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Thread: Advice on how to proceed with this bowl? PICS

  1. #1

    Advice on how to proceed with this bowl? PICS

    This is my first attempt at turning a not so simple bowl, at least for me. Any ideas on how to proceed. I believe the wood is Mesquite.
    Odd bowl 001.jpgOdd bowl 002.jpgOdd bowl 003.jpg

  2. #2
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    Looks definitely to be Mesquite with the sapwood and worm holes. I would like to see a curve to a smaller base at the bottom and that can still be done as chucked or when removing the tenon after final hollowing out inside if inside curve is retained. The wall should be carefully turn thinner watching for the area around the worm holes. I would turn to about 1/4 to 3/8" wall going a little thicker if this is your first. Work the wall thickness down in 1" or so increments and DO NOT TRY TO GO BACK TO TURN THIN WALL after walls are turned thin. Mesquite is very stable with little shrinkage. The top edge has a cut section removing some of the natural edge. I suggest blending the curve and possibly torch the edge to get a "burnt rim" look being careful with the torch. Looks like a vacuum chuck can be used to remove the tenon or the old reliable jam chuck and live center method. Good start with natural edge bowl.

  3. #3
    Steve without knowing your skill level I will only give you a few ideas. It looks to be a smaller bowl and it appears you have cut the high side of the rim on one side. So I would jamb chuck the bowl since you have defined the bottom with the tenon. Finish turn the exterior up to the point of the base. Round it into the tenon more for a cleaner shape. Then put it back into the chuck t o finish the interior. Make sure the wall thickness is close to the same on the high points and the low point for visual affect. I would leave it a bit thicker since you have a cut on one of the high point sides - I will explain. Continue making cuts on the high side of the rim until both high sides have a flat cut on the surface. Then put a decorative bead or cove or line with a point tool just for interest. They've the low sides natural. The key will be an even wall thickness (or very close) so visually it has an appealing visual affect. Sand the interior and then jamb chuck and finish the foot. You have to finish the exterior first so you can achieve an even wall thickness and get a proper shape. The shoulder you have for your chuck is to wide for the size of bowl you have which will really throw the look of the bowl off. Round the shape into the chuck jaws and then you can either use the shoulder area as the foot or once jamb chucked road the shoulder area in more and use the tenon as the foot. Your choice what to use as the foot but rounding the outside into it will give it a better appearance. Just one idea.

  4. #4
    Here's my progress so far ...

    The outside of the bowl was turned down as close to the base as possible. I was limited to the shape because the lip was already about 3/8" thick. The inside was then turned to a uniform wall thickness, which made the lower lips consistent. It ended up not being as hard as expected. My experience is limited having turned about 10 bowls with only 5 or so of them finished. That's why the thickness was kept to what was suggested. And yes, the bowl is small at about 6".

    I don't quite understand torching the upper rim. Is it to give a brown color matching the live edge or something darker like black for contrast? Also, I'm a little reluctant to put some detail on the high rim because some of it is soft sapwood. Does that make a difference?

    I'm not sure what to do about the worm holes. Should I leave them alone or fill them with turquoise/epoxy or something, which I've been wanting to try? The holes are partially filled with soft material almost like sawdust.

    Odd bowl 2 001.jpgOdd bowl 2 002.jpg
    Last edited by Steve Mathews; 11-26-2018 at 5:39 PM.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Mathews View Post
    I'm not sure what to do about the worm holes. Should I leave them alone or fill them with turquoise/epoxy, which I've been wanting to try? The holes are partially filled with soft material almost like sawdust.
    I worked on a lathe once about 40 years ago so I got nothin for you there. But I think the worm holes add character to it. Me personally, I would not want to see a color there. Just my 2 cents.
    Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.

  6. #6
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    Another thought on the worm holes would be to squirt/soak them with some CA adhesive to harden them. Spray on a sanding sealer like shellac first so that the CA doesn't discolor the wood and look funny.

    A friend of mine was turning a piece with a worm hole. He shot some compressed air into the hole and...."splat" the worm hit the wall.

  7. #7
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    The light material in the worm holes is worm castings and should be removed after sanding if still there if not "hardened" with CA as above. The holes look to go all the way through the wood and filling would be a challenge for the first time. I usually will leave the holes as decorations by nature.

