What would you do - I need some advice

[Keith E Byrd]

I had this piece of walnut log that was about 14x8x5. I decided to try a winged bowl. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/icons/icon7.png It is now about 12" wide at the tips and 5" high. The bowl is 2 3/4 x 7. This has been fun (it is actually the 2nd one - the first blew up!http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/icons/icon11.png) to turn. But I am kind of stuck with where to go with it.:confused: I have turned enough away that I don't see many options. The wings are about 1/4 to 3/8 in spots, the bowl walls are about 5/16 and the bottom is about 1/2. I am certainly not overjoyed with the current design but it is a pretty piece of walnut!
What would you do with this?

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[Rex Guinn]

Kieth;
I would continue turning to make the walls thinner, you may have them to thin now to keep from breaking and or chattering. Just thin down the outer edge about 1/2 in inside and out to the desired thickness and as good as you can make it. Move on down another 1/2 in and blend to the outside thickness just keep doing this until you get the wings like you want them. The bowl part should not be a problem. Hope this helps.

[Gary Max]

What would I do----------cut the wings off and finish turning the bowl.

[Jake Helmboldt]

What would I do----------cut the wings off and finish turning the bowl.

I'm with Gary. I'm not the best when it comes to the artistic flair in turning, but I can't envision how that will look right with the wings. You could keep them short and see if they work outso you have a smooth, undulating edge. I did a bowl like that that was an enclosed form that looked good. At this point you are in the "turn away stuff till it looks right" phase. Sometimes you end up with a small, regular bowl in the end.

[Jason Silva]

Hmmmm. I would have to say i like the wings and i like the bowl...but the wings dont really blend with the bowl if that makes sense. Id finish smoothing it out and then try a couple of embelishments you have always wanted to take a shot at. Maybe some piercing on the wings? I usually take forms im not sure what to do with and practice texturing, carving, burning or coloring. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Keith - kind of a challenging form at the moment but here is where you can get creative! Seeing as how the wings point up and away from the bowl, I would spend some time thinning them down and then cut out part of the interior of each wing and make them into handles - ala Leo Van Der Loo! Just one suggestion. Have fun with it! Looking forward to seeing the finished bowl!

[Greg Just]

I would not cut the wings off just yet. Along the lines of what Steve said, I would continue to work the wings and then perhaps carve then into a unique shape or texture them. If that doesn't work, you could cut them off later.

[Tim Thiebaut]

Keith - kind of a challenging form at the moment but here is where you can get creative! Seeing as how the wings point up and away from the bowl, I would spend some time thinning them down and then cut out part of the interior of each wing and make them into handles - ala Leo Van Der Loo! Just one suggestion. Have fun with it! Looking forward to seeing the finished bowl!

That is exactly what I was thinking, go with handles!! Maybe your rubbing off on me Steve...great minds think alike and all that ya know....LOL!

[John Hart]

I looked at the piece and kinda went, "I dunno"....but I think the handle idea would be a cool adventure. :)

[Harvey Ghesser]

What Steve said.

[Reed Gray]

Those wings are now fairly delicate, and being thin and sticking out so far like that, will move on you if you try to return them. Take only the most delicate touch up cuts if you do. Flexing bowl rims tend to explode. I would have made the sides of the bowl more rounded, instead of straight up and down.

robo hippy

[robert raess]

You could turn one wing into a handle and carve the other one into a spout [an open spout].At that point, you could also refine the bottom, and turn the corners off making it more round ..going for a tea pot bottom.

[Dick Wilson]

Keith, Tim and others have already said handles. The problem I see is that the thickest part of the wings are at the rim and the thinnest part of the wing is where the wings meet the bowl. I think that you are really running a risk in going back to the wing rims and turning them thinner. There is a good chance of them blowing up. I would hand cut, carve, sand the wings into some form of artistic handles.

[Jamie Donaldson]

When making this type of winged form, thinning from outside to center must be done in steps. The mass of the center supports cutting at the tips, then not going back to the wings for further cutting is a recipe for success rather than kindling.

[Keith E Byrd]

Thanks for the tips - it blew up.

[John Hart]

aw...man! :(

[Dick Wilson]

Thanks for the tips - it blew up.

Ah, Keith, Keith, Keith. You should have listened to me my friend. Been there, done that.
Like Elsworth says "It started out as firewood and it might end up firewood".:(:(:(:(

[David E Keller]

Welcome to the club!

[Don Alexander]

the really cool thing about wood is that it grows on trees ............................ unlike money
:D:D:D:D:D