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A short while back I posted about possibly changing the grind on my favorite gouge. Too agresive. Never was before Have come to the conclusion and finally admission that it is not the gouge it is me. Getting old and weak is not for the faint of heart. I had back surgery 30+ years ago. My back has deteriorated to the point I am a little unstable just a little bit sometimes when standing. Sometimes and a little bit are no longer safe.Never know when it will give a little bit causing me to dip an inch or two almost like my left leg is about to buckle. I bought a chair high eneough to be able to turn. Before I always locked the gouge handle against my side and moved my body to controll the cut. So far I have not been able to get the motion and controll I am used to. Any sugestions would be appreciated. I have a number of carbide cutters I have no problem with just controlling with my hands without needing body english. On wood I much prefer HSS. It is sharper and I can finish with a shear cut leaving a for me very nice cut. If possible I would rather not hang up my gouges for good. Any solutions would be appreciated, especially from personal experience and instructions so simple even I can understand. Thanks. Hoping for a solution for my problem.
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(06-07-2019, 02:56 PM)Turner52 Wrote: A short while back I posted about possibly changing the grind on my favorite gouge. Too agresive. Never was before Have come to the conclusion and finally admission that it is not the gouge it is me. Getting old and weak is not for the faint of heart. I had back surgery 30+ years ago. My back has deteriorated to the point I am a little unstable just a little bit sometimes when standing. Sometimes and a little bit are no longer safe.Never know when it will give a little bit causing me to dip an inch or two almost like my left leg is about to buckle. I bought a chair high eneough to be able to turn. Before I always locked the gouge handle against my side and moved my body to controll the cut. So far I have not been able to get the motion and controll I am used to. Any sugestions would be appreciated. I have a number of carbide cutters I have no problem with just controlling with my hands without needing body english. On wood I much prefer HSS. It is sharper and I can finish with a shear cut leaving a for me very nice cut. If possible I would rather not hang up my gouges for good. Any solutions would be appreciated, especially from personal experience and instructions so simple even I can understand. Thanks. Hoping for a solution for my problem.
Friend of mine with no legs couldn't do the body English well either. Solution was to use the basic overhand grip, and get the guide hand out at the other end of the tool for the greatest mechanical advantage. By taking a modest bite, you should be able to do the advance with your arms only. Think of carvers working one hand against another, pivot and push.
He had very well-developed arms, as you might guess, so he had to throttle back when advancing the tool so as not to overpower it.
Better to follow the leader than the pack. Less to step in.
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(06-07-2019, 02:56 PM)Turner52 Wrote: A short while back I posted about possibly changing the grind on my favorite gouge. Too agresive. Never was before Have come to the conclusion and finally admission that it is not the gouge it is me. Getting old and weak is not for the faint of heart. I had back surgery 30+ years ago. My back has deteriorated to the point I am a little unstable just a little bit sometimes when standing. Sometimes and a little bit are no longer safe.Never know when it will give a little bit causing me to dip an inch or two almost like my left leg is about to buckle. I bought a chair high eneough to be able to turn. Before I always locked the gouge handle against my side and moved my body to controll the cut. So far I have not been able to get the motion and controll I am used to. Any sugestions would be appreciated. I have a number of carbide cutters I have no problem with just controlling with my hands without needing body english. On wood I much prefer HSS. It is sharper and I can finish with a shear cut leaving a for me very nice cut. If possible I would rather not hang up my gouges for good. Any solutions would be appreciated, especially from personal experience and instructions so simple even I can understand. Thanks. Hoping for a solution for my problem.
I will tell you this. When I started and for 5 years I turned from a wheel chair and could never put the tool at my side. I still do not and with Lyle Jamiesons help he shown me how to take a small cut to a large cut depending on how deep you apply the bevel to the wood.
I have shaky hands and allowing the tool to sit on the tool rest and my hand on top of the tool I am no longer worried about getting a catch anymore. Being in the wheel chair also taught me how to use both hands well on working the wood shavings since it was soooooooo hard to move the wheel chair wherever it was needed.
I wish I had a video camera or you were here and I could show you what I am talking about. I also take my time on a cut and although I can be quite aggressive inside a bowl I still do not get a catch. I also step back a lot to look at what I am doing and when I get tired I go into the house to finish it another day which will help you as well when you get shaky which you might be getting tired or it is just getting to much work for the day.
As of this time I am not teaching vets to turn. Also please do not send any items to me without prior notification. Thank You Everyone.
