Waterfall Oak Bowl

Here is an oak bowl I made from a nice slab of Waterfall Oak. it's about 4" high and 10" wide. I especially like the wide brim I put on it - that coupled with a small bowl cut-out makes it unique. Oak can be hard on the tools, but I find if you have a sharp edge and approach all cuts lightly, it's not bad. 

One of the positives of this oak - it sands super smooth and really shows off the grain. It's characterized by a strong grain, but in between there is a lot of personality - lighter shade of tiger type striping, darker patches, etc..   Plus, when you are holding this bowl, you can feel the weight and sense the density.  I think it's a great wood for making gifts for men.  Anyway, enjoy!

New Turned Bowls

First, a new turned very natural bowl.  I turned this from a small log, cut from my backyard.  It's actually a thick branch from a Black Walnut tree.  I chose a section which highlights an offshoot branch, plus some fantastic grain patterns.  The very cool thing about this piece - if you rotate the piece, especially under a good light, you'll see tremendous variations in the grain.  Sometimes it appears quite plain, and others (like here), the grain pops in ways you didn't know existed.  This was very evident as I was applying a coat of tung oil, while it was still attached to my chuck andmounted on the lathe.  As I spun it, I was surprised to see the variations.

This second bowl is an experiment I tried matching two different types of wood - The first is a fallen tree from the backyard, not sure of the species. Top and bottom layers are walnut, purchased from a local woodworking store. I turned the interior, then cut a groove in the top, cut a disk a bit larger and form a corresponding tongue to fit snugly. Once that was done, I Gorilla Glued them together and finished the rim. Basically did the same for a little pedestal on the bottom. The contrast in woods make a striking accent.

Turned Vessel from Spalted Box Elder Maple

Here is a vessel I turned recently from a very interesting piece of spalted Box Elder Maple. This tree fell in my back yard - probably 18 months ago and had started to deteriorate.

As certain types of woods break down, fungus and insects can cause some of the coolest designs - dramatically different shades of wood color, dark lines, worm holes, all kinds of characteristics which make my wood projects unique, and special.

Here is a small vessel I turned from a 12 inch log, split in half. I simply started the roughing out in the shape of a bowl, but left the top rounded. I hollowed out the inside using a small spindle gauge - go very slowly, so that you can identify the desired chisel position, while avoiding catches. I found it helpful to position the gauge inside the vessel, while it was stopped, so I knew position, angle, etc. Then I backed the gauge out slightly, started the lathe, and moved in lightly to cut.

Here is the final result:

New Turned Wood Art

Not posted in a while - but I've definitely been busy turning wood projects on my lathe. I've graduated to some finely turned bowls of mahogany, cocobolo, waterfall oak, burled oak and box elder maple. The latter two types came from my back yard. The first three were graciously supplied by my friend Ronno Cooke in NC. (See Ronno's work here: http://www.ronnocooke.com/). Always keep an eye out for great raw wood samples to turn: Your own yard or nearby woods; cut timber, trees or yard waste; make friends with fellow woodworkers and share smoe wood,; even turn great wood from old or ugly furniture pieces!

One recomendation - I purchased a David Ellsworth Pro-PM Gauge made by Crown Tools. It's expensive (Retail is about $125.00) but I was fortunate to pick mine up at a yearly sale at a local woodworker's shop. The quality, design, and feel of this tool blows all of my other (inferior) lathe tools out of the water! It is very solid, stays sharp much longer than my HSS tools, and it cuts incredibly well, especially on bowls. One of my ongoing goals is to expand my collection of tools - I'm searching flea markets, garage sales, and looking online at eBay and Craigs List. It pays to shop around - know quality tool brands and characteristics - and pick them up when you come across them.

I was at a flea market last week - and found a Pro Craftsman bowl gauge - complete with a waxed tip. I picked it up for $5. Brought it home and looked it up - I found the model in a 1966 Sears Catalog someone scanned online - it's from the year I was born! Back then, it cost $3.5. Best of all - the toll has never been used - it probably sat on someone workbench or at the bottom of their tool box, for 40+ years, until it fell in my waiting hands.

Here are a few projects I've completed:

A small bowl turned from mahogony:and from the side:The end result is a super smooth bowl, about 5 inches in diameter. I finished it with Tung Oil only - which really seems to bring out the depth in the mahogony grain. I've learned to use your tools to achieve a pleasing contour to the bowl, and to achieve as smooth a finish as possible. The inner contours should flow evenly from the center, through the outer edge. The surface should be flat and smooth, so that when sanding, there are no grooves, rough spots, raised grain, etc. Start with rougher grades and progressively smooth to finer grades (I end with about 400 grit).

New Wood Boxes - Black Walnut

Here are a few boxes I turned, using Black Walnut branches hanging over my roof. I can't recommend enough the virtues of using wood for your immediate area! I've made probably 30-35 pieces now, and almost all are made from wood I'v cut on my own property. I live on 1/2 acre in North Carolina - just enough to keep me stocked.

Cut a branch in your yard - save the larger pieces in your garage or shed - let them dry out and you'll have some great stock to work on. I recently went to a woodworker's show here in town and I was shocked at how much some of the wood blanks cost - $30-$35 for a relatively small block of wood!!

Keep your eyes open for neighbor's throwing out wood (old furniture, yard waste) and don't be afraid to stock up.

These boxes were relatively easy, although I did have some rough spots. Clearing the inside bent up a small spindle tool pretty good, when it caught on the wood not once but three times. I still haven't got it quite figured out, but, I completed them!

Like I said - Black Walnut from a branch, finished with sandpaper, tung oil and beeswax. Nice enough to give as gifts for my mother and mother in law!

My First Bowl

amazonHere is a shot of the first bowl carved on my lathe. I should clarify - this is the first bowl I actually completed. I had more than one piece fly off the chuck and break - one hit the floor, the other broke on a rafter above my head. So please - wear your safety gear - a full face shield really helps.


First, here is the bowl:

It's relatively small and simple in design. However, it's cut from a piece of box elder which fell in my backyard and is riddled with worm holes and truly unique characteristics. I absolutely love the gnarled wood, which brings nature completely into the piece. This is about artwork, right?

I definitely had a learning curve figuring out how to initially mount the blank, and then remount on the opposite side to somplete it. I tried several methods I learned in the books, but none helped me make it to the end

I ended up buying a Barracuda chuck from PSI (off Amazon). It REALLY makes chucking a partially finished piece very easy. I really couldn't do it before I bought it. It's a pretty solid tool and well worth the money.

New Wood Turnings

Here are a few new projects completed on my wood lathe. Primarily concentrated on spindle turning, or turning between centers. As a beginner, this seems a safer, easier way to get the feel for the various turning tools.
These two are basically pieces of art work, meaning I created them for the thrill of doing so, and solely to enjoy. They were fun to create, and I love the feel and color of the wood itself. I saw a picture in Richard Raffan's Turning Wood book, of three turnings inspired by Irish and Middle Eastern Towers. These were inspired by that photo. They were created from a seasoned limb from a Black Walnut tree in our yard. The branch hung over our roof, and had to go.....straight to my garage! Now it sits in my living room!

Here is another shot of two small pieces turned from a burled oak from my backyard:

I thought they might make pretty neat Christmas ornaments. I will say, if you can get your hands on burled and weathered wood, you'll be amazed at the colors, grain and overall look. I'm attracted to the more gnarled pieces and enjoy creating unique pieces.