Need a bit of help

[alex carey]

So I totally wasn't paying enough attention. Normally I measure like 100 times but my parents wanted me to be ready for dinner by 7:00 so I was in a hurry to finish. Any thoughts on a cure. I figured I'd reverse it on the lathe, make the whole a bit bigger and stick a half-dollar or something else in there. Not sure what. Any idea on what to put there. Besides other wood. Thanks for the help.

Alex

[Steve Schlumpf]

Alex - it happens to us all sooner or later! I would turn a short pedestal out of the same wood. The glue joint, although still noticeable, is explainable to the customer as the method to attach the pedestal. Best of luck on this save - it is a nice looking bowl!

[Jarrod McGehee]

Well Alex, I can't really think of much w/o adding other wood products but it looks pretty sweet minus the hole. What kind of wood is that?

[alex carey]

Bradford pear, couple coats of a salad bowl general finish. Real firm pressure with an old shirt gives it a nice shine. Nice wood to, very easy to turn.

[Jeff Nicol]

Alex, The bane of all turners is the hole in the bottom! I have done it more than once but I figure something out to fix it. Steve gave you a good idea and that can be varied a bit too. You could mount it in cole jaws or back on the lathe some how and make the hole perfect in the bottom and add whatever in the hole and then put a contrasting wood on the base and return it so it looks like that is what you planned. You could also use a tip from Dewey and cut out a design and cut a piece to fit in and finish that way. No matter what it will just be an artistic statement and let it rest at that. The rest of the bowl is great so I think it will work out!

Good luck,

Jeff

[Bernie Weishapl]

One simple way of taking care of the problem is to turn the bottom flat and glue a piece of like walnut on. Finish the bottom and go. It has happened to all of us and myself at least a couple of times. My wife has a bowl for candy on her desk that is cherry with a walnut base.

[Mike Peace]

Been there, done that. You got some good ideas on change in design. Nothing wrong with plugging a hole. Me, personally, I would chalk it up as another lesson learned and turn another bowl. I would rather turn another bowl than waste time fussing with a fix I would not be happy with, but that is just me. John Jordon says, "Life is too short to turn crappy wood." If I put a hole in the bottom, as far as I am concerned, it is now crappy wood.

[George Clark]

Enlarge the hole and use it as a custom turned dust collection funnel. That's what I did.

George

[Jim Kountz]

Enlarge the hole and use it as a custom turned dust collection funnel. That's what I did.

George

Dang George you mean that Robust doesnt have a warning system built into it to let you know if you're too close to the bottom??:D:D

[Bill Mitchel]

Alex - I have a tough time pitching a piece that I have put a lot of time in also. It's a great looking bowl and I would try and save it. I like the thought of putting a coin in the bottom. One thought:rolleyes: What year was you mom born? Parents married? Something like that, just find a cool coin from that year. I bet it turns into something she would always remember. Let us know what you decided!

Bill

[Dean Thomas]

I'm with Bill on this. WAY too nice to be crappy wood. If you put a coin in the bottom with a significant year it would be a great commemorative gift and then build up a significant resin coating to ensure long term water tightness if you want it to be used for something other than dry flowers or fruit.

Or you could even use this year's coinage, since it's a significant year in the bowl's life. :)

Keep up the good work, young sir!

[alex carey]

I don't plan on chucking it, spent too much time on it and I like the shape a lot.

Bill, I like that idea, my parents anniversary is coming up, If I get a coin from that year and insert it, it might be cool.

@George, you seem to have the same sense of humor as my dad. He said almost the same thing "Enlarge the whole and we'll use it as a funnel when we drain the oil from the cars..."

Thanks for all the help

Alex

[Ben Gastfriend]

I've seen people enlarge the hole, flip it over, and turn it into a lamp shade. The harware is availible everwhere, and I'm pretty sure you can find the hardware that will allow you to hand turn the lamp body, too.

[Burt Alcantara]

alex,
Check out this link. It may give you some ideas about saving your bowl(s).
At the site, find and click on "Two Bit Project." You must have adobe reader to view the article.

http://www.nickcookwoodturner.com/articles.htm

Burt

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Alex on the canadianwoodworking forum we had a turner showing some artwork he did to a bowl, not as a repair but it could be used for such a thing, and not look like a repair as most other ways do end up looking like.

Have a look it does look quite good IMO :-))

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I keep my "diet bowl" on my desk at work. I call it my diet bowl because if you drink soup from it, guarenteed to lose weight. A constant reminder to try not to do that again...:)

Measure once, cut twice.

[Jarrod McGehee]

if you end up doing the coin thing make sure you clean and buff the hell outta that coin to get it to a nice shine. and I'll have to find some of that wood and try it out. thanks.

[David Christopher]

this is what I did

[Chris Barnett]

Looks like you need to purchase an undo button.

[Dewey Torres]

As a newbie I am glad to hear it is coming....

hasn't happened yet but as I understand, it will.

[Rasmus Petersen]

one of the very few danish pro turnes told me about the big black eraser...

i throw mishaps in the fireplace... (big black cast iron eraser) ...

there are an will be mistakes.. but it will almost alwasy make pretty firewood...

[Rick Huelsbeck]

So I totally wasn't paying enough attention. Normally I measure like 100 times but my parents wanted me to be ready for dinner by 7:00 so I was in a hurry to finish. Any thoughts on a cure. I figured I'd reverse it on the lathe, make the whole a bit bigger and stick a half-dollar or something else in there. Not sure what. Any idea on what to put there. Besides other wood. Thanks for the help.

Alex


I've done that before, simple, it's now a Flower Pot instead of a bowl :D

[curtis rosche]

you could make it into a display peice. either make or find a thin vase, and plase it in. then a flower could be put in the middle