0.8 bd ft

[Bruce Pratt]

I know the technique is not new, but it was new to me. Did it to work out production techniques for making salad serving bowls that a local gift store wants to buy. Turned out better than I expected for a first try.

0.8 bd ft. of 3/4" poplar (from Big Blue Box) - bandsawed into half rings - glued up and then turned smooth. Size: 14" x 5 1/4". Finish: 4 applications of paraffin+mineral oil.
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Bruce Pratt

[Benjamin Dahl]

Bruce, it looks nice to me.

[John Beaver]

I'd say it turned out great.
I've never seen a "bowl from a board" with figured wood like that. I really like it.

[David E Keller]

That looks cool. I like the contrasting tones in the wood.

[Steve Vaughan]

That turned out very nice there! I like it. From the pics, it sure doesn't look like poplar. You done good there!

[GLENN THOMAS]

Very nice, guess that's one more thing Ill have to add to my list of things to try.

GT

[Paul Douglass]

That is nice! Wish you'd post pictures of the process. Very nice.

[Don Rogers]

Bruce,

Your bowl turned out well and your posting is timely to me. Perhaps you can advise me on sawing out the one I have been trying to make.

I am asuming your half rings were sawed out on a 45 degree angle such that they stacked nicely before gluing them together. This is where I ran into trouble.

The board I am using is 1/4" thick pieced together with different kinds of wood so as to end up with a laminated type bowl. This really should be no different than a solid board (which I have not tried) but I had to give up when trying to saw out the half rings - I could not seem to follow the ring lines when sawing at a 45 degree angle. Before trying to saw the rings, I test sawed on the edge pieces (which would not be used) but could not follow a line. The 45 degree sawing angle seems to make sawing very difficult and I had to quit and regroup before ruining everything.

I know you sawed the rings out on a bandsaw and one of my differences is that I tried using two different scroll saws both with their tables set at 45 degrees. Perhaps using the bandsaw would be better but I wanted the smallest kerf possible. As of now, I have not tried using my bandsaw but may have to go that route if necessary. If I can't follow the ring lines with that then the bowl might end up too thin.

Before I try the bandsaw, i would like to know if you had problems sawing out the rings at 45 degrees when you did yours. Perhaps my inexperience with scroll saws is the problem or maybe they are just not very easy to use at 45 degrees, or maybe it's just me?

DonR

[Stephen Massman]

Here is some articles on the method. The angle doesnt have to be 45 degrees and should be based on width of rings and the thickness of the material. A T bevel is handy to get the angle from the board and set the bandsaw table.

http://www.woodturnersresource.com/extras/projects/Bowl_from_a_Board.pdf

http://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/showthread.php?t=18252

Malcolm Tibbets via woodcraft.
http://www.woodcraft.com/Articles/Articles.aspx?articleid=425

http://bobhamswwing.com/Articles/economy/TRUE%20ECONOMY.htm

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really a nice looking bowl. Have to put that in my memory bank.

[Randy Gazda]

Nice job, looks great.

[Don Rogers]

Stephen,
Thanks for the links. I’ll be wading through those articles soon.
I used the 45 degree cutting angle in my design in order to conserve the wood on hand . My segmented board is small and about ¼” thick and, in order to get any bowl depth at all, this is what I ended up with.
The scroll saw method was used in order to keep the kerf as small as possible in order to keep the bowl’s wall thickness from getting too thin. Now it looks like I will be I will try using the bandsaw with its wider kerf and hope that the resulting bowl thickness will be sufficient. The article I was following used stabilized pen blanks which permits a thinner wall but, not having that on hand, regular wood is being used.
My original concern was in not being able to follow the line when using a scroll saw and I was hoping to get some help in that area. Next chance I will try the bandsaw.
I do have the Tibbetts book on order but it is being held up because I tacked on a book for my wife (to get the free shipping) and it will not be released until the end of this month. So much for free shipping.
DonR

[Malcolm Tibbetts]

Bruce, nice job!

Don, I've attached a photo page from one of my handouts. It shows a small bowl constructed from half-rings, cut with a 1/8" band saw blade. You do have to cut slowly and "stay on the line", but it's probably easier using a band saw than a scroll saw at a 45. The entire bowl was made from three pen blanks and a little veneer. If anyone wants the entire handout, it's available from the "How To" section of my website: http://www.tahoeturner.com/instructions.html

[Bruce Pratt]

Thanks all for the comments. I used a homemade indexed circle cutting jig for cutting out the 1/2 rings on the band saw. Too late tonite to take and post photos and the weekend is completely shot with other obligations - I will post jig photos and use notes early next week.

