The Woodturning Forum - Woodturner's Resource - Do you completely finish the back before turning the work?

Al Portante Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 113 Orange County, CA California USA Gender: Jet 1840	Do you completely finish the back before turning the work? Sep 3^rd, 2020 at 8:15pm Hi all. Newbie here. I have <10 bowls done - but a couple awesome breaks at the very end . Do you completely finish the backside of the bowl prior to reversing it and cutting out the inside? To what level do you finish before you reverse? Thanks all!
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chris lawrence

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Re: Do you completely finish the back before turning the work?
Reply #1 - Sep 3^rd, 2020 at 8:55pm

Al Portante wrote on Sep 3^rd, 2020 at 8:15pm:

Hi all. Newbie here. I have <10 bowls done - but a couple awesome breaks at the very end Angry

.

Do you completely finish the backside of the bowl prior to reversing it and cutting out the inside? To what level do you finish before you reverse? Thanks all!

Yes i incorporate a recess into the foot of my bowls to expand my chuck jaws into. Once the bowl comes off the lathe it just takes a little hand sanding with some 320 grit sand paper to get the jaw marks out.

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Ed Weber

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Re: Do you completely finish the back before turning the work?
Reply #2 - Sep 4^th, 2020 at 9:54am

For me I would have to say not often or very rarely.
There are many variables that determine why and how I finish the bottom. Things like size, shape, mounting method, foot design and so on.
I do not let the size of my chuck jaws determine the size of the foot on my pieces. For me the foot needs to fit the piece, it's up to me to figure out how to make that happen.
When I'm done, I reverse chuck my pieces, usually with cole jaws or vacuum chuck and complete the bottom and foot area.
That's what works for me.

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robo_hippy

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Re: Do you completely finish the back before turning the work?
Reply #3 - Sep 4^th, 2020 at 10:31am

I do once turned bowls, so they are all warped. I wait for them to dry first, then sand and finish. I guess, for me, that is the most efficient way. I am only picking up the finishing pads one time for both inside and outside of the bowl. I do use the Doctor's Woodshop walnut oils since just about every thing I do is intended for daily use.

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Al Wasser

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Re: Do you completely finish the back before turning the work?
Reply #4 - Sep 6^th, 2020 at 2:52pm

I am like Ed. I usually do not apply finish before reversing. I usually sand the back side to at least 220 before reversing and removing the in side. then final sand it all. Many finish take multiple coats so it makes no sense to wait to get the out side done. Just do it all at once. And yes, the foot needs some finish after it is cleaned up

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Al Portante Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 113 Orange County, CA California USA Gender: Jet 1840	Re: Do you completely finish the back before turning the work? Reply #5 - Sep 6^th, 2020 at 10:15pm Thanks all. Some good tips.
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Don R Davis Senior Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 342 Murfreesboro Tennessee USA Gender: Jet 12-21 lathe. I now have a Powermatic 3520B as of 9/12/20.	Re: Do you completely finish the back before turning the work? Reply #6 - Sep 11^th, 2020 at 5:18pm Good question, Al. Welcome to the forum.
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Hondo Walker Junior Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 37 Harbor Freight mini lathe	Re: Do you completely finish the back before turning the work? Reply #7 - Nov 2^nd, 2020 at 10:09am I might give it a sanding but nothing else. Many of my bowls explode before I'm done making them. So finishing it like that would be a huge waste of time.
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Don Stephan WR Addict Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 2,659 Cincinnati, Ohio Ohio USA Gender:	Re: Do you completely finish the back before turning the work? Reply #8 - Nov 2^nd, 2020 at 6:28pm Explode? Hmm, shrapnel could be unpleasant. Care to start a new discussion looking for cause and cure?
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John Cepko

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Re: Do you completely finish the back before turning the work?
Reply #9 - Nov 4^th, 2020 at 10:23am

I only like to pick up the sanding kit once, and the finishing stuff once. I may run some 80, or 100 grit over the outside before flipping the bowl just to smooth out any bumps.
I set the shape on the outside, flip it, hollow it, then sand and finish the outside, and inside all at once.
Then, only the very bottom needs finished off. I usually save half a dozen bowls with just the bottoms to do. Change the chuck to the Cole Jaws, and knock out a bunch in one motion.

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Ralph Fahringer

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Re: Do you completely finish the back before turning the work?
Reply #10 - Nov 4^th, 2020 at 12:42pm

I finish the outside every time.

I get up to about 600 grit and then apply the walnut oil/ shellac finish.

Once the inside is also finished, I turn it back around onto a vacuum chuck and finish the bottom.

I usually go with 800 on the outside (inside as well) as well as brass wool just to remove any bit of grain raised from the finish... and then hit it with another coat of the mixture. Smiley

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Rick Caron Senior Member Offline So many logs, so little time! Posts: 456 Greer South Carolina USA Gender:	Re: Do you completely finish the back before turning the work? Reply #11 - Nov 6^th, 2020 at 4:56pm Robo do you use Doctor's Woodshop walnut oil with or without the wax in it? He sells straight walnut oil, oil/carnauba wax, & oil/synthetic wax?
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