log to bowl, 1st attempt.

[endacoz]

A year and a half ago my neighbors had to have some trees cut down as the city came in and flaged them. I'm not sure if they're Ash or Elm. The home owner owner didn't know.

anyway I salvaged some of it and have had it sitting outside since then. This summer I cut up this one branch into this piece in the picture. I just scraped the bark off as I will be running it through my bandsaw to get a decent circle and I figured I would save myself by getting rid of the dirt in the bark. I'm going to try to get that branch portion to be the bottom of the bowl as I hoped it would be some pretty grain.

thoughts comments? Suggestions to someone who is cutting up their first log into a bowl blank probably only a five and a half inch circle.

I have turned a a few bowls, from round blanks given to me by my wood supplier. So I'm not entirely new to bowl making. I have the one way Talon chuck and expect to use the wormwood screw on it to start.

 

[Bob Wemm]

I would draw as big as possible circle in the Fork section of that piece. Then cut off the two branch bits and the remnants of the main trunk. If you have access to a bandsaw I would cut it as round as possible so that you finish up with a round blank with one flat side. Either a face plate or wormwood screw into the flat edge, turn a tenon on the rough side and then remount it into your chuck.
Good luck.
Don't forget to show us the finished piece.
Hope this helps.
Bob.

 

[Cwalker935]

What Bob said with a couple of additional comments. I've attached your photo with a representation Bob's ciricle drawn on it. If you are doing a typical bowl (not natural edge), I suggest that you cut a flat spot parallel to the flat side of the log for your mounting plate. This will allow you to maximize the size of bowl. I cannot tell from your pictures, but you may end up with heartwood (where the limbs branch off) in the sides of you bowl. Depending on the wood, you might get some radial cracking there. Those cracks will add character to a decorative piece but may make it unusable as a utility piece.

 

[Cwalker935]

I should add that the flat spot that I talked about would be on the bark side of the log. You would not have to worry about the flat spot for a natural edge bowl.

 

[Ed McDonnell]

One addition to the good advice above. When using the screw on the talon to hold work, bring up the tailstock to support it while you turn your tenon. Don't rely on just the screw. Especially if the piece isn't dead flat on the side facing the chuck. The screw holds pretty well, but the tailstock will make the whole operation a lot more oops proof.

Ed

 

[alankulwicki7]

I agree with the above comments. The crotch will give you the best figure.

When I turn bowls, I start with a flat surface (like the inside of the crotch) and mount a face plate. Then I turn the outside of the bowl and leave either a tenon (most often) or a mortise. Then I flip the blank around and turn the inside of the bowl. Lastly, I will use a donut chuck and turn the tenon off and sand the bottom of the bowl.

And be sure tho use the tailstock whenever possible....