Tried to do a bowl

[Garno]

I have attempted to do a bowl over these last few days, it is the first thing I have turned with zero supervision.

I think I have messed up the finish as to me it looks too dark, also when taking the nipple off I did not have enough padding on the inside as have a line near the top where the chuck has dug into it, a mistake I hope not to repeat. This may sound strange but I found doing the larger bowl with Neil was easier to do than this little one.

I have a question if I may, When should we put the sanding sealer on? I forgot and as such did not put any on this.

Wood :- Unsure as Neil Lawton kindly donated it for me to practise on.
Height :- 1 1/2 Inches
Diameter :- 3 inches
Finish :- Sanded to P400
Second Finish :- Liberon Superior Danish Oil Liberon SDO1L 1L Superior Danish Oil : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

 

[21William]

After turning sand to about 400 or so, higher if you want, them apply the sanding sealer. De-nib with an abrasive pad then repeat if required. Once you’re happy just apply some wax. Oils like Danish are often used on their own although you can top it with some wax for more of a shine. Danish Oil will darken most woods so be aware of that. I don’t generally oil light coloured woods myself, just cellulose SS and Microcrystalline Wax.

 

[flexi]

Neil does have a stock of good wood and that's a lovely example....
As to the bowl itself, I like the shape and size, it looks a wee cracker.... Did you enjoy turning it?? Because that's what it's all about and learning is all part of that too.....
Well done!!

 

[howsitwork?]

Personal choice. I l8ke to sand with 120 to get rough rolling marks out ( ) the coat with diluted 50 % cellulose s@bring sealer . Leave overnight to thoroughly penetrate and dry , the sand with higher grits. Not saying that right but it works for me …

 

[Garno]

Neil does have a stock of good wood and that's a lovely example....
As to the bowl itself, I like the shape and size, it looks a wee cracker.... Did you enjoy turning it?? Because that's what it's all about and learning is all part of that too.....
Well done!!

I absolutely loved turning it, I wasn't sure how thick it should be, especially with it being such a small bowl.
I started it with normal turning chisels and found I was really struggling with the inside so I purchased some carbide cutters which I found was so much easier. I know not everyone agrees with using carbides but my view is if I enjoy it and get results then it ok to use.

I learnt a few lessons and [MENTION=1324]21William[/MENTION] has given some good advice especially regards Danish oil and light coloured wood.

 

[Bill Mooney]

Sand to 400 grit, burnish with a handful of shavings with the lathe spinning then apply sanding sealer. When dry, which only takes minutes, Denib with the same grit as you finished sanding, I.e. 400 grit sanding very, very lightly. Then apply your finish of choice. If you use an oil finish you don’t usually use sanding sealer but apply directly to the raw timber. Apply a liberal coat of oil with paper towel, leave 5 minutes or so then wipe the excess off with clean paper towel. Leave overnight then repeat the application of oil to build up the coats till you’re happy with the finish. 4/5 coats should be ample. Leave a few days for the oil to soak in & dry, then buff to a fine finish. Danish oil will always darken your timber. I hope this is helpful.

 

[Geoff Kent]

Are you holding the inside of the bowl with your chuck in order to turn off the foot of the bowl?If so you may find a set of Cole jaws very useful.These can generally hold bowls up to about 10" dia.They grip either externally or internally using rubber buttons.Record power do a good set.
If using oil as a finish no sanding sealer is reqd,just do as Bill advises.If finish is wax I use a mix of 3 parts cellulose sanding sealer and 1 part cellulose thinners.This penetrates the wood well and dries very quickly.
Hope this helps.
Geoff.

 

[21William]

The cheapest and possibly the easiest way to turn the foot is to cut a disc of MDF and fix it to a faceplate. After truing it up put some grip mat between it and the lip of the bowl and then hold it in place with the tailstock. With care you can remove most of the foot and then cut and hand sand the small bit that’s left. Cheap and effective. To do this though you do need to ensure you leave a centre mark before you remove the bowl for hollowing. I dislike Cole jaws as they often decide where the centre is rather than the Turner, pulling the piece off to one side. I have a set of Record Cole jaws but never use them.

 

[Garno]

Yes that's exactly what I was doing. I will take a look at the Cole Jaws thank you for the tip

 

[Penpal]

Handy small bowl.

 

[Garno]

Does the grip mat manage to stop the inside from being marked or does it still need "padding" with kitchen towel?

 

[21William]

Does the grip mat manage to stop the inside from being marked or does it still need "padding" with kitchen towel?

You use a piece of MDF bigger than the bowl so that only the rim is touching. You shouldn’t get any marking.
There are some pictures of the process near the bottom of the page. He’s not using any grip Matt though, it’s a personal choice!

Turning a Spalted Maple Bowl Woodturning Project | Rick Morris

If you want to try it make the MDF (or Ply) disc the biggest your Lathe can swing.

I use a homemade Doughnut Chuck though as you don’t need the tailstock, but that’s another story. :wink:

 

[Garno]

Thanks for that Bill I think I will most definitely give that a try but I will cover it all with a grip mat.

In fairness to [MENTION=365]Neil Lawton[/MENTION] he did show me a way but it meant cupping the inside of the bowl and I don't yet have enough failed bowl attempts to make any, but I really do like the idea you have shown.

 

[21William]

Another source of information for tenon removal:

https://www.ptwoodturners.org/Tips and Handouts/Methods and Jigs for Reverse Turning Bowls.pdf

 

[Neil Lawton]

That's a great little bowl for your first solo effort Gary.
The wood is Whitebeam which is usually quite plain so it would be hard to identify. The blanks I gave you should all have the name on in pencil unless it's an obvious one.
The router mat on a disc works fine on flat rimmed bowls and I have a couple that use a faceplate ring so you don't have to take the chuck off, and I usually put a sheet of kitchen towel over the top of the bowl before centring to avoid the chance of marking it. That method doesn't work if you are doing a natural edge bowl though which is why we use the jam chucking method on courses.
If you do make it back up here again I'll let you have some Accoya bits to make chucks with.

 

[21William]

There are several ways to support a natural edge bowl for foot removal.

Turners Select Bowl Chucker Pad | Shop Supplies | Craft Supplies USA

Or

Rubber balls in a range if sizes can come in handy for things like goblets as well. :wink: