California Bay Laurel #2

[kludge77]

This is bowl #4 for me and the first one with NO CATCHES.

I took this as proof that I had turned it, in case my luck didn't hold and I dropped it on the way to it's oil bath.

It measures 7 3/4 wide x 2 1/2 high

C&C alway welcome and needed. I would like to get better at this. Thanks. I've got a dried chunk of walnut waiting for me this weekend...

 

[GoodTurns]

very pretty bowl. did you do anything to stabilize the crack/knot areas?

 

[rkimery]

Nice chunk of wood Pete. Same question as Jon, how might you keep the knot from dropping out or cracking along the grain there? I am a self taught pen turner and I really want to get into bowl turning myself!

Great job with this and good luck with the Walnut bowl piece. Sharpen those gouges first, and just take your time....

 

[kludge77]

Thanks!

The piece is actually very stable. It had a few cracks from drying too fast but I filled with CA and it turned nicely.

My main issues with bowls in the inside curve. Once I get that everything else is much simpler. I'm still rubbish with the bowl gouge and all the hollowing on this one was done with a scraper. I'm starting to enjoy scraping. Still I'll try the gouge on the next piece.

 

[rkimery]

I use a large gouge, a Spindle Master (really sort of a scraper and nearly a skew!) and a round scraper on all of my pens. I like scraping too.

I've been tring to figure out a freaking skew for over two year now. Everybody swears about them. (I swear at mine!) First I bought a cheap off brand skew one to start out if I damaged the tool, no money lost, right? No luck. Much damage; lost wood blanks, then acrylic and a pen mandrel rod before I quit. Still thinking since everybody like them, maybe it's just because it was a cheap tool(?). (IT couldn't be me!) Then at a woodworking show a year and a half ago I purchased a nice Robert Sorby Skew. I call it the destroyer of woods. It nearly cut my pen making carrier short. I placed it in the tool chest over a year ago and it still resides there, with dust. If I was still using it I know I'd be out of pen making. It's a very flustrating tool! I have no problem with a Spindle Master and I cannot come close with a skew? Maybe one day... Sorry that was a story outside this post. Forgive.

I forgot what type of oil used? Is this bowl going to be used for food or display?

 

[kludge77]

I totally get what you mean.

I got some good advice two years ago. If you have trouble with a tool in your arsenal, don't give up on it. He said that he made himself use ONLY that tool for a full month. I did this for two weeks with the skew. I destroyed so many blanks. but as I progressed it became easier. I'm still no expert but I'm much more comfortable with it.

I've been trying that with the bowl gouge, but it was getting expensive. A pen blank costs a buck or so. A bowl blank considerable more. I still need to try again. one of these days, it's going to click!

The finish is just three coats of Danish Oil. I'll probably add a few more. As for it's use. I have no idea. I'll let the wife decide.

 

[bensoelberg]

I use a large gouge, a Spindle Master (really sort of a scraper and nearly a skew!) and a round scraper on all of my pens. I like scraping too.

I've been tring to figure out a freaking skew for over two year now. Everybody swears about them. (I swear at mine!) First I bought a cheap off brand skew one to start out if I damaged the tool, no money lost, right? No luck. Much damage; lost wood blanks, then acrylic and a pen mandrel rod before I quit. Still thinking since everybody like them, maybe it's just because it was a cheap tool(?). (IT couldn't be me!) Then at a woodworking show a year and a half ago I purchased a nice Robert Sorby Skew. I call it the destroyer of woods. It nearly cut my pen making carrier short. I placed it in the tool chest over a year ago and it still resides there, with dust. If I was still using it I know I'd be out of pen making. It's a very flustrating tool! I have no problem with a Spindle Master and I cannot come close with a skew? Maybe one day... Sorry that was a story outside this post. Forgive.

I forgot what type of oil used? Is this bowl going to be used for food or display?

If you can, find a copy of Alan Lacer's video "The Skew Chisel." He goes through some exercises that will help you figure this tool out. He also recommends practicing with cut up 2 x 4 lumber. That should help keep the cost down.

 

[holmqer]

Beautiful form and execution.

Once you get comfortable with the bowl gouge, making bowls gets a lot easier.

Try to get your paws on any old 8" - 10" logs and make your own bowl blanks! A good way to practice using a bowl gouge. Another cheap bowl blank is to laminate 6 8" long pieces of 2x4 construction studs. You can make a bowl blank for 1$ to practice on that way. They won't look as pretty as this, but the cheap practice is helpful.

 

[wb7whi]

I use a large gouge, a Spindle Master (really sort of a scraper and nearly a skew!) and a round scraper on all of my pens. I like scraping too.

I've been tring to figure out a freaking skew for over two year now. Everybody swears about them. (I swear at mine!) First I bought a cheap off brand skew one to start out if I damaged the tool, no money lost, right? No luck. Much damage; lost wood blanks, then acrylic and a pen mandrel rod before I quit. Still thinking since everybody like them, maybe it's just because it was a cheap tool(?). (IT couldn't be me!) Then at a woodworking show a year and a half ago I purchased a nice Robert Sorby Skew. I call it the destroyer of woods. It nearly cut my pen making carrier short. I placed it in the tool chest over a year ago and it still resides there, with dust. If I was still using it I know I'd be out of pen making. It's a very flustrating tool! I have no problem with a Spindle Master and I cannot come close with a skew? Maybe one day... Sorry that was a story outside this post. Forgive.

I forgot what type of oil used? Is this bowl going to be used for food or display?

I too had a problem with the skew. Thought it was sharp...it wasn't. No problems now.

Wayne