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First ever bowl

Tiny James

Tiny James

Full Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2020
Posts
194
Location
Rugby
First Name
James
So as I said yesterday " I'm going to turn my first bowl) well I've turned it in end grain slab of wood I was given about 8 years ago a big lump of sable or what ever it is but it was a red wood.

in the first two images I turned the bowl and stopped because of catches scared my self to death, I could see my self losing a finger, limb or a eye. But I came back to the bowl this morning knowing I didn't really like the shape.
However last night I did a internet search on turning bowls and found a good youtube video so armed with this new information I changed the shape to the shape I had imagined in the start of this project

Yes not happy with just turning my first bowl I wanted to turn a off center bowl. So I've done my research and decided to go with a method of using my chuck and a screw chuck with a lump of wood glued to my blank and two pre drilled holes to accept the screw thread of the chuck attachment.

I glued the lump to the blank with two types of glue just to be safe. Yep gorilla wood glue and a big bead of hotmelt glue around my newly made chuck attachment This can be seen it the first two images.

so I'm not going to up load any images until the bowl is all polished up. I'm calling it a bowl but it's a shallow bowl for pocket change for my in-laws as a Christmas gift. I hope to have the photo's all up loaded tonight as the bowl is all sanded and it's had two coats of oil already.

Thanks for looking
James



The off center was a youtube suggestion as I had been watching some video's on pen turning lol
 
Tiny James

Tiny James

Full Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2020
Posts
194
Location
Rugby
First Name
James
so here is the first stage of bowl that scared me to death but not happy with shape.

20201116_133126.jpg

20201116_133129.jpg

James

just waiting for last oil coat to be added then wait five hours and then I can polish it
 
Tiny James

Tiny James

Full Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2020
Posts
194
Location
Rugby
First Name
James
So the last coat of oil is on just needs polishing. I did have a accident the bowl jumped of the lathe LOL before I was ready to catch it so it has a small dent

bowl 6.jpg

Bowl 7.jpg

bowl 8.jpg

C&C welcome I don't think this will be my last bowl I enjoyed my self quite a lot turning this bowl

photo's off finished bowl later
James
 
F

Frederick

Registered
Joined
Apr 8, 2018
Posts
871
Location
Chatham
First Name
Frederick
Hi

It looks like Sapele to me but my wood recoginition skills are not good and your pictures are correctly orientated; that is an achievement in itself. :whistling::funny:

Well done to you. Experience is not won freely and there are no short cuts either. What have done is great....well done. Keep at it....

Cheers
Frederick
 
Tiny James

Tiny James

Full Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2020
Posts
194
Location
Rugby
First Name
James
Well Thank you Frederick yes we never learn by getting it right only through struggle do we learn.

You could be right with the wood species.

James
 
Pierre

Pierre

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Joined
Sep 2, 2015
Posts
1,022
Location
Southern Central France
First Name
Pierre
James you are an enigma!! When I looked at the first post I wondered what you were up to with a jam chuck, its only later I find you are turning an off-centre bowl in Sapele mahogany . I am impressed since you profess total newbie, I dont believe it; either you have had teaching or you are trying to break the bounds early (dont worry my 5th piece was a winged bowl at 3500 rpm scared the life out of me!!). Overall the shape is nice and the piece is very good personally I would have gone for the sanding, sanding sealer and wax buffing method but that is my preference, go for what you believe is better and which suits your style.

A couple of comments for the future, the decorations on the bottom aren't emphasised enough so next time go a, little bit deeper, and the hole in the centre is just that; a hole, disguise it a bit even if you have to judder the gouge a bit. here is an example

20130506_131925.jpg

The total decoration on the underside took less than 2 minutes with a cog wheel.

Also you could have gone deeper with the bowl and just to add pzazz to the piece, the transition from the top edge to the bowl could have had a feature for example the one on the right; nothing huge just a feature.

1449 (2016_12_10 17_07_41 UTC).jpg

As for coming off the lathe take a look at the 3rd from the left, that's why I bought a trend head shield!! That was my 3rd piece!!

15022009112.jpg

So welcome to the wood turning fraternity you are now a fully fledged member ... now you have to find the dosh to make them better and bigger!!! :face::face:
 
Tiny James

Tiny James

Full Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2020
Posts
194
Location
Rugby
First Name
James
find the dosh yep the wood for bowl's are expensive to the extreme. Pierre thank you for the advice on finishing's for bowl's.

That it for a bit need to sharpen some chisels and my bowl gouge jig fell apart (circlip) came off so I've had to order a pair of pliers to fix it.

James
 
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