Bowl thickness

[Dale Gregory]

Being a newby, I finally will have a few of my first bowls ready for final turning in another week or so. My question is: Is there any rule of thumb for target wall or rim thickness when making bowls. I know some like to see how thin they can go, but what is recommended final thickness for say a 6", 9", 12" bowl?

Thanks, Dale

[George Tokarev]

Depends on who it's for. For use, seldom less than 3/8, or it'll become a one-drop wonder. For reasons unknown it always hits the rim on the endgrain when it falls.

For show and/or fun, whatever makes the shape what you want it to be. Remember, we're not potters, slaves to a kiln where uniform thickness is the key to success. We can make drop-resisting thicker rims undercut to more protected thinner walls, or narrower bases with greater thickness to lower the center of gravity and make the bowl stable.

Where pinhead "experts" will be evaluating, as uniformly thin as possible with a sculptured bottom emblazoned with the appropriate wood and date data. Be sure and emphasize how fine you sanded it and how many coats of whatever you used to finish it. As always, the mandatory final line is "buffed with (echo on) the Beall system." (echo off)

It's your turning, do what looks good to you. Day after tomorrow it won't, and you'll be itching to go back and turn again anyway. Experiment.

[Keith Burns]

IMHO, you will get a feel for what thickness you want it to be once you are turning it. A lot depends on the form and feel you want. Of course the smaller the diameter the thinner, just to keep the proportions.

[Bob Hallowell]

Where pinhead "experts" will be evaluating, as uniformly thin as possible with a sculptured bottom emblazoned with the appropriate wood and date data. Be sure and emphasize how fine you sanded it and how many coats of whatever you used to finish it. As always, the mandatory final line is "buffed with (echo on) the Beall system." (echo off)
.

George, Glad you like the way us pinheads post!:D
Bob

[Bill Grumbine]

Dale, make them any size and thickness you like, as long as the wood is not going to crack, or crack in ways you don't want it to crack. I make very thick functional bowls, usually thin art bowls, sometimes thick art bowls, but almost never thin functional bowls. Thin functional bowls are treated like art bowls by a lot of people in that they are afraid to use them for anything, even if they are perfectly serviceable.

Being a pinhead, I often finish the bottom and buff my bowls with a Beall system. :p It is not a good idea to buff burls though, as you will spend much time picking lint out of all the cracks and crevices.

Good luck with it!

Bill

[John Hart]

Dale...when I see pieces from other people that I find to be "pleasing", they are usually right around 1/4" thick. I get a kick out of trying to go for "thin" because it challenges me...and I lead a dull boring life that needs excitement and danger. Oh...and I don't recommend the Bealle system.;) Not only am I not an expert or a pinhead...I've also never used the Bealle system...so it'd be kinda stupid for me to recommend it. I've used Scotchbrite buffing pads on tile floors though. I don't recommend those either.:)

[Mike Vickery]

What ever you want is fine I have turned stuff a little bellow 1/8th and some stuff 5/8ths it depends on the look and feal you are going for. In general I go for somewhere between 1/4 and 3/8ths for the size range you mentioned.
As a note I am a little backwards when I do want to turn something real thin I usually do it on an 8" to 10" inch piece. Anything smaller and their is not enough weight to the piece for my taste. I am not good enough to do it on anything larger.

[Gordon Seto]

Dale,
It depends where you take your bowls to.
If you take them to the show & tell table at the club meeting, those woodturners have different standards. They "look" at your bowls with fingers and feel how light they weigh. And immediate flip them over to look at the bare bottoms. Don't bring your new girl friend there, you don't want her to be surprised if some guys can't shake that bad habbit at the meeting.
For the non woodturners, they have different standards. They link thin and light weight to filmsy, non-durable.
You can never please them all.

Gordon

[Bill Grumbine]

For the non woodturners, they have different standards. They link thin and light weight to filmsy, non-durable.
You can never please them all.

Gordon

Ain't that the truth! I prefer to turn for those who are buying my stuff rather than those who are looking for every flaw that (might) be there! :cool: Actually, I do a mix of stuff because there are those who like skinny and those who like fat, and I can never predict who they will be.

Bill

[Dale Gregory]

Thanks all for the input. Looks like 1/4-3/8" for most stuff in the 6-12" diameter range would be good, but I now have also learned that the "pinheads" (couldn't resist) will like "paper thin, highly buffed, and mistake free pieces" (18 year old girls or trophy wifes would also fit this description) but we all know that isn't the norm. The first piece I turned for my wife wasn't sanded properly nor highly buffed, but she thought it was beautiful! Makes sense to me that the most picky critics will be our mentors and fellow turners.....they understand the hobby and see all the flaws.

Thanks again!

Dale

[Bob Hallowell]

Dale,
I think you are wrong the most picky thoughest to please person will be yourself. If you can be happy with a peice i think you will find everyone will be too!!

[George Tokarev]

You're single, Bob? I find the most difficult to please is SWMBO. She and I don't share the same values. I'll give a look for a picture of one that I got the better of her on, though. She said stinko and suggested the stove, but I liked it, and put it out next show, where it sold within ten minutes. Sweet to collect on a wager like that, and no, I did not bribe the woman, as the wife contends.

Truth be known, it's galleries that buy the most butt-ugly things. When someone comes over to you with a half dozen or more pieces of the strangest sort, you don't even have to look for the name on the check.

If I don't like it, it never leaves the basement.

[Dale Gregory]

Dale,
I think you are wrong the most picky thoughest to please person will be yourself. If you can be happy with a peice i think you will find everyone will be too!!

Come to think of it, you may be right! I probably am my toughest critic. But then again, being a newby, I might not pickup all the mistakes or flaws as a veteran might. Always best when starting out to have a mentor or folks here at the SawMill shed some light on early pieces.