Prince Shaping

[EBK]

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.

[The Smoking Yeti]

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.

[Growley]

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).

[the rev]

LATHES ARE FOR PEOPLE WITH MONEY

viva la dremel

rev

[d.huber]

LATHES ARE FOR PEOPLE WITH MONEY

Or loans.

[pereu]

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

[d.huber]

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!

[pereu]

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)

[Sasquatch]

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

[The Smoking Yeti]

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

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

[Sasquatch]

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

[EBK]

Thanks for the responses so far!

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