Brown and Round

[David DeCristoforo]

I've made a lot of different things since I got sucked into the vortex. Some successful, some not so. But what I have not yet made is a "real bowl". A while back a box appeared on my doorstep containing a beautiful walnut blank sent by Tony DiMasi. This was followed closely by my first "real" bowl gouge, the big 5/8" Glaser. That was the first real bowl attempt and it was going pretty well until I stuck the the Glasser gouge through the bottom.

Recently one of those beautiful chunks of Kathy's mesquite appeared on my doorstep following pretty closely on the heels of my second "real" bowl gouge, the 9/16" Glaser "Stocksdale" tool. So I figured I have a bowl blank and I have bowl gouges…. maybe time for a bowl.

This time, I managed to actually produce a bowl. I'll not comment on the "design" but simply say that it is brown, round and has an even 1/4" thick wall from top to bottom. The mesquite cuts like butter and the Glaser 15V gouge was the only tool I used except for a round nose tool I used to hollow out the inside of the big bead. The gouge is still sharp but I don't know whether to attribute that to the edge holding ability of the 15V steel or the malleable nature of the mesquite.

One thing I am quickly coming to understand is that it's not so easy to make a bowl. It seems like it should be after all that thin pedestal turning and hollowing out little forms and dying and such. But it ain't! This has given me a whole new level of respect for those people who turn bowls!

So, anyway, here it is "brown and round", nothing to get excited about... for better or for worse… a bowl. 11.5" in diameter, 4.5" deep. Only a bit of oil on it right now... this wood is wet!

201070 201071

[Roger Chandler]

Woo.....Hooo! that is an unusual bowl form David, with the way you have a hollowed out bead. Very nice upper rim..........I like the wide rim that flairs out and you have a nice curve to the bottom. Pretty wood as well......mesquite must be quite a pleasure to turn.......seems everyone who gets to turn a piece raves about it.

I would say for your debut on bowls, you did pretty well! Nice to know an "R-teest" such as yourself appreciates the round and brown side of things..........I guess until one has walked in those shoes, then it is hard to really get a feel for the path itself.

Congrats on a nice form!

[Fred Belknap]

David you had me worried there for a minute. You naturally did a great job on the B&R bowl. It took quite a bit of skill to do the bowl like you did. Doesn't really appeal to me but that may be a plus.:D

[David E Keller]

I agree with your assessment of bowl turning... It is more difficult to do well than it seems like it would be. Interesting choice to hollow the bead. I don't think I've even seen that done, and I can think of several reasons not to do so... I'm sure you thought of those same reasons, and I appreciate that you decided to do it anyway! Congrats on your first non-funnel!

[John Keeton]

One thing I am quickly coming to understand is that it's not so easy to make a bowl. ...This has given me a whole new level of respect for those people who turn bowls!David, after doing a few, I feel the same way!!! Seems getting a fair curve on a bowl is a real challenge.

I kind of like this style - reminds me of the ol' spittoons. They were brass, of course, and it use do amaze me how accurate my Papaw was from about 4-5' away! Perhaps you could consider doing some sort of metal patinization/patination of the ring to give it a little "extra" style.

[David DeCristoforo]

"...reminds me of the ol' spittoons..."

Waaal sonny (pituie... thunk) them thar nu fangeled wooden spit toons (pituie... thunk) just don't do it fer me. Too bad thars that derned brass shortage. I miss (pituie... thunk) that ol' "clang" sound that letcha know fer sure you hit the danged thing. These-uns sound jus like you hit the (pituie... thunk) dagnab floor.

[Roger Chandler]

"...reminds me of the ol' spittoons..."

Waaal sonny (pituie... thunk) them thar nu fangeled wooden spit toons (pituie... thunk) just don't do it fer me. Too bad thars that derned brass shortage. I miss (pituie... thunk) that ol' "clang" sound that letcha know fer sure you hit the dnaged thing. These-uns sound jus like you hit the floor (pituie... thunk).

