First bowl

[joe marra]

Hi Guys, moved into my new shop yesterday and started to learn how to turn. Today I finished my first bowl and it came out pretty good (at least to me). What do you think?

[Dennis Ford]

It looks pretty good to me also.

[Steve Vaughan]

Looks great...I think you're gonna be just fine!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Looks really good! You have fun??

[Thomas Canfield]

Nice shape. Nice lathe also. I noticed that you are using a face plate. Now you need to make some jam plates to work with your face plate to turn off the bottom between centers. It looks like you have a lot of fun ahead of you. Congratulations. Make sure you date and put #1 on it for later comparison. It sure looks better than my #1.

[Harvey M. Taylor]

w`ill you be giving lessons anytime soon?max

[Michael Gibson]

Wish my first bowl had turned out half as good.............

[charlie knighton]

very nice, enjoy

[Jim Underwood]

What Mike Gibson said... My first sure didn't look that good.

[Michael Stafford]

That is a great looking bowl. My first bowl was a reasonable facsimile of a dog bowl. Keep up the good work and have fun.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking bowl for a first. Keep at it and have fun.

[joe marra]

Thank you all, Youtube is a great teacher.

[William Bachtel]

To have a great teacher, you have to have a good student.

[Mike Cruz]

I'd say it looks good so far, but would need to see it "done" (off the lathe with finish) to give an honest opinion. The shape looks very nice...especially for a first bowl. Usually first bowls have very steep sides with a flat bottom. I like that you made more of a hemispherical shape. A little more info like size and kind of wood would be appreciated. Looking forward to more pics!

[joe marra]

Hi Mike, starting the sanding and finishing process today. Still undecided about what to finish with. Will post photos and spec's upon completion.

[Brian Kent]

Go, go, go, go, go!

[Roger Chandler]

Yep.........above average for a first bowl.........above average for a first lathe, perhaps ? [3520b]...........I would say you have some definite wood working experience before this first bowl...........nicely done, at any rate........now to get it reversed and turn the bottom and finish this.....looking forward to the finished bowl!

[joe marra]

If a year of watching turning on YouTube is experience, then I have a years worth. Reversed it, put it on a jam chuck and finished the bottom today. Sanded it and put the first coat of finish on it tonight. Tomorrow sanding the finish and applying more finish. Will post photos as soon as I complete it. Thanks.

[joe marra]

Thomas, I put first coat of finish on the bowl tonight. Forgot to sign it, Can I sign it with something between coats?

[Mike Cruz]

Joe, I don't mean to be crass, but no, watching videos and YouTube does NOT constitute experience. Research, maybe. Learning, maybe. But NOT experience. NOTHING will prepare you for a catch, NOTHING will make you realize just what causes a catch, and NOTHING will teach you what NOT to do like actually turning.

I can say that I've been watching NASCAR intently for 20 years, with in depth interviews, behind the scenes commentaries, and video instruction. But that does not give me any experience as a NASCAR driver.

Again, I'm not jumping down your throat. I'm not ridiculing you. Rather, addressing your comment. After all, you may have made that comment in jest, but I know some who do not. Just because one reads about turning, watches videos on turning, and talks about turning, does not make that person a turner, nor does it give them any clout.

Joe, keep up the good work. You have done your research and are applying it. We all learn differently. You are off to a great start. I said it in my earlier post, but the shape of the bowl is really nice. And you seemed to have made the walls fairly thin...both things that usually elude beginners. And I'm no exception.

I DO look forward to seeing the final product as this bowl has a lot of potential. Remember to sign it, date it, and put what kind of wood it is. This is your first, you'll have it forever!

[Mike Cruz]

Depends what you finished it with, but likely yes. Also, don't forget to put the date (year at least) and the kind of wood. You might want to put that it is your first bowl (maybe with a #1, or 01, or something like that). For selling purposes, you don't need to do it, but since it is your first...

[Kathy Marshall]

Looks great Joe! You've got a very nice shape and I look forward to seeing it completed.

[joe marra]

Just in jest.

[Mike Cruz]

Glad to hear you say that, Joe. Like I said, some do not feel/say that in "jest"...

[Alan Trout]

Awesome first bowl. Well done.

[joe marra]

Here is the photo of the first bowl 7 1/4" x 2 1/2" high. Don't know what kind of wood it is, can someone id it for me? Today I turned a Cherry Burl finished size 5 1/4" x 1 1/2" no finish yet.

[Kathy Marshall]

My guess would be maple on the 1st one, but that's just a guess. The 2nd one looks great and the burl grain should really pop once you've got some finish on it!

[Mike Cruz]

Looks good, Joe. Of course, more detailed pics would give us a better idea, though... Sorry, no idea about the wood. The cherry burl looks beautiful.

[Baxter Smith]

Looking good Joe. Looks like you are having fun too!

[steve worcester]

First bowl generally says you have a gouge and a piece of wood (lathe is inferred) buy no sense of form. In this case I will say you have a great sense of form and the future looks fantastic. The bowl has rounded sides, reasonable thickness (you will pick up that the purpose of use will dictate the wall thickness and height. Looks good, no, great, now go turn some more and even donate some to the local Empty Bowls charity.

[joe marra]

Thanks Steve.

[Deane Allinson]

Nice bowl, looks like it was a #10 or #20 instead of #1. No chunky bowl there.