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Question for you turners (bowls mostly)

Started by dnalley, December 16, 2015, 11:53:28 AM

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dnalley

When you start turning on a piece do you always have an idea of what you're shooting for or do you just wind up with whatever turns out?  I've noticed some of these pieces have a "name", as if they were turned to a certain shape or pattern ( like that beautiful hollow form bowl a few posts back).  Me, I never seem to know what I"ll end up with....just whatever comes into my head at the moment and how adventurous I feel.  Sounds kinda dumb as I write this, but dummy is just wondering.

ESFted

Usually the blank tells me what it wants to be.  Beautifully figured or gnarly wood gets consideration for hollow forms, platters and other artsy stuff and sometimes pepper mills.  Normal, clean, straight grained wood wants to be a bowl or utilitarian piece.  When I'm cutting the blank the tree will let me know what it wants to be.
S.U.N.Y. College of Environmental Science and Forestry '65
Stihl MS661CRM, Stihl MS460,  Stihl MSE 220, Solo 64S, Granberg Alaskan MK-IV CSM
Dreams of a Wm LT70 w/all the accessories

jueston

i turned a few hundred Christmas ornaments a few years back. i just chucked up the piece of wood, started turning. I had a vague idea what i wanted, one time it turned out as i planned, all the other ones i just rolled with the punches, and when i messed up and gouged the piece, i just turned something smaller....

i think for bigger items you have to have a plan what you are going to do, but smaller items i think people tend to figure out as they are cutting.

tyb525

I haven't turned a bowl in a few years, but I have a book about turning. One part I remember about making a good looking bowl is proportions. Making the height and width the right proportions makes a big difference, as well as making the sides curve a certain way to make it look right.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

dnalley

All good answers and kinda what I was looking for.  Many thanks, guys.

Den-Den

I always start with a general idea of what I want and with the knowledge that I may have to change my plan as I go.
Agree with ESFted that the plan is based on the material most of the time.  On those occasions when the plan comes first; the material must be selected to be suitable for the plan.
You may think that you can or may think you can't; either way, you are right.

Busy Beaver Lumber

When I turn a bowl, i always start by doing the inside turning and sanding, then the outside and i try to keep a consistent wall thickness from base to top.

I also prefer to glue up and turn segment wood bowls as opposed to solid blocks because of the patterns i can create in the glue ups and variety of colors i can use in those glue ups.

These are a few examples of segmented bowls





Woodmizer LT-10 10hp
Epilog Mini 18 Laser Engraver with rotary axis
Digital Wood Carver CNC Machine
6 x 10 dump trailer
Grizzly 15in Spiral Cut Surface Planer
Grizzly 6in Spiral Cut Joiner
Twister Firewood Bundler
Jet 10-20 Drum Sander
Jet Bandsaw



Save a tree...eat a beaver!

Kbeitz

Hey your good....
Can you make a basket weave ?
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

dnalley

Now i've really gotta ask, busy beaver, did you plan that or is that just what turned out.  Outstanding  Guess I just need to experiment some and see how things work out; sorta think outside the " box", or bowl as the case may be.  Thanks a lot

Busy Beaver Lumber

Quote from: Kbeitz on December 21, 2015, 11:29:13 AM
Hey your good....
Can you make a basket weave ?
Yes, but the problem is my daughter take them just as quick as I make them.  I have gotten pretty fancy with them over the years. Even drilled the centerof each segment and installed pieces of walnut or oak dowels so whenyou turn it, each segment has a round color in  the middle. I love making them and have sold a lot of them on ebay.
Woodmizer LT-10 10hp
Epilog Mini 18 Laser Engraver with rotary axis
Digital Wood Carver CNC Machine
6 x 10 dump trailer
Grizzly 15in Spiral Cut Surface Planer
Grizzly 6in Spiral Cut Joiner
Twister Firewood Bundler
Jet 10-20 Drum Sander
Jet Bandsaw



Save a tree...eat a beaver!

Busy Beaver Lumber

Quote from: dnalley on December 21, 2015, 11:44:33 AM
Now i've really gotta ask, busy beaver, did you plan that or is that just what turned out.  Outstanding  Guess I just need to experiment some and see how things work out; sorta think outside the " box", or bowl as the case may be.  Thanks a lot

Yes that is planned and not nearly as hard as you think. Cut 5 inch round block for base layer, then glue up 3 -  8" x 8" sized cutting board type blanks with whatever color woods you like. Then center the walnut base to the first of the three mini cutting board blanks. Glue the remaining two layers to the top of the first, orienting the direction of the colored stripes at a 90 degree angle relative to the layer below.

Then i cut segments to make the two top rings;one out of oak and one out of walnut and glued them to the blank.

Mount on lathe and turn to desired shape that it the type of pattern that emerges
Woodmizer LT-10 10hp
Epilog Mini 18 Laser Engraver with rotary axis
Digital Wood Carver CNC Machine
6 x 10 dump trailer
Grizzly 15in Spiral Cut Surface Planer
Grizzly 6in Spiral Cut Joiner
Twister Firewood Bundler
Jet 10-20 Drum Sander
Jet Bandsaw



Save a tree...eat a beaver!

Kbeitz

I would love to see you make a basket weave step by step posted with pictures.
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

CHARLIE

I usually have a general idea of my design and size for whatever I'm going to turn.  I make modifications as I go depending on my mood or if I get an idea to try.  Some of my stuff doesn't end up being what it started out to be and some of my stuff ends up being a lot smaller than I intended.  ;D
Charlie
"Everybody was gone when I arrived but I decided to stick around until I could figure out why I was there !"

Lud

The wood will tell you what it can be.  When roughing you have to get down to good wood.  I do the outside and cut a dovetail for the chuck and rough the inside.  Then you can really start to decide what it will be.  I'll work the walls down close to final, mark the chuck and blank and take it off.  Close your eyes and feel the bowl for tactile feedback.  Is the lip right?  Is it in balance?  Then put it back on and fine tune it . Sand thru your progression of techniques, a bit of oil and beeswax on the inside and outer edge.  Then take it off, put it up against a rubberized plate and trim the bottom, dropping the weight of the bowl.  Clean up the bottom so you can sign, date, and attribute the wood source.  Bit more sanding, oil and wax and buff with an old towel.  Finito. 8)
Simplicity mill, Ford 1957 Golden Jubilee 841 Powermaster, 40x60 bankbarn, left-handed

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