A few non-pen turnings

[its_virgil]

7 inch diameter mesquite sphere; ambrosia maple bowl about 9.25 inches across and 3 inches deep; cottonwood bowl about 8 inches across and 4.5 inches deep. I thought I had photos of the two bowls off the lathe but I guess not. They are not gone so these are the only pictures.:frown:
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[juteck]

Nice bowls, and I like the sphere. 7" is big! I've done 1-1/2" up to 3" in several wood types. I find it easy for me to display smaller ones loosely in a bowl. One at 7" demands a display of its own! Nice job!

I love the ambrosia maple! Great staining in that one.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

 

[SDB777]

Are you using a jig to make those sphere shapes, or are you free handing them? Cause that is some crazy actual rounding there!!!



Cool bowls too!!!








Scott (can't cut a square right...circle, no way for me) B

 

[its_virgil]

Thanks Scott. No jig but I did use a special caliper to help lay out the sphere. Other wise the cutting was done free hand. The caliper is one from Soren Berger that I found on a closeout sale somewhere. Here is a link to a youtube video of Soren using the caliper.
Soren Berger Sphere Calipers - YouTube

Lots of fine tuning is done after the initial turning. I've made them from 2" up and this is my largest so far. Son't know what I will do with it but had fun.


Thanks also jutek. I too have a few bowls with smaller spheres in them. They are fun to make and a good way to use smaller pieces of wood.

Do a good turn daily!
Don

Are you using a jig to make those sphere shapes, or are you free handing them? Cause that is some crazy actual rounding there!!!
Cool bowls too!!!
Scott (can't cut a square right...circle, no way for me) B

 

[seamus7227]

Are you using a jig to make those sphere shapes, or are you free handing them? Cause that is some crazy actual rounding there!!!

....should've seen it in person! Don came over to the house and that thing had some weight to it. Not only that, he took a cup and did the roundness check on it, I have no clue how he got it that flawless! :tongue:

 

[Jim Burr]

Great bowls Don!! I did some coring last weekend 15" to 7"...my first 3 bowl core! I really like the finish on the ambrosia. How bad did that cotton wood smell?

 

[its_virgil]

Seamus wanted to drill finger holes in it and take to the bowling alley!:biggrin:
Don

Are you using a jig to make those sphere shapes, or are you free handing them? Cause that is some crazy actual rounding there!!!

....should've seen it in person! Don came over to the house and that thing had some weight to it. Not only that, he took a cup and did the roundness check on it, I have no clue how he got it that flawless! :tongue:

 

[its_virgil]

Thanks Jim. The cottonwood had quite the fowl odor. Plus, it had been standing dead since last summer and along with still being wet and smelling like cottonwood, it had an extra odor from souring or spoiling and had some spalting. A soft wood and rather stringy on the end grain places. When the blanks are gone I don't think I will be quick to use this wood again.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Great bowls Don!! I did some coring last weekend 15" to 7"...my first 3 bowl core! I really like the finish on the ambrosia. How bad did that cotton wood smell?

 

[bitshird]

Don where did you find those calipers? His web site is under construction. By the way the sphere is beautiful, and I still like the Cottonwood, it does stink to high heaven but it can make some nice bowls.

 

[its_virgil]

Don where did you find those calipers? His web site is under construction. By the way the sphere is beautiful, and I still like the Cottonwood, it does stink to high heaven but it can make some nice bowls.

Ken,
The calipers came from Craft Supplies. I got them at their open house super Wednesday sale prior to the Utah symposium a few years ago.
Don

PS:you may find this interesting: http://www.frontrangewoodturners.org/newsletters/frw2008_07.pdf
Look down below the article on Berger using the caliper in a demo.

 

[Bob Wemm]

Don, excellent work there, I love the sphere and of course the bowls.
You guys have some beautiful wood over there, it's not fair.
Bob.

 

[its_virgil]

Thanks Bob, but I have some pen blanks from some of your Austalian burls that are very nice. I'm having fun with the spheres. I have a couple more that I'll post when completed.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Don, excellent work there, I love the sphere and of course the bowls.
You guys have some beautiful wood over there, it's not fair.
Bob.