Another bowl.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

I was asked by my older sister for some nice wooden salad bowls. So I made several just like this out of Sapele. You know I think this was the sapele one. I also bought some Makore wood at the time and this might be makore. Ah well. Anyway. I went for just some nice clean lines in a wide flat bowl. Came out nice and clean and the best part? She loved the set.

Any comments? What could be done in the future to spice up a simple utilitarian bowl like this one? Or is it even worth it to try?

Thanks,
Joshua

[Steve Schlumpf]

Interesting bowl Joshua - no matter which wood it was turned out of! Glad your sister loved the set - can't ask for higher praise than that!

About the only thing I can suggest to 'spice up' simple bowls is to play around with various curves. Then once you find a few styles that you really like - then you can dye it, pierce it, carve it, inlay - the list continues to grow! The main thing is to have fun with it!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Joshua that is a good looking salad bowl. What kind of finish did you use on them? I made a set of mahogany salad bowls for my son and DIL. I use general finishes Seal-A-Cell and followed by Arm-R-Seal. 1 1/2 yrs and they are still looking good. They use them at least once or twice a week.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Joshua that is a good looking salad bowl. What kind of finish did you use on them? I made a set of mahogany salad bowls for my son and DIL. I use general finishes Seal-A-Cell and followed by Arm-R-Seal. 1 1/2 yrs and they are still looking good. They use them at least once or twice a week.

Oh interesting. I haven't heard of those 2 sealants. I just used walnut oil after doing a google search for food safe finishes.

What I read said to avoid common cooking oils as they can go rancid and instead to use a nut oil. But it would have to be re-applied with some regularity.

I like the idea of switching to something where that isn't the case. Where did you find the 2 you mention? Are they are commonly available or an online purchase?

Thanks,
Joshua

p.s. Ah... Woodcraft it is. NICE! They are very local.

[Mike Minto]

Josh, what size are the bowls, just for comparison to some I recently made of mahogany. Thanks, Mike

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Josh, what size are the bowls, just for comparison to some I recently made of mahogany. Thanks, Mike

These are 8 inches in diameter and 2" in depth. The pictures don't do the grain and color of the work justice. I need to figure out first how to turn like Mike Fuson and then second how to take photos of them with the same level of skill.

I have done a few Mahogany that were 9.5" across and 4" deep. Those were fun! They were Christmas presents this last year. (When the wood was listed as Sipo mahogany so it was at least close I guess....)

How large where the ones you turned?

Joshua

[Mike Minto]

My bowls were only about 6 1/2 inches wide by 1 1/2 inches tall; might be a tad small but haven't had the opportunity to use them yet - have been waiting for the 'salad bowl finish' to cure fully. I'll be trying other varnishes for food contact in the future, now that I've read a little more about finishes and their true nature. Gotta watch that advertising, there's more truth out there than meets the eye initially. Mike

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Nice looking bowl Joshua!

When I turn something similar and the wood is bland to my eyes, I'll often cut a small "V" groove near the top of the rim. I have a piece of a guitar string tied between two pieces of dowel. I'll use the string to friction the "V" and burn it. Then do the sanding of the bowl. The "V" groove is now black and adds a highlight to a piece of bland wood. I generally don't do that to a piece of wood that has a lot going on in it. The V could detract from the beauty of the wood and it could get lost if the wood is really active.

[Wes Henson]

Good looking bowl. Maybe a band of chatter along the outside? Maybe contained within two burned bands? I'd leave the iniside smooth as they are meant to be used. Or leave the top rim extra thick and curve the outer edge so it has a little bead along it.
- a few thoughts

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Hummm... Excellent ideas. I have not tried burning anything yet. I will have to give it a whirl. I don't have a chatter tool but I have seen them. I will have to try that out as well sometime soon.

Thanks for the great ideas.

Joshua