# Orbit...off center bowl



## dubdrvrkev (Feb 25, 2007)

After seeing Stuart Batty do an off center square bowl I got a little inspired. I wanted to change it up a little though, and this is what I came up with. I am calling it Orbit, although I probably shouldn't be naming my stuff yet. It is sycamore and about 6" diameter. Just oiled so far.
As always, any critiques are welcome.


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## wdcav1952 (Feb 25, 2007)

Kevin, that is really different!  I would call it either Saturn or UFO. []


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## clewless (Feb 25, 2007)

Verrrrry coooool!

Color me green with envy! [] Will you come to Bubbasville East and give us a lesson? []


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## Randy_ (Feb 25, 2007)

Very interesting.  Strikes me there must have some vibration/balance problems while turning that piece??  Care to comment??


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## dubdrvrkev (Feb 25, 2007)

Thanks all.
Yeah Randy it is off balance all the time. Anything over 500rpm and the DVR was rockin a bit. Honestly, I was quite surpised that it did rock so much on this small of a piece. I have heard some people will counter weight when they turn off center but I just went with it.

Joe, the mrs. and I are planning an east coast vacation this summer, so you never know. [] I'm hardly qualified to show anyone else how to do this.


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## Jim15 (Feb 26, 2007)

That is really nice.


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## Ozzy (Feb 26, 2007)

That's cool and I think the name fits it well.


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## fiferb (Feb 26, 2007)

When it's upside down it looks like a ladies bonnet. Do I see a baseball cap turning in your future? Great job!


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## alamocdc (Feb 26, 2007)

Looks cool, Kev, (and you did a great job on it) but how ya gonna keep the contents from spillin' out with it bein' that caddywhompus? [}]


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## vick (Feb 26, 2007)

Kevin showed this to me yesterday and it is an outstanding piece of work.  I tried to give it to my daughter as a chew toy just to get rid of the evidence that I am not the best turner on the block.  Great job Kevin.


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## wudnhed (Feb 26, 2007)

That is just way so cool, imaginative!  Nice job!


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## Mudder (Feb 26, 2007)

> _Originally posted by dubdrvrkev_
> <br />Thanks all.
> Yeah Randy it is off balance all the time. Anything over 500rpm and the DVR was rockin a bit. Honestly, I was quite surpised that it did rock so much on this small of a piece. I have heard some people will counter weight when they turn off center but I just went with it.
> 
> Joe, the mrs. and I are planning an east coast vacation this summer, so you never know. [] I'm hardly qualified to show anyone else how to do this.



A couple of quick observations:

I can't for the life of me figure out why you would be reluctant to name that one, it is one spectacular piece of work!

Secondly, I've done a few of those and you will find it MUCH more pleasurable to turn if you counterbalance it while you turn. I use scraps of dense wood a couple of inches square and I screw them to my plate.

Finally,.... Kevin, Don't underestimate the skill that was required required to make that piece. What you accomplished there is truly something to be proud of.


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## Rifleman1776 (Feb 26, 2007)

Both innovative and expertly turned. Real lathe art.
I have heard that the Nova's can be shaky. On some forums it is a fairly frequent subject to see a special base has to be built to keep the Nova from running across the room.


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## Mudder (Feb 26, 2007)

> _Originally posted by Rifleman1776_
> <br />Both innovative and expertly turned. Real lathe art.
> I have heard that the Nova's can be shaky. On some forums it is a fairly frequent subject to see a special base has to be built to keep the Nova from running across the room.



As a Nova owner I have to tell you that your post has little merit.

The DVR is a "benchtop lathe" and is not sold with a base so folks either buy the nova base or they build their own. Before I bought the nova I had a Delta 1440 and found that unless that base was weighted with 300 lbs of sand it would skate across the floor. Bottom line is that unless your lathe is very heavy to begin with, ANY lathe will shake if what your turning is out of balance.


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## vick (Feb 26, 2007)

I am sure Kevin will chime in but he has the nicest base I have seen for a DVR it was designed by him and custom made of thick square metal tubing.  I have helped him move it and it probably weighs about 300 lbs and he has it loaded with about 150 pounds of sand.

Weight helps for out of balance stuff but their are still limits.  My lathe probably weighs about 600 lbs and I have it loaded with 225lbs of sand and I can still get shaking on out of balance pieces if I spin it to fast.  I have often been suprised on what will get it shaking.  I turned a walnut burl piece a while ago with a lot of voids and partial sap wood and even after it was round I had to keep the speed pretty low or I got heavy vibration.


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## dubdrvrkev (Feb 26, 2007)

Thanks again eveyrone.
All things considered I am happy with this piece and thanks to the support I have gotten about it I think the name will be signed onto it. Although that brings up a whole other issue since there is no base to sign.

Frank, I usually hear quite the opposite about DVR's. As Mike said my base is big and heavy, although I think I have a flaw in the feet I chose for it. I selected anti-vibration feet which have a little rubber base, and I think the motion I get is at too low of a frequency for them to work properly. IIRC they had a natural frequency of 60  hertz. I may try another set to see if that does make a difference.


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## Dario (Feb 26, 2007)

Nice one Kevin.

My PM vibrated turning an 11" or so natural edged cherry burl bowl.  I was surprised...I originally thought it will take much bigger piece to do that but speed did it.

I agree with Mike.  Kevin's base is still the best I've seen...and I am everywhere LOL [:I]


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## Rifleman1776 (Feb 26, 2007)

> _Originally posted by Mudder_
> <br />
> 
> 
> ...



OK, I'll cry 'Uncle' on the "shaky" part. But as has been stated and re-stated they are pretty light and need a huge base to hold steady with anything very large on it.


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## BRobbins629 (Feb 26, 2007)

That's one of the nicest bowl designs I have ever seen. Either I haven't been looking at many or that is really unique - I think the latter.


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## JimGo (Feb 26, 2007)

I really like that a lot Kevin!  Nice job!


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## Rob (Feb 26, 2007)

Kevin that is incredible.  WOW!!!  Plus, with your permission, I'm going to try and adopt your stand design for my new DVR that is on the way....Rob


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## dubdrvrkev (Feb 26, 2007)

Rob you don't need my permission. If I can help you out feel free to ask. Don't tell anyone but I am in the process of designing a swing away tailstock that will work with it. []


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## johncrane (Feb 27, 2007)

WOW Kev!fantastic work mate l would sign it fore sure that is real art/skill.[]


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## whatwoodido (Feb 28, 2007)

That is really nice, the form is appealling but the attention to sanding is what really sets it off.  A lot of times people forget how important getting rid of sanding marks is.  The shape of the cupped area is quite well done.

Drew


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## jclark58 (Feb 28, 2007)

Kevin,  Great job, make sure you bring it to the next meeting (March 10th).  I've done 3 or 4 since seeing Stuart's demo using some small mesquite half logs I've had sitting in my garage for well over a year, I hadn't considered turning them round before moving the bowl off center, I may have to steal that idea for myself.

How thick (or thin) is the wing?  It's hard to tell from the photos.

Jason


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## dubdrvrkev (Feb 28, 2007)

Yes, Stuart was quite inspirational, wasn't he. Although, I don't think I used a whole lot of what he showed though. 
The wing is between 1/8" and 3/16", it measures average of .175"


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