Stupid question

[ngeb528]

I haven't done any bowl turning (except for the one on my lathe at the moment).

When I selected the piece of red oak, it looked really nice - lots of spalting, some dark center wood, lots of interesting colorations. It's not as impressive now that I've turned it most of the way.

My stupid question is this:

What is the "proper" orientation for turning a bowl? Center of the tree as the base, outside edge (towards the bark), end grain?

Is there a right & wrong part to choose as the base of a bowl?

Is this making any sense, at all?

 

[hewunch]

Proper orientation is into the face grain, not the end grain (end grain is what you have described). End grain is used mostly on vessels or Hollow Form.

 

[ngeb528]

So the end grain should be the sides of the bowl? Am I understanding that correctly?

 

[hewunch]

yep, you are understanding me.

 

[JimB]

I don't know if there is a 'proper' way to do it but the way I was shown, and the way I have turned about 20 bowls is this.

I start with a log. Split it in half down the center (like you would for firewood but only one time). Mount it with the flat center to the headstock and the bark to the tailstock. The bark side becomes the bottom of the bowl and that gets turned first. Then take it off and mount it the other way and hollow out the inside. There are several ways to re-mount it.

Remember, just like a pen, many of the features of the grain will not 'pop' until you put on your finish.

 

[its_virgil]

It really depends on how you want the bowl to look. Cutting blanks different with different orientations will make the finished turning have different looks. This will help with one way to cut a bowl blank so you are cutting mostly side grain as suggested.
http://www.woodenbowlshop.com/making-bowls

Do some internet searching. There is tons of info on preparing blanks for all types of vessels.

Do a good turn daily!
Don

So the end grain should be the sides of the bowl? Am I understanding that correctly?

 

[its_virgil]

This may help also.

Do a good turn daily!
Don[/quote]

 

[KenV]

I know how you feel -- sometimes you are so so sure you have it and it all turns away.

It is generally easier turning to use flat grain, but angled grain and end grain turning into bowl shapes is certainly permissibile and often desirable. The techniques get a bit more challenging -- but that is why we practice and try things.

But even as less figured and fancy outcome is still an opportunity to work on smooth form, good technique, even thickness, and good finishes. If you can get all that to work, even plain grain woods become works of art. -- Take a look at some of the work that Bill Luce (from Seattle) does -- he makes the every day wood into something spectacular.

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Most (not all) people in the USA will turn a bowl side grain. (grain runs 90° to the ways)

Most bowls turned in Japan for the last few centuries have been turned end grain. (grain runs parallel to the ways)

Starting out I would suggest turning side grain bowls and after you get a few under your belt then try end grain.

 

[fiferb]

This may help also.

Do a good turn daily!
Don

[/quote]

Great explanation in this PDF Don. I think I'll print it out as a handout for my local woodworking club. The program next Saturday is turning bowls. Thanks!

 

[its_virgil]

It's not mine, Bruce. I found it somewhere and thought the same as you. I use it a lot.
Do a good turn daily!
Don


Great explanation in this PDF Don. I think I'll print it out as a handout for my local woodworking club. The program next Saturday is turning bowls. Thanks![/quote]

 

[markgum]

THANKS. this is awesome. I too will share it with my local wood turners group.

This may help also.

Do a good turn daily!
Don

[/quote]

 

[ngeb528]

Thanks for all the great advice. I really like the pdf and the link to woodenbowlshop.com. Very interesting.

Hopefully, my next try will come out looking like wood instead of a weird science project gone haywire.

 

[Glenn McCullough]

Don,
Thanks for posting these reminders, good stuff. I looked them over and saved them for our newsletter.

This may help also.

Do a good turn daily!
Don

[/QUOTE]

 

[TellicoTurning]

You've already gotten a lot of good advice and all of it true.... when I start a bowl, I usually will turn it "side grain" simply because it's easier, but as for where the bottom falls will depend on how I see the wood... come times I'll flatten the bark side enough to get my little face plate on the bark side, then set the bottom near the center of the log, sometimes I go the other way... On a natural edge bowl, you would usually make the bark side of the blank the top.
I did a red oak recently that had sap wood about 1 1/2 inch thick and beginning to spalt some, but the heart wood was solid... I oriented the bowl so the sap wood "wraped" up on two sides of the bowl...
I think what I'm trying to say is it ain't wrong if it works and comes out the way you want it to.