Great find,need suggestions

[Charlie Reals]

I have been asked to make a large salad bowl for a wedding gift in October. Yesterday I went on a date. The better half and I went to Sacramento for a truly good Chinese lunch. Of course that puts us a block from WC. For the first time I wondered through the isles and could only find a bottle of hot glue to tweek my interest. Then, and then, just up the street on the way home is a lumber yard I have been wanting to visit.

I know I cannot finish a bowl from green in time so I am going back to my learning in the 50's. I have to laminate.
Hmmmmm A very nice and knowledgeable young man went to get a pallet of maple for me to look at.

In the mean time I hear "Charlie, look at this". The wife is pointing at a very wide piece of red alder buried in a pile. Turns out it's 7/4x 14 1/4". I bought all 10 feet of it. I also bought some maple.
Any suggestions? I figure on laminating 3 pieces and using a face plate. I plan on putting on a wax oil finish. Any reason Alder wouldn't work?
Charlie

[Gary Conklin]

Here are three methods for you to look at:

Link1 (http://www.woodturnersresource.com/extras/projects/Bowl_from_a_Board.pdf)

Link2 (http://bobhamswwing.com/Articles/economy/TRUE%20ECONOMY.htm)

Link3 (http://www.fwcwt.org/images/bowl_from_board/Make%20a%20Bowl%20from%20a%20Single%20Flat%20Board 2.pdf)

And another site purely for inspiration!!

Link (http://www.placek.info/Autum_bowls1/index.html)

[Bob Hamilton]

Hi, Charlie:
Alder should work fine. You have several options available for the actual blank construction. You can simply dress the faces of the board you have and stack squares cut from it into a solid blank that you would then treat as a solid piece of wood, you can cut segments and assemble segmented rings to stack and turn, or you can cut rings (or half rings) from the solid to stack and turn. The links provided in Gary's post all deal with the third option and that is the method that produces a bowl with the least amount of wood wasted, but it also tends to limit the amount of shaping you can do. The first two options are more wasteful of wood but allow you the freedom to make the bowl any shape you like.

Good Luck!
Bob

[Charlie Reals]

Thanks to both,Gary, those are great links My eyes aren't up to that any more:( but I am going to attempt some.

For now though I am going with Bobs first suggestion. I can still see to use a plane and square and the lost wood goes to friends for flower beds. nothing is wasted. I have them cut and they look purty good.
Charlie

[John Beaver]

Hey Charlie,
My in-laws live in Placerville. Is that anywhere near you ?

Any other good sources for wood up there ? I go up about 2 or 3 times a year and will be in the area next week for a day or two.

[Charlie Reals]

Hey Charlie,
My in-laws live in Placerville. Is that anywhere near you ?

Any other good sources for wood up there ? I go up about 2 or 3 times a year and will be in the area next week for a day or two.

John,
We are about 2 hours south and a little east on 49. It takes us 2 hrs to Sac, turn right instead of left at the Jackson highway and Placerville is about the same. Nice ride and I have some spalted maple that could up and leave depending where you are coming from, and a chunk or two of almond. P M me.
Aura hardwoods are the folks I have done business with in two locations.I was told in Sac. that Modesto has a bigger stock on hand as they do the ordering. I did find a wider selection in Modesto, Nice 2x 10 purple heart.
Charlie
Charlie