First bowl...nuttin' fancy

[Mike Cruz]

Well, upon the advice of everyone, I took a bowl turning class. I went to the Leesburg Woodcraft and had Tom Boley as my teacher. Great guy. VERY patient man... Oh, to see a student struggling with the simplest of cuts must make you pull your hair out and do everything you can not to grab the gouge out of the the greenie's hands and just do it for them.

Anyway, he brought along some Mahogany chunks. There were two of us in the class and while Tom spent most of his time (other than in general instruction) aiding the other student (who was not a woodworker at all, just fascinated with turning since childhood), I got some quality time to myself...feeling out the tools, feeling when and where the gouge starts to cut and where it just rides.

The class was very basic. The idea wasn't to make something fancy, but rather to get down all the basics...by making a basic bowl. Well, that is exactly what I did. While Tom's first impression was that I brought the angle up a little quickly, the other student's eyes lit up and coined it a perfect sushi bowl! To which I, of course, quickly commented on my intent. BTW, I don't like/eat sushi. It will be my M&M bowl.

I didn't have much time at the class to finish the bowl. I got to do a little sanding, but had to finish that part off at home. Time right now is short for projects, so I did what will probably make most of you cringe... I put a poly finish on it. My buffer isn't set up, and I had poly on hand. Oh, well, that is what it got...

So, here it is. Measurements are: 5 1/4"W x 3 1/4"H and the base is 2 1/4" across.

Oh, and yeah... I'm bit by the bug... BIG TIME!!!!!!!!!!

[John Keeton]

Mike, I am big time impressed!! Nice smooth finish, clean rim, no tool marks on the inside that I can see - great job!! Actually, a tremendous job - particularly for a firstee!

[Matt Hutchinson]

I totally agree with John, very impressive! And it has a really nice form....what a great looking bowl!

Hutch

[Steve Schlumpf]

Mike - that is a great looking first bowl! Has more of a rice bowl style than anything and that works for me!

Be sure to sign and date you bowl because there is only one first! You will be amazed at how much your turning changes over a very short period of time!

Also - I like your photos as well. Really like the crisp focus!

Nice work! Looking forward to seeing what you turn next!

[Ron Lynch]

I don't do sushi either, but I do like the shape of your bowl.

[Mike Cruz]

Thanks, guys! As for tool marks, it didn't stand a chance. :D I don't know how much it it considered cheating, but I hand sanded the bajeebies out of it off the lathe. I knew this would always be my "first", and didn't want a tool mark or scratch to be found!

Yup, I signed (kinda), dated, and numbered it. Burned it in.

[David E Keller]

Great job. I like bowl and agree with the others that you should be proud of it. There's nothing wrong with a poly finish either. Looking forward to seeing 002.

[Tom Sherman]

Nothing to be ashamed about or sorry for Mike you did good son. One real nice bowl and I bet those M&m's will taste great from it.

[Joe Bradshaw]

Good looking bowl Mike. The shape is great. On small bowls, I like for them to fit in my cupped hands. M&M's will taste better in the bowl. Also, Cheeto's will go good in it.

[Tim Rinehart]

Mike,
That is a tremendous job on a first bowl...my first 50 bowls or so just really ... well, sucked. I also did a bit too much on my own without having someone to bounce off tool use, etc...so it took longer.

I think the underside work is extremely well done, the foot is amazing for a first bowl...my initial undersides...well...you know.

Great job, and excellent job off the gates!:D:D

[Michael Short]

Great job on your first bowl !!!!

[Donny Lawson]

I think it's a great looking first bowl.When the bug bites hard enough all you can think of is turning.All during the day while at work I think of how I can make my bowls/pens better.It should be hitting you anytime now.Man, what a great RUSH........I just can't wait to get back in the shop tomorrow.:D
Donny

[Roland Martin]

That's a very well done first bowl. The form does make it a very usable bowl and good looking at the same time. Fine job:)

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Quite impressive for a first bowl and not bad for any time after, yes well done, you just have to make them better from here on in :eek: :rolleyes: :D :D

[Gary Conklin]

Very well done. Form and finish look great! Definitely a keeper.:)

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking bowl Mike. Well done.

