Since the turning begins as an interrupted cut

Since the turning begins as an interrupted cut, the toolrest plays an especially important role. The tool is placed firmly to the rest, steadied with the left hand, then rotated so that it will take a slightly skewed cut, then eased into the piece at center, where the cut will be most continuous. If it were an end-grain piece as opposed to a face-grained, the cut would begin from an accessible part of the outside, proceeding in. Since some pieces I cut this way are large enough to hit the toolrest base, I have to work in small stages until what will become the bottom is turned away enough for me to move the base into the gap I have formed.

Even though the tool is presented as if to guide on the bevel, it will not actually do so until the point it is cutting becomes uninterrupted. The tool rest is adjusted closer each time a section is reduced, and the process of securing the tool to the base, rotating to set the bevel on the continuous portion, then moving in the same spatial relationship out toward the edge begins again.

Ol' Blue, whatever his strengths, is not very powerful, having only a 3/4 HP motor and a belt tensioned by the motor's weight. I therefore prefer a broad shaving to a thick one, as a broad shaving can be taken by a long shear. To that end, I use roughing gouges on the outside, and get right to business. You can see in this and the preceding photo that the shavings run back and to the left, and are easily contained for cleanup.

With the piece nearly circular, it's possible to use the bevel to guide the gouge throughout the cut. The forged gouge is capable of making a good surface. I look at the smooth (short) side of the shaving to see how well I'm cutting. The shaving is almost continuous on wet wood.

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