Youtube bowl turning videos

I watch a youtube video over Christmas, it started off quite good. The material was about 8in square about 2in thick. The guy show how when the corners came around the chisels could dig in depending on which way the grain ran.
He started the lathe and was turning from the centre of the work out to the corners where he started to ease the sharp corners to a round. All of a sudden there was a bang and the chisel disappeared, after a couple of minutes his hand came back into view, a finger literally dripping blood all over the lathe.

I went weak at the knees thinking " where the hell has the chisel gone".
I have since tried to find the link to post but cannot find it. Lots of things went through my mind just about all of them i can't say here as they involve a lot of swearing.

Many things can go wrong turning square bowls I have made loads but the odd thing still jumps out to surprise and this guys video will make a lot of people aware of that fact so good on him for posting it

Those videos are usually the ones that show why you shouldn't use a roughing gouge for bowl work.
if you search for roughing gouge on bowl, you'll probably find the one you saw, or one very much like it.

Lessons for the unwary me, thanks.

Peter.

The hints in the name. Spindle Roughing Gouge

Brian Havens has some good videos on U tube that explain just why this happens. It is one of the best explanations I have found, it explains the role of grain orientation very well. I would post a link if I could figure out just how to do it on an ipad. Just search for endgrain and side grain on Brian's channel.

bassethound said:

Why you don't use a Spindle Roughing Gouge on bowls. - YouTube

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Yep thats the one, makes me go weak at the knees lol.

OUCH I bet that hurt. I must admit from my point of view Videos like that are brilliant as I am self taught and I do not have an expert to show me what I am doing wrong. There was a Video showing how to use a Screw chisel and it looks like the turner was putting his hand over the screw chisel while he was turning a spindle. I made a comment about showing videos like that to people as they may be a novice and think that's the way to do it. When I pointed it out to the person that put the Video up, got a bit grumpy and said he does turning for a living and that's how it done. So it may be but the way the Video was taken it looked unsafe to me I may have spoken out of turn but I could see a accident wanting to happen for a novice.

U Tubers sure are a mixed bunch IMHO. Sometimes if I watch sad turning I flinch, like you predicting disaster. Harking back to the 80,s we had a guy about the size of a gnome whose only tool was a big scraper. He turned huge lumps of bridge timber and tamed them into lamps of great beauty. He then made frames, wove magical shades. Won every year at our Guild Shows, sold everything that he made. A mate of his used to even sharpen his weapon of choice. He had a very thick accent from the UK, going back so far now, such a jolly man.He used to ring a mate of mine to get help to screw and fix the timber on his lathe. 100 grit sandpaper was his friend. If you have ever used huge lumps of River Red Gum and others you would be totally impressed. Another mate has always had enormous ships lathes, turned sitting on the bed ways, always risky for mine.

Peter.

Penpal said:

, turned sitting on the bed ways, always risky for mine.

Peter.

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Sometime that feels like the only spare space in my shed.

Better use a cushion mate.

Peter.

Penpal said:

Better use a cushion mate.

Peter.

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Dont know if I can find it.