On Tue, 5 Jul 2005 08:07:12 -0400, "Bill Gooch"
wrote:

I was given a half dozen large chunks of basswood - 4ft lengths about 10
inches round. It's green and I'm not having much luck turning it. Either
its the wood or my technique but I seem to be ripping the wood apart rather
than getting the nice curls coming off the gouge that I get with ash etc.
Also, the one bowl I have pretty much finished was very difficult to sand, a
lot of long fibers that took a lot of work with a 40grit sandpaper to get to
a point where they disappeared.

Is there a technique to use with basswood or is it better off left to
carvers? Any thoughts?

Bill,

I've never turned green basswood, but from your description it sounds
very much like turning green ash. My advice would be, get your bowl
shape the way you want it. trying to avoid too much tearout by
avoiding scrapers and keeping your gouge sharp. Then, when you get to
the shape you want, get your gouge razor sharp, either off the grinder
or give it a hone or whatever you do to sharpen it.

When you've got it the best you can get it, present it to the wood at
a 90 degree angle, so you are taking a shear cut, and the tearout and
nasty, long fibers will be sheared off clean as a whistle.

I just turned some storm-downed ash the other day like that, and the
stuff was so wet the sap was slinging everywhere. On my last pass, I
did a shear cut and the finish is no worse than 220 grit would do.
Perhaps a bit better.

--
Chuck *#:^)
chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Anti-spam sig: please remove "NO SPAM" from e-mail address to reply.


September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----