Cherry Bowl Blank

[Baxter Smith]

Several weeks ago, I asked for suggestions on what to do with a large cherry bowl blank. All your suggestions were good ones! After spending a couple of weeks in Maine, I was anxious to get it on the lathe.
I wasn’t sure I could handle mounting or turning a bowl as deep as the blank so decided to take a 3 inch slab off the top. (And I hated to turn so much into just shavings):)
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Weighed in at #105 when I screwed on the faceplate.
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By the time I had the outside done it was down to #60.

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The shine is from lemon juice used to remove iron stains fromthe chuck and my hands.
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It ended up at #10 and just fit into a large double layer paper leaf bag. I will dry the slab as is. For what I am not sure. Maybe just to stare at.:)
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Comments and suggestions always welcome and appreciated!

[Steve Mawson]

Like what you have there and it is BIG! What turning rpm?

[Tim Rinehart]

Baxter, that is a wonderful looking big bowl. The beads are a nice subtle touch, and the thickness looks appropriate to the diameter. One of these days I'll try hanging something off the end of my lathe as well.

[Ted Calver]

You did that blank proud Baxter. I'll be curious to see how much it moves.

[David Brightwell]

Beautiful shape.

[David Brightwell]

Beautiful shape you went with.

[Roger Chandler]

Love the curly grain in that cherry.......that is a beauty Baxter!

[philip labre]

Gorgeous bowl Baxter! Also, I think I need to steal your outboard stand design.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Bax,
Did you wet sand that bowl to 220 or so before setting it aside to dry? After it warps it will be a bugger to sand. Do you expect it to shrink almost 1 1/2" across the grain?
It looks really sweet and mountains of cherry couldn't be more pretty.
faust

[Baxter Smith]

...........What turning rpm?

I don't remember exactly what I started and ended with Steve. I am guessing it was between 200 and 400.


........Did you wet sand that bowl to 220 or so before setting it aside to dry? .............Do you expect it to shrink almost 1 1/2" across the grain?

I did sand it to 220 Faust......after starting with 80.;) It seemed like 99% of the inside and outside cut cleanly. It was just that other 1% . I figured spending a couple hours sanding now would save me a lot of time down the road.:rolleyes: I am sure it will move a lot. Hopefully I left enough of a foot to be able to flatten out when the time comes.

[Peter Blair]

Wow! Great looking bowl Baxter.

[Cheryl A. Prince]

Great looking bowl Baxter. When it is dry how will you reverse chuck it to do the bottom? I outboard turned some large bowls out of black walnut (22" to 26") and am not sure that my vacuum chuck is powerful enough (it's a holdfast and draws about 12 to 14 inches of mercury?) to hold it to finish the backside and bottom. I have a 3520b with the bed extension. I have the vaccuum connected to a small pancake compressor. Would it draw more if I connected it to a larger compressor? If you or anyone else has any suggestions I'd appreciate it.

[Steve Doerr]

Great looking bowl. I bet that took a lot of time for you to do. I too like the beads that you have at the rim. It is hard to tell what the final size is, could you give us the dimensions?
Like Philip, I like your outboard stand. Could we see some pictures that would show us more details?
Thanks,
Steve

[Bob Rotche]

Wow! That is a serious bowl! You know the saying, "Go big or go home"? You get to stay out awhile longer...

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is a great looking big bowl Baxter. Really nice looking cherry.

[Jon Nuckles]

Beautifully big cherry bowl! It will be great just to look at, or you can load it up with pumpkins for display in the fall. Hope it dries intact for you.

[charlie knighton]

very nice, nice form

[Prashun Patel]

I love your stuff. Nice ripple you got there.

[Tim Rinehart]

Hey Baxter...I'd like to see some additional shots/details on your outboard rest as well. Curious how you lock it down...assuming you have something at the base...i.e chunk of cast iron or concrete, but would like to think something more rigid?

[Mike Cruz]

What's not to like? Except that it is "only" 23 inches...:rolleyes:

[Richard Jones]

Baxter,

Great looking bowl, and I really like the beads. Nice job.

[Pat Scott]

Nice outboard tool rest setup, but I like the arm you have for your lights, outlet strip, and dust collection hose! (picture 6). Is that home made? I'd like to see more pictures of it.

Oh yeah, and nice bowl! I would have roughed it out and let it dry a couple years before turning it, I just don't like warped bowls. Love the looks of Cherry, which I could get my hands on some. I might have cut that big blank down and made two 12" bowls (or would that have been four 12" bowls for a 24" chunk?). But a 23" bowl is pretty impressive.

[Lori Kleinberg]

Baxter, that is one very nice BIG bowl. I too like the beads.

[Fred Belknap]

Sure is a nice big bowl. I'm like Pat I would have twice turned it to keep it from warping. Big bowls are a lot of work, about 17" is the best I can do with my set up. I'm impressed with one 23" but don't have much desire to do one.

[Baxter Smith]

Thanks for taking the time to comment!

...... When it is dry how will you reverse chuck it to do the bottom? .....
My thought at present would be to screw a 24" circle of plywood to a faceplate. Mark out a 23 1/4 circle using the toolrest to hold the pencil steady. Center the bowl in the circle that was drawn and shim it so it doesn't rock. Hot glue and strap it to hold it in place. I assume that would hold well enough to flatten the bottom. My largest vacuum chuck is 6". I don't think there would be a problem holding it, just centering it.


..... It is hard to tell what the final size is, could you give us the dimensions?
.......
Steve, it ended up 23 1/4 by about 6-7".

Hey Baxter...I'd like to see some additional shots/details on your outboard rest as well. Curious how you lock it down...assuming you have something at the base...i.e chunk of cast iron or concrete, but would like to think something more rigid?

Tim, the rest isn't really locked "down". The arm is locked in place by tighening the two 1/2" bolts. There is a straight line between the tool rest and the floor.
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What's not to like? Except that it is "only" 23 inches...:rolleyes:
Sorry to dissappoint Mike.:) 26+ might have been an option but I thought it would be best to turn away all the sapwood.


Nice outboard tool rest setup, but I like the arm you have for your lights, outlet strip, and dust collection hose! (picture 6). Is that home made? I'd like to see more pictures of it..........
Pat, the arm is an assortment of scraps I had in inventory. I cobbled them together after seeing the arm on the new 4224 this summer. I was in the lathe modifications mode at the time.
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Thanks again. I was lucky to stumble across such nice wood.

[Mike Cruz]

Baxter, you should market that arm assembly...