Bruce

[Don Rogers]

Malcolm,
Thank you for jumping in here and providing the information I need.
What a coincidence - I was following that article of yours but was concerned about the bandsaw’s kerf thickness and trying to conserve my un-stabilized wood, as I explained earlier. Also, I do have a 1/8” bandsaw blade that I never tried and will give it a try this weekend. It’s one of those things that was bought at a woodworking show several years ago and still sits on the shelf – untried.
Several weeks ago I spent several enjoyable hours looking over on your website and thats when I decided to order your book “ The Art of Segmented Wood Turning” and build the “Pen Blank Bowl” while waiting for the book to arrive. I should get the book in several weeks if my wife’s book comes in on time.
Bruce,
Thanks in advance for the pictures and notes on your homemade indexed circle cutting jig. I am anxious to see how you made your bowl. Your “other obligations” this weekend are completely understandable and whenever you can will be greatly appreciated.

DonR

[Don Rogers]

Today, I finally found the blade stabilizer and the 1/8" blade, Made a crude circle-cutting fixture and cut out the half rings at 45 degrees on the bandsaw with no problems. Just as Malcolm Tibbetts advised.

The lesson I learned is that scroll sawing at a 45 degree angle is not for me and the bandsaw is a better tool for that job.

Now to glue up the half rings, stack and glue the rings together and see if I can turn a very thin-walled segmented bowl. That will be another first for me.

Thanks again, Malcolm.

DonR

[Bruce Pratt]

Sorry about the delay in posting more info on the circle jig. The day job and chores seem to have a way of moving to the top of the list.

Thanks to all for posting additional information and links on this technique.

Enclosed are some pix and more information on my jig. The base jig, with a dovetail slider, is pretty much as per this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIJ79eIYSOo&feature=PlayList&p=323C11403D6A97F2&playnext_from=PL&index=0&playnext=1). Modifications/additions are shown in the pictures.

1 - Pivot point (red circle) is a finishing nail which extends up about 3/16". Indexing template is outlined in blue.
2. Close-up on indexing template - The removable template is attached to the slider with two flathead bolts (red circles). The series of holes (within blue square) is how the position of the slider is controlled. The spacing between the holes determines the thickness of the rings. The indexing template and slider are held in position with a nail inserted through one of the indexing holes and into a single hole in the base plate of the jig.
3. Pivot plate - Made of 1/4" MDF - pivot hole in the green circle. The red square indicates the position of a board to be cut. So that the pivot plate is re-usable, it is covered with blue tape, as is the bottom of the board to be cut. Both surfaces are sprayed with adhesive, e.g. 3M 77, and the board is secured to the pivot plate.
4. Pivot plate on pivot point of the slider. In this picture, the slider is indexed to cut the inner-most circle. The blade position is indicated by the solid red rectangle

To cut the half circle/ring, with the band saw table set to the desired angle, the pivot plate is rotated clockwise approximately 270 degrees to the position shown in picture 5. Rotate the plate back to original position. Move slider one position on the indexing temlate and repeat.

Comments - Do not over-rotate the pivot plate, you need the remaining solid part of the plate to maintain its integrity. Cut the rings from the smallest to largest - you will get less wobble that way.

BTW - The bowl I posted at the top of this thread is now at a local art/craft store and the owner wants some more of them.

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Bruce Pratt

[Don Rogers]

Bruce,

Thank you for the information on your circle-cutting fixture. It will be very helpful to me.

I made a similar fixture for my bowl project but it did not have the indexing feature. It did perform well and my project would not have gotten off the ground without it. Trying to saw a bunch of concentric circles without it, especially when the pencil lines are very hard to see on walnut or similar dark wood would be extremely difficult for me.

My glued up bowl did not make it during the turning process, however, and it is now firewood. It seemed to be sturdy enough and mounted well on the Cole Jaws but it acted like rubber during the turning process. I'm wondering if the rubber feet on the Cole Jaws allowed it to wander some.

Anyway, my next one will be made of thicker segments to give more wall thickness. My bowl's segments were very thin and not stabilized wood as Malcome Tibbett recommended. I should learn to follow directions.

Thanks again for the fixture information.

DonR