[Rich Aldrich]

Really nice job on the first bowl. I like the foot. I haven't done one with a foot yet, but I think one is coming.

[Baxter Smith]

Looks great for a first ... or a tenth!

[Tony De Masi]

Very nice Mike. And yes Tom is a very nice and patient guy. He is a past president of one of my turning clubs and actually owns his own turning company mainly focused on ornamental turnings. If they every offer the course on natural edge turnings take that one too as Tom is well known in these parts for his NE bowls.

Tony

[Thomas Bennett]

I love the poly finish ,Mike. Great first bowl! So, what are you going to turn next?

[Mike Cruz]

Thanks, Tony, I think I may be leaning on him a bit...;)

Thomas, my next, ugh, I don't know... I have a bunch of chunks I want to dive into, here's one, but I have a feeling I should practice a little more first before diving into a piece like this and overstepping my ability. I can just imagine either blowing it up, or making something perfectly "fine", then a year from now wishing I had saved it for when I was more experienced. Of course, there is always more wood...

It is pieces like this that I don't "see" the bowl yet. I'm not sure which way and which shape that will capture this wood the best. And I won't truely, until I've taken a piece from rough (like this) and turn it... I think then I'll have a bit of an ah-hah moment.

[wes murphy]

great job on your 1st bowl, mkike. tehy'll only getr better from this one...or at least that's the plan.

[Mike Cruz]

Oops, forgot to give dimensions of this chunk...

It is 6 1/2" (at the widest part) X 2 3/4".

[Donny Lawson]

Mike, that's a nice looking chunk of wood. What kind is it? It looks to have some nice figure. Looking foward to seeing what it looks like on the inside.
Donny

[Mike Cruz]

Donny, I have absolutely NO idea what it is! It was from a tree that was in my back yard at my last house. When it died, I went to cut it down (it only stood about 5 or 6 feet tall) I noticed a nice "ball" at the base and thought I might be able to make something out of that some day... And yes, it does have some nice figure to it, and yup I look forward to seeing what's in there, too!

[John Hart]

Sorry Mike...I'm kinda late on this. GREAT JOB!!! You should be very proud. :)

[Stephen McGregor]

Mike, AWESOME bowl...

[Thomas Canfield]

Mike,

That is a great 1st bowl. The blank for your next bowl looks like a burl that will be a real challenge and maybe something that you would want to hold off for a while. The end grain and cross grain combo along witht the voids may require quite a bit of patience and steady hand. It should produce a spectacular bowl when turned, but a catch could really be dramatic.

[Mike Cruz]

Thomas, I kinda had invisioned that, too. I would like to think I have a pretty steady hand, but I also know that by steady, you don't mean strength, you mean experienced. As much as I want to believe that I really got the hang of it and that it came to me pretty easily, (no help from ya'll with all the praise :D) I also realize that it took me quite a few hours to do this bowl. Most of you probably could have turned it in less than an hour. Granted, I was learning, but it is that steady and experienced hand that makes one sweeping cut that looks really nice with each stroke...not choppy little ones that somehow form a curve.

Thanks for your advice. My next bowl will likely be under some sort of intruction, whether it be over at Tom Boley's shop, or at one of the offers form local fellow Creekers' shops. (That was a wierd sentence. :o) So, I may or may not tackle that chunk.

[Harvey Ghesser]

Nice work, Mike! And welcome to the vortex!;)

[Sid Matheny]

Much, much better than my first! Great job and there is no way out now.:D

Sid

[Mike Cruz]

Well, I wanted to show you all how nice the M&M bowl turned out, ya know, full of M&Ms. But by the time I got the camera...

[Josh Bowman]

Mike,
I wish my 1st (and 2nd and 3rd......:confused:) bowl(s) looked that nice. Great job! Hope to see more. :D