It is always the right time, to do the right thing.
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Thanks for the replies. I will try the sugestions and practice on some junk wood. Sounds like it is doable if I can figure it out and relearn how I use the gouge.
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I was going to send you this via PM but you do not have them turned on.
Tobias Kaye is an English turner whom I GREATLY admire of his use of tool and how he challenges everyone to use the whole tool and not just one spot of it. Me personally I think he is the very best in using turning tools ever.
Here is a link to one of his youtube videos of which he has many but for just bowl turning he has bowl 1 - 10 to watch.
He is fantastic as a teacher and I have wanted to go there to have him teach me to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onTcR3fZTa8
or follow 1- 10
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_q...abias+kaye
I would highly encourage you to watch them.
As of this time I am not teaching vets to turn. Also please do not send any items to me without prior notification. Thank You Everyone.
It is always the right time, to do the right thing.
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It sounds like you can do well with carbide tools so if that’s the case use them. There’s a poster here on Woodnet who sells carbide tools and the cutters are much cheaper than from Easy Tools.
Don
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I go to Texas in the winter and the park we rent in has a small wood shop with a lathe. I take my mini lathe, tools, wood, sandpaper,polishes the whole smear. Over the years I have shown 24 retirees how to do the lathe. Some have become hardcore turners.
Anyway we built a bench for the mini that they can set in a sturdy chair and work from the side, in front of, or on the tail stock end, Some set close, some to one side or the other and use their arms and pressing onto the tool rest in an overhand manner. Whatever is comfortable. The small stuff they are making from pens mostly to small bowls are good.
I have on more than one occasion been told thanks for getting them off the couch and into a hobby. Last year beside the company lathe and my mini there were 6 other mini lathes in the building. We share with others so everyone gets a chance. Some people can only handle acouple hours at a time. One guy is so hard of seeing he has a lighted magnifier on an arm when doing his work. One man lost an arm in an accident we showed him how. He is now one of the hardcores I mentioned.
My wife complained one day that we don't go anywhere very often that I'm always in the shop. One of the mens wives pulled her aside and set her straight. "Be glad he has a hobby otherwise he could be setting in the trailer complaining and under foot" Hasn't said a word about it since. I still do my work standing but I have to set down often to recharge. I'm definitely not ready to spend my days in an easy chair in front of the tube.
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Thanks everyone for the encourgment. Arlin I will definitly watch the links you posted. I have steel plates in both wrists and a very weak grip due to this, but am determined to do this as long as I can feel safe while using the gouge. i did have a bad blowout on some spalted wood about 10 years ago. 6 stitches in the forehead fixed it. My full face shield didn't help at all hanging on the wall within reach. Never even turn the lathe on now without wearing it. I lerned that lesson the hard way.
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(06-10-2019, 02:55 PM)Turner52 Wrote: Thanks everyone for the encourgment. Arlin I will definitly watch the links you posted. I have steel plates in both wrists and a very weak grip due to this, but am determined to do this as long as I can feel safe while using the gouge. i did have a bad blowout on some spalted wood about 10 years ago. 6 stitches in the forehead fixed it. My full face shield didn't help at all hanging on the wall within reach. Never even turn the lathe on now without wearing it. I lerned that lesson the hard way.
Like I said I place my hand on top of the tool while turning to hold it down and move with the other hand.
I teach all that a face shield is mandatory 100% of the time of which I also tell them that since they are already hurt they do not need to take a chance of adding to it.
They take it to heart after showing them how others have suffered from not doing so. Plus who likes having chips coming into their face.
Sorry to hear of your mishap but I will use it as well. Hope you do not mind buddy. I have also taught a two blind people 6 or 7 years ago and the first one we worked together in finding a way for them to be able in IDing any tool they need by size of grove or bead on the handle which I modify for them. A few years later someone who belongs to the AAW did something like we did.
Like I tell them almost anyone can turn wood.
As of this time I am not teaching vets to turn. Also please do not send any items to me without prior notification. Thank You Everyone.
It is always the right time, to do the right thing.
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Thanks Arlin I have tried your technique a little and need to do a lot more before I will feel comfortable. Haven't had much time in the shop the last few days and the whole of next week is starting to look the same. I plan on sticking with it untill either I master it or become convinced that the weakness in my wrists and hands will not allow me to master it. I am an old dutchman and my wife always claimed that a more stubborn creature never existed, so I will definitly do my best. Thanks to everyone for all of the encouragement.
