge enter the wood and begins cutting. Do this slowly!

Good luck!

Ron Williams Minn-Dak Woodturners Moorhead, MN

> You don't have to buy it from B&N, but buy it. Keith Rowley spends a lot> of time drilling into you the rules for using chisels. At times, he seems> to be wearing the subject to death (and some times gets a bit dry), but> listen to this: Any catch you get (ANY catch) will come from breaking one> of the three or four rules that he presents. It's really just that simple.>

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions.

It is time to read the books that collected along the way and to start practicing on a regular basis.

A refresher course with someone who knows what they are doing is another good idea.

Using sharp tools brings up the age old questions about how to sharpen but there again, much is written, and practicing seems in order.

bernie