    Using a torch will give a scorched look to all of the rim and help blend in any contour you add to eliminate the flat cut look. I have had the best luck by using a small flame held almost steady and hand rotating the piece past the flame to concentrate the flame on the rim surface and not the side walls. Brushing with a soft brass bristle brush will remove some of the black as well as light sanding with 320 grit paper.

  8. #8
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    A different thought on the edge of the bowl from another relatively new guy. I've gotten very nice results shaping the edges of live edge bowls that lost bark by contouring them manually. I've used chisels, carving gouges, and just plain sandpaper to shape it to a curve that either exaggerates or emulates the grain patterns. It leaves a rim about the same color as the rest of the wood but you have good control of the shape/ contour and can increase or decrease the amount of curve left on the edge. It's turned what started as an annoyance from losing the bark into an enjoyable artistic process on some bowls. Just an idea for something to try.

    Jon

  9. #9
    More progress pics ...

    I tried torching the high rims but didn't like the contrasting black. So, while sanding it off the wood turned a brown color almost matching the adjacent natural edges. It seems to go together better. I'm almost tempted to leave it alone unless some fresh ideas are offered. I thought about putting a bead or some details on the high rim as suggested earlier but I don't feel comfortable or have a clue how to do it.

    After finding a worm in the wood I decided to clean out all of the worm holes. Now what to do with the holes? Should I fill them in leave them alone?

    Mesquite Bowls 005.jpgMesquite Bowls 006.jpg

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Mathews View Post
    After finding a worm in the wood I decided to clean out all of the worm holes. Now what to do with the holes? Should I fill them in leave them alone?
    As usual, opinions differ. (That's a good thing - if we all liked the same thing wouldn't life be boring!)

    I clean frass (and worms) out worm holes if needed and leave them in the piece. I'd far prefer to see the natural holes than the unnatural fill with something, especially something like brass or crushed stone.

    handmirrors_two.jpg crop_xxx_2015_IMG_4737.jpg

    JKJ

  11. #11
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    I almost always use a modified Danish oil blend wipe on/off finish and that will coat the worm holes and paper towel will remove excess. I also buff before/during coats/and after final coat without any problem with the holes. The worm holes in the Mesquite are a lot larger than what John shows with his pieces, but seem to go well with rustic Mesquite pieces.

  12. #12
    . . late for the train. The turned portion of the rim looks out of place beside the natural edge. I would hand sand the rim all around to make it more uniform. Worm holes are fine for me, although a fast turning worm hole can catch sandpaper, etc.

  13. #13
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    Not sure if anyone has addressed the bottom of the bowl. I'll assume you don't have a vacuum chuck..
    Once you get the top where you want it, for bowls like this I have some waste pieces I have tapped for the head stock, or you can screw to a face plate. Turn them to fit inside the bow, I try and match the flat face of the waste piece to the bottom of the bowl. I cover them both with blue painters tape. Then use hot melt glue to hold them together. You can get various adapters to center the chuck in the tail stock. It doesn't take much hotmelt glue to hold them together. Then you can remove the chuck and finish the bottom. Use a twisting/prying motion to get them apart when you are finished. Works great for irregular shaped bowls.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wes Henson View Post
    Not sure if anyone has addressed the bottom of the bowl. I'll assume you don't have a vacuum chuck..
    Once you get the top where you want it, for bowls like this I have some waste pieces I have tapped for the head stock, or you can screw to a face plate. Turn them to fit inside the bow, I try and match the flat face of the waste piece to the bottom of the bowl. I cover them both with blue painters tape. Then use hot melt glue to hold them together. You can get various adapters to center the chuck in the tail stock. It doesn't take much hotmelt glue to hold them together. Then you can remove the chuck and finish the bottom. Use a twisting/prying motion to get them apart when you are finished. Works great for irregular shaped bowls.
    Wes - Your approach to using the blue painters tape and hot glue are the first time I have seen that method. I can see how you could get a "solid" bond but I would be suspect of the tape if there was any unbalance to piece and you did not have a pressure from a live center in tailstock. Seems there is always another way to do things.

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