201086 Pituie.........thunk!!!

[John Keeton]

DD's post read just fine to me?!?!?!?:confused::p:D Everyone I grew up with talked pretty much that way. David - you grow up in eastern KY?????

[Baxter Smith]

Congrats on your first bowl/spittoon. Looks to be a rather challenging form! Are you considering a series?:)

[Steve Campbell]

That there is just plumb great. I have never seen one with the bead hollowed out like that. Just seems to add the finishing touches to it.

Steve

[Steve Schlumpf]

Wow ... feel like I fell into a Ma & Pa Kettle movie!

Was agonna say, that the bowl looks pretty cool but thought that if the outside bead was burned slightly to distinguish it from the rest of the bowl, would really make that embellishment work. Just my opinion...

You guys can get back to spitting agin...

[Greg Just]

Nice bowl. I agree with others that bowls are not easy and I struggle with the final cuts on the inside to eliminate the tear out.

I was also thinking like Steve that darkening the outside bead might add some nice contrast. Of course that means you would need to darken the inside of the bead too!

[Curt Fuller]

pituie... thunk.............Shazammmm!

[Tom Wilson66]

Enough tobacco juice will do all the darkening the bowl needs.:rolleyes:

[Cathy Schaewe]

hmmm.

:)

[David DeCristoforo]

"...hmmm...."

Now there's a comment that is profound, insightful and completely unexpected!

[Ted Calver]

Nice!! It's about time you made something to hold M&Ms.

[Rick Markham]

That's a great first bowl! Bowls are definitely a different beast than hollowing. It gets even more exciting the farther out of center you go. It's all just a different kind of tool control. My favorite (and used nearly exclusively) is my 5/8 V from Doug. There is something absolutely perfect about a 5/8" bowl gouge. Do some more, they get even more fun!

[Kathy Marshall]

I like it David! You certainly didn't choose the easiest form for a first bowl! I think the curves in the form accentuate the curves in the grain (mighty pretty chunk of wood if I do say so myself!).
I'd hate to think of someone actually using that for a spitoon, so I'll say it reminds me of a pot of gold (sans gold) at the end of a rainbow, so fill er up with gold and lets see how she looks!

PS....when I turned my bowls from green mesquite, I had to touch up my gouge several times for each bowl, so I'd say your Glaser is a Winner with a capital W!

[Jim Adkins]

I'm reluctant to bring this up but DD your "bowl" might also qualify as a "Chamber Pot". Either way you did a great job with this piece. Some classic turning you did!!

[David DeCristoforo]

So... let's see.... so far we have a spittoon, a chamber pot and a pot of gold. Humm... Tough choice. I'm gonna have to spend some time thinking about which one I want to go with. Meanwhile, my wife likes it so there it is...

[Toney Robertson]

Meanwhile, my wife likes it so there it is...

Happy wife = happy life!!!

[Bernie Weishapl]

I agree if the wife likes it, it doesn't really matter if it is a spittoon, chamber pot, or M&M dish or Hmmmmm.

Nice looking and interesting bowl David.

[John Hart]

When I first opened this up, I figured it at about 6-8" diameter. Sheesh...11.5"? Big sucker. It'll probably warp a little as it dries and probably be a perfect popcorn bowl....as long as nobody uses it for the other unmentionables.

I remember you talking about gettin ready to do this a couple weeks ago. I think its great you did. I ain't done nuthin' since that day.

[David DeCristoforo]

"Sheesh...11.5"? Big sucker..."

Size was based on two factors. One was that my lathe will swing a 12" piece over the ways. The other was that the piece of mesquite Kathy sent me was 12" square. I thought about cutting it into two pieces and making a matching pair of vases. But I really needed a spittoon!

[Roger Chandler]

[I]I thought about cutting it into two pieces and making a matching pair of vases. But I really needed a spittoon!

