small bowl

[Rod Gilbert]

Haven't been able to get on the lathe a lot lately here is a small bowl (Blackwood/Acasia) from some pieces I got from MM recently.
This was a very thin slice of the outside of the tree with the thick bark still on it was only 60mm thick the finished size of the bowl is 190 x 45mm still got a small amount of sapwood in the outside of the base.
Regards Rod

[smiife]

Hi rod,

Looks like a nice bowl, the first two photos are ok!
but the next ones are a bit hard to view, out of focus
I think,, nice little bowl though i like the contrasting
colours, well done:2tsup:

[Bluegum]

Looks good there Rod, I like it.

[Tangoman]

Rod,
That's a very nice bowl, I particularly like the thinness and the flowing shape !!

Regards,
Cam

[Mobyturns]

Rod your bowl looks pretty special. :2tsup: I like your reverse turning jig, does the job well. Nicely fitted to the bowl rim. Interesting seeing your lathe speeds written on the headstock. 675 then 1200 rpm does not give you much choice for doing larger bowls.

[Rod Gilbert]

Thanks for the replies sorry about the photo's they are poor didn't notice till I posted as rushing out the door. Yes Mobyturns my range of speeds does limit what can be done thinking about setting up a counter shaft to reduce the gearing have done this before on a previous lathe. The bowl fitted the jam chuck well but added the tabs to make sure I didn't throw it out while finishing the bottom.
Regards Rod.

[MAPLEMAN]

Lovely work Rod...the Blackwood looks stunning mate...MM:2tsup:

[Rod Gilbert]

Cheers Chris,
I only just got rid of the bark this was one of the thinnest slices I got from you just to see what the color was like and how it turned it went quite well I think. Looking forward to getting into some more soon.
Regards Rod.

[artful bodger]

Nice work.
That Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) is sure a remarkable tree. The different climates it can handle must make it special.
It'll grow in the really cold rain forests down here in Tas and grow quite happily way north of Brisbane'
A lot of local woodworkers refuse to work with it cause they reckon it's carconogenic.
Apparently if you look under a microscope at the dust it's made up of tiny hooks. Which will lodge in your lungs and kill you for sure.
I don't have a microscope so I cant confirm that. Plus I always use a good mask.

[Rod Gilbert]

I am playing around on the lathe with some more of the timber that I picked up from MM just fiddling with shapes on some of the smaller pieces to see how they cut. This one is Forest red gum it cut very well of the chisel what do you think.

[MAPLEMAN]

I am playing around on the lathe with some more of the timber that I picked up from MM just fiddling with shapes on some of the smaller pieces to see how they cut. This one is Forest red gum it cut very well of the chisel what do you think.More nice work Rod :2tsup:...looks fine grained too...MM:2tsup:

[artful bodger]

Hi Rod.
Quote: "What do you think"
For a completely honest and brutal answer, lets call it constructive criticism. I am afraid I would give this one the thumbs down compared to the first blackwood bowl.
The reason for this is the design of the 2nd bowl. To my eyes it is chunky, does not have a relatively even wall thickness and is lacking the free flowing lines of the first one. Particularly on the inside.
On the upside when you look at the profile of the outside you do have a nice crisp transition between the top and bottom curves but to me it is unbalanced and that transition should take place much closer to the top.
Not wanting to cruicify you here mate but you did ask the question. And when someone asks that question I go back in time to the "punishing critiques" we went through while studying design at art school/uni.

[smiife]

Hi rod,
Sorry but I have to agree with A.B
It looks like there are 2 bowls,, look at the side
view and the form/shape seems to go in different
directions! Hope you don, t mind my opinion for what
it, s worth

[Rod Gilbert]

Hi Guy's,
Comments welcome I agree about the top curve coming down to far, the wall thickness is as with the previous bowl thin wall thickness parallel with the exterior of the bowl heavy undercut to the top and reverse curve to the bottom.
Regards Rod.

[ogato]

Hi Rod, Lots to like about the bowl. Helpful critique from the other guys - and my 2 bobs worth concerns the inside bottom of the bowl. My personal preference is for a nice graceful curved bottom, rather than the 'corner' and flat bottom.
Jeff

[Paul39]

Rod,

I very much like the first bowl and the fixture to finish the bottom.

I think the second bowl looks a bit heavy in the top view. I like the curve on the bottom.

[Lyle]

I will not comment on the critiques as they are just that critiques. Which is OK, because they included their reasons. That makes for improvements.

What I'd like to ask is did you design the shape or 'go with the flow' of the wood.

I have a lot of internal navel gazing when turning, whether to go with a practical or decorative/artistic shape.
I know you can blend the two, but for me it is difficult sometimes.

I like the finish on both of them.
Lyle.

[Christos]

If you asked me to choose between the two bowls I would gravitate towards the second bowl. I think the second bowl needed the bottom half to be a little shorter. It might then be giving the impression of a floating bowl.

[Rod Gilbert]

Hi Guy's,
Thank you for all the comments they are appreciated the purpose of this exercise is to play around with shapes and keep equal wall thickness with the outside profile and see what effect the different profile has on the perception of the work. I have a few more on the go at the moment I think we would all agree that the second bowl looks heavier than the first this is not the case both have equal wall thickness but don't look that way certainly not in the photo's. With the 2nd photo I agree that the top is wrong but there are 2 different ideas as to what would be a better outcome shorter or longer in the top curved section funnily they are both are right either would have looked better than what I did with it but that is the purpose of the exercise to see what looks better and why so I am sure there will be some more shapes that will be liked and some that will not by me also but the playing around with shape is what it is about. As to finish they are both finished with Shellawax, Jeff as to the curved bottom inside quite often that is how I would go but when there is a strong change of shape in a profile I like to mirror this with the interior. I will post some more photo's when I finish the one I am doing now.
Regards Rod.

[Rod Gilbert]

I haven't been able to get into the workshop much lately but this is another red forest gum bowl. The bowl is 245 x 45.
Regards Rod.

[Rod Gilbert]

This one is Murry river red and the fiddle back is spectacular sorry about the photo's they do it no justice. The straight sides were the max width I could get between the holes for barb wire you can see whats left of one on one of the sides.
Regards Rod.

[Rod Gilbert]

This photo shows the spectacular grain far better than previous. What do you think.
Regards Rod.

[Christos]

The second set of photos shows off the grain a lot better.


How come you are not starting a new thread for each bowl? You can always add a link to the original for reference.

[Rod Gilbert]

Cheers Christos,
That was why I took the second lot of photos natural sunlight works much better than the flash for me I am no photographer always seems to go that way when I don't wait for morning to take the photos of finished work. Don't know why I didn't start a new thread for each I was just playing around with shape and keep adding them. Thanks for looking.
Regards Rod.