My first bowl: Ambrosia Maple

[Brian McDermaid]

Nova Midi Chuck: $90
Gouge's & Scrapper's from PSI: $50
Wolverine Veri-grind jig: $50
block of wood: $12
Time lost watching videos: $$$$

First bowl: Priceless..


http://www.lostbyte.net/pen/bowl1-4.jpg
http://www.lostbyte.net/pen/bowl1-2.jpg
http://www.lostbyte.net/pen/bowl1-3.jpg
http://www.lostbyte.net/pen/bowl1-1.jpg


Be kind... im still learning :o

~Brian

[George Morris]

Very nice bowl, great work !! Beautiful wood! G

[Ken Glass]

Brian,
I only wish my first was that good. Great job bringing out the colors in the
wood. Make sure you sign it and number it as your #1 bowl, so you can look back and see how far you have come. Well Done.

[alex carey]

Are you sure that's your first one. You seem to be catching on quickly. Only one critique and might just be the picture. It seems like the inside part of bowl isn't consistent with the outside of the bowl. I think the inside seems more box like where as the outside is rounded on the bottom. Just a thought.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Brian.....excellent first bowl! Nicely done Sir!

[Brian McDermaid]

Are you sure that's your first one. You seem to be catching on quickly. Only one critique and might just be the picture. It seems like the inside part of bowl isn't consistent with the outside of the bowl. I think the inside seems more box like where as the outside is rounded on the bottom. Just a thought.

You are correct about the inside of the bowl.. The bottom is a little flat. I kept thinking i was going to cut into the chuck (beginner nerves?).

[charlie knighton]

very nice... the first bowl, enjoy

[Brian Effinger]

Nicely done. :)


Make sure you sign it and number it as your #1 bowl, so you can look back and see how far you have come. Well Done.
This way it will be worth a lot of money some day, when... you know ;)

[David Christopher]

very nice bowl even if it was you 50th one

[Paul Douglass]

I think you did a great job. I'm doing my 4th one now. The first three I did over a year or more ago. I'm having more trouble with my forth than the other three put together. It sure isn't going to turn out as nice as your first. Like I said, great job.

[Jarrod McGehee]

I kept thinking i was going to cut into the chuck (beginner nerves?).


I had the same problem with my (almost) first bowl. I could've made it better but it was green Black Acacia and i had it in a expanding chuck and it went into orbit before i got the chance to finish it. So soon I will actually make my first bowl from start to finish. I got a nice piece of walnut to work.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Brian - Congrats on your first bowl - sure is a beauty! Really nice wood! Looking forward to seeing bowl #2! Have fun with it!

[Don Carter]

Great looking bowl, Brian! What kind of finish did you use? That wood is really nice and you did a great job.

All the best.

Don

[Dave Bureau]

very nice. Love the wood.

[Scott Conners]

Great piece of wood! I found on my first bowls that the shape was very similar to yours - very square edged and straight walled. Don't be afraid to remove quite a bit of wood from the bottom outside corners when shaping the outside, you'll get less of the straight sided look and more of a smooth curve all the way to the lip.

[Gary Kvasnicka]

Great Job! I wish my first was that good. Be careful, my second bowl turned out to be a funnel.:D

[Jerry Ingraham]

Looks great Brian, good job!

[Jim Kountz]

Brian you're off to the races now!! Looks great for a first bowl!!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking first bowl out of some beautiful wood. I would sign and date the bowl. Keep it for comparing to future bowls as you gain experience.

[Greg Just]

Beautiful bowl - love the wood. Don't ever give that bowl away - sign and date it and as you get better, you can look back at your first one and see how you have improved. Nice Job!

[Brian McDermaid]

Great looking bowl, Brian! What kind of finish did you use? That wood is really nice and you did a great job.

All the best.

Don

The finish is EEE Ultra-Shine and Shelawax (sanded to 400 grit first).

[Belton Garvin]

Nice first bowl, I love Ambrosia Maple. I wish I was smart enough to pull up short on the bottom of my first bowl. My first bowl has a spot in the middle that you can almost see through that I had to CA to make it strong enough to stay in place.

Only critique I have is (I can't tell if you have a finish on it), it looks like you sanded with the lathe speed up a little high. The wood looks like is has been burnished to a shine. If you sand at a lower speed you don't build up as much heat and come out with a "softer" appearing finish while still being smooth.

Great Job!

Bear

[Brian McDermaid]

Thanks for the comments guys!!


This forum had some great answers to my questions...

My chuck question: You guys 'up sold' me to a better (more $$$) chuck. So far I'm loving the Nova Midi Chuck.

My gouge question: The PSI bowl gouge was GREAT advice. I wasted about 1 inch of steel trying to learn how to do a fingernail grind :eek:. A $20 gouge was perfect for that!!! (BTW... there is a great video on sharpening turning tools on another website. I'm not sure of the SMC forum rules or I'd post the link... but it was a HUGE help)

~Brian

[Brian McDermaid]

Only critique I have is (I can't tell if you have a finish on it), it looks like you sanded with the lathe speed up a little high. The wood looks like is has been burnished to a shine. If you sand at a lower speed you don't build up as much heat and come out with a "softer" appearing finish while still being smooth.

Great Job!

Bear

You bring up a great point!!!! I have no idea what i need to do a proper finish on a bowl :p.

I had the lathe on its slowest speed (~500 rpm but i haven't tach'd it to confirm). I used the thin strip of Turners Sandpaper (http://www.woodcraft.com/product.aspx?ProductID=148558&FamilyID=20524) that i use on pens and they didn't do a very good job (or i didn't do it right).

Whats the best way to sand a bowl? (tools and technique)

~Brian

[Bill Bolen]

Great looking first bowl! Has a lot of nice color and a pleasing shape. On bowls I prefer to power sand. Just chuck up a 2or3 inch disc and go through the grits. Don't seem to have as much trouble with the circular sand marks when I power sand.Other wise just go throiugh the grits with a good piece of paper torn into 1/4 sheets and folded twice. Light hand pressure and slow speed will get you there. Again...great first bowl!...Bill..

[George Guadiane]

Nova Midi Chuck: $90
Gouge's & Scrapper's from PSI: $50
Wolverine Veri-grind jig: $50
block of wood: $12
Time lost watching videos: $$$$

First bowl: Priceless..

Be kind... im still learning :o

~Brian
You got that right!
VERY nice choice of wood and a GREAT first bowl!
(Honest! - kind enough?

[Jeff Luedloff]

Wow very nice job. if that's your first, i cant wait to see your 2nd...Jeff