New Bowl, and Technical Questions

[MarkSLSmith]

Folks,

I finished a bowl recently, made with Pecan.  It came out ok, but I have a few questions that I hope you can help me with.  The bowl is here: http://goo.gl/photos/daMS1BWBJUtabxDj8.

As you can see, I put evenly spaced grooves on the outside of the bowl.  I used a round carbon scraper (the Rockler version of EWT) and rotated the carbide to a fresh edge.  I was hoping for better, more crisp lines, and I got some tearout that was difficult to sand out.  How would you guys have done this procedure?

I personally don't care for the look of pecan wood.  It's sort of a pale pink, and when it spalts it creates a gray smudge instead of nice black lines.  So I've been experimenting with stains.  This time around, so that no one could quibble about food safety, I stained it with concentrated instant coffee.  It did give a nicer brown color, but it really soaked into the end grain and somewhat highlighted turning imperfections.  Are there any other suggestions for an unambiguously food safe stain?

After staining, I treated with mineral oil (butcher block oil) and finished with carnauba wax.

Thanks,
Mark

[mpax356]

I have been turning 9 years and never felt the need to stain a bowl. Scorched a couple and dyed a few.

Spalting can vary with different pieces in the same species so don't give up. I use a spindle gouge to cut beads on a bowl. Scrapers do tend to cause more tearout than a slicing cut with a gouge.

[MichaelMouse]

Also a gouge, here.  Remember, though, you want to cut down grain, which means from one side, then the other towards the bottom.  Standard cove work.  Cut up = tear up.

[robo hippy]

Yup, a scraper flat on the tool rest will leave some tear out in side grain, though they do cut pretty clean in end grain. For coves like that, I would use a detail type gouge, more pointy, and cut with the wings, handle low, nose high. The cleaner you cut, the less sanding you have to do, and if you want details, you have to keep sanding to a minimum.

robo hippy

[TxTawd]

I have used a scraper to do this kind of technique but I put the scraper on a shear angle. Try it next time to see if you get a better cut and less tear out.

[Arlin Eastman]

Mark

For a finish cut I never use a scrapper but a bowl gouge or spindle gouge and use the bevel.  I do use EWT tools for a lot of different things but never a finish cut.

On Pecan you can turn it anyway you wish to get nice grain and I have done so with the only piece I did turn.  I do like it and if something is plain I will use dye or use it between other woods. 

Arlin

[AHill]

As far as food safe finishes go, they are all safe once cured.  Using wax over mineral oil is a bad idea, IMO.  Mineral oil never cures.  Some formulations of butcher block finish are mixtures of mineral oil and beeswax.  Carnauba wax is edible (food safe), but is very hard.