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Do most of you guys use turning tools to do the classics, particularly a prince or apple?

I've been freehanding it and although my symetry is getting better its not as nice as I'd like.

I remember seeing some of Rad's "passion for pipes" shape with tops of the smoke chamber turmed on a lathe. I guess that would give the maker a symetrical start and allow you to follow the lines to freehand the bottom.

Any tips would be appreciated and types of turning tools recommended too. I own a lathe but have not tryed traditional wood turning on it with gouges and the like.

Lathe is nice. I however prefer shaping then drilling, so I just get symmetrical by hand. It helps if you get everything really close and do final shape tweaking with 180grit abralon foam sanding discs- really smooths it all out.

I turn as much as I can on the lathe as often as I can. If you're going for symmetry, there's no easier way (in my opinion).

LATHES ARE FOR PEOPLE WITH MONEY

viva la dremel

rev

the rev wrote:LATHES ARE FOR PEOPLE WITH MONEY

Or loans.

Hello EBK,
I think, that this ist the real art of making symmertric shapes freehand! It's real easy to make iit asymmetric (the blowfish), but an ball or autor-shape?!
Waht you can do ist, to start with a square-form (you can help yourselft with a selfmade former plate, the you bild an octagon an so on.
Like this (Square cross section):

And here more roundet (and so on):

(the attachment piece on the top of the head will be removed after shaping)

In this blogpostings you can see, the way from a block to a full formed symmetric ball-shape (Sorry, text in german, but the images may help):
http://daskunstportal.at/artofbriar/?p=208
http://daskunstportal.at/artofbriar/?p=326
http://daskunstportal.at/artofbriar/?p=341
http://daskunstportal.at/artofbriar/?p=346
http://daskunstportal.at/artofbriar/?p=403

As example the final sharping:
http://daskunstportal.at/artofbriar/?p=364

My studio is microscopically smal, very special, one and a half square meter...

..so my late is also microscopically (not for pipe sharping)


... but the result ist real freehand, indeed!

regards
peter

pereu wrote:My studio is microscopically smal, very special, one and a half square meter...

How do you even fit briar blocks that size in your space?! I don't think I've ever seen briar that big. Holy cow!

Hallo UberHuberMan,
Because my studio is so small, I wanted to have at least the wood a little greater.

(the plateaus are real big, I know. It is a question of the price.. Yes, it is. But it gives you real freedom for creative working. And is in a very good quality with a fine grain)

The answer to the question is: 3/8" gouge

Sasquatch wrote:The answer to the question is: 3/8" gouge

Maybe of your a sloshed Canadian that is... just man up and freehand shape.

No I've already been through my lumpy random pipe phase, thanks.

Thanks for the responses so far!

May have to look into some lathe tools in addition to the cutting tools on my metal lathe.