Warped bowl-Is it worth trying to fix it? How to start?

[Glenn Torbert]

I have two or three very nice wooden bowls finished from Maple, Red elm and rainbow popular that have decided to warp. I would love to put them back on my lathe using the bowl jaws with extra long fingers and a jam chuck on the tailstock. But I am not sure if I want to risk it, much less should I start with the rim of the bowl sanding it out, or with the bottom, I am also not sure if I should even consider using a gouge, My wife can live with them, but I am not sure I can look at them with this new flaw, I guess you can call it being a perfectionist. Has anyone attempted to do this and do you have any suggestions.....Thanks



PS lf you mount the bottom on the jaws 1st it is not flat and so is the rim, Should it be supported or blocked up for a flat fit>>>>

[David E Keller]

If you've got enough wall thickness to return them, it shouldn't be too much different from a normal two step turning used for green wood. Sounds like the bowls were originally turned from green or somewhat green wood.

Assuming you've got enough wood to play with, I'd jam them between the tailstock with a blunt, live center and a scrap of wood turned to match the inside curve and held in a chuck. You could also attach a glue block to the bottom of the bowl if you need the extra wood. True up the outside with a sharp gouge and light cuts then reverse the piece and true up the inside. If you don't have enough wall thickness, I'd turn some new bowls!

[John Beaver]

Probably not. Again, it depends on the wall thickness, but if they are finished the walls are probably too thin to return. The only thing I might try would be to sand the rim flat, so you will still have an oval, but it will be flat across the top. You might even be able to do this by hand.

Post some pictures so we can see how bad they are.

I totally understand the perfectionist part, but some bowls warp, it's what gives them character.

[Tom Winship]

I have some live oak bowls that I turned about a month ago to finished size. I slow dried them using bags. Today, one of them measured 7" in dia. 90 degrees away, it was 6 5/8". It has lots of "character".

[Reed Gray]

I would say that if the wall thickness is less than 1/2 inch, probably not worth the effort. Also, diameter matters. A larger bowl will show movement with any big change in humidity, like between summer and winter. Personally I like mine warped. They are so "organic".

robo hippy

[Russell Neyman]

Flaw? What flaw?

[Allan Ferguson]

Sand the bottoms flat and LOVE-EM.