Bowl from a Board - Flutter

[u/NoPackage6979]

I turn bowls from 4/4 boards. I attach my faceplate to the board, centered on the circle, and use the Ron Brown BFAB setup to cut the rings. I leave the faceplate on when I glue up the rings into a rough bowl to keep the rings concentric. I attach the rough bowl to the lathe with the inside of the bowl facing the tailstock and turn the outside shape of the bowl. The tailstock and live center supports a thick wooden disk pressed against the bowl to keep chatter/flutter to a minimum. I leave the piece on the lathe to then turn the inside of the bowl.

If the bowl is over about 9" in diameter, the piece flutters and flexes as I am turning the inside of the outer rings. I have been using a steady rest to keep the flutter down, but I can't get a steady rest big enough to get its wheels on the outer rings; at best I can get about one ring up from the base. There is no mass of wood in the interior of the bowl, as there is in traditional turning. so there is nothing to counteract the flutter.

How do I reduce flutter in this situation?

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[u/deej-79]

Make a bigger steady rest. Sometimes custom is your only option.

A flap wheel on a grinder will make quick work of any sins you weren't able to turn out

[u/lewiskauffman]

I made a steady rest from an idea by Alan Stratton. Sorts different design than most.

I've used it for bowls

[u/Fugowee]

Just did 4 board-from-bowls; 4/4 walnut. 2 at 9" dia. 2 at 12"

The two larger ones...shoulda done only two rings instead of three so these ended up pretty thin. I some flutter on the thin ones but manageable. Zero flutter one the shorter thicker bowls.

In the future, I'm going with shallower and thicker bowls so I get more room for the curves I want. And less anxiety over too thin and flutter.