Pituie...........thunk!!!

[Rick Markham]

DD's post read just fine to me?!?!?!?:confused::p:D Everyone I grew up with talked pretty much that way. David - you grow up in eastern KY?????

That's cuz he was jabber jawin in Kentucky Lawyer Lingo :D:p:D

[David DeCristoforo]

"That's cuz he was jabber jawin in Kentucky Lawyer Lingo..."

Yup. Kaintuk. Only place in the country where "holler" describes a place of dwelling instead of a sound. Where a bar is an animal, not a place to get a drink. Where a crick is a body of water, not a pain in the neck. And where turnin' is done with a pitchfork.

[John Keeton]

By golly, I think DD is from KY!!!! He's got the geography, the zoology, and the stream nomenclature down pat!

[Carlos Cabrera]

I have to say that is a nice bowl, I like the shape a lot !

Carlos Cabrera

[Cathy Schaewe]

"...hmmm...."

Now there's a comment that is profound, insightful and completely unexpected!

Why thank you! Please don't use it as a chamber pot ....
and I actually think it's very creative!

[Jeff Nicol]

A spittoon it is! Just got out of the car after 12.5 hours on the road, I feel like I have been inside of a spittoon! Just thought I would check in and see what I missed.

DD, you can only keep cutting curls and the bowls will just naturally come off the lathe with beauty and style!

Waiting for more,

Jeff

[David DeCristoforo]

"Just got out of the car after 12.5 hours on the road..."

Well in that case, maybe we should go with "chamber pot"...

[ray hampton]

Wow ... feel like I fell into a Ma & Pa Kettle movie!

Was agonna say, that the bowl looks pretty cool but thought that if the outside bead was burned slightly to distinguish it from the rest of the bowl, would really make that embellishment work. Just my opinion...

You guys can get back to spitting agin...
SURPRISE-SURPRISE, I saw a MA and PA movie on the T V this week

[ray hampton]

By golly, I think DD is from KY!!!! He's got the geography, the zoology, and the stream nomenclature down pat!

John, I agree , maybe DD can tell you how to git to possum hollow

[David DeCristoforo]

"...maybe DD can tell you how to git to possum hollow..."

I think he's already there...

[Rick Markham]

POSSUM?!! Thems gooooood eatin's boys! Did the supper bell ring? Y'all best go warsh yer hands now, ya hear? :D:p:D

[Chris Barnett]

Not to change the subject, but you doin' anything speshul to limit the drying to real slow? Really like your design...almost as much as that wood!

[John Keeton]

POSSUM?!! Thems gooooood eatin's boys! Did the supper bell ring? Y'all best go warsh yer hands now, ya hear? :D:p:DNote enuff fat - groundhogs is better!!!

[Michelle Rich]

Interesting first bowl..I expect to see this form up on a stick soon. I don't believe I have ever seen this before,(outside shape & large bead with large flair) nor the inset on the inside. A very unique bowl.

[David DeCristoforo]

"...you doin' anything speshul to limit the drying..."

Naw. Jus lettin' 'er rip. I had thought about soaking 'er in spunk water but then I thought (no really.... I did) the heck with it!

I'm leavin' town now, folks. When I get back, I'm goin' back to makin' ort....

[Tony De Masi]

Nothing wrong with your spitoon DD and like you said, bowl turnin ain't as easy as it may seem at first. How badly did you go through the bottom of the blank I sent you? You could possible put a plug in the bottom, maple maybe, and proceed to the finish. Just a thought unless you already put it in the fire pit.

[David DeCristoforo]

"...put a plug in the bottom...maybe..."

I only wish Tony! Problem is, it's not really the bottom I went through, it's the side. Got it just a bit too thin and did not "see the light" until I saw the light.... literally, coming through the side about a third of the way up from the bottom. So I ended up with more of a wooden band than a funnel! Believe me, If I could have figured out a way to save it, I would have.