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View Full Version : Lidded Bowl from an Odd-Shaped Blank



joe greiner
22nd December 2008, 10:33 PM
About a year or so ago, member SkewChiDAMN started a thread for a bowl with a title something like "Odd-shaped blank." I replied (more or less): "Odd-shaped indeed; chain saw broken?"

A friend and neighbour gave me a wedge of red oak with a large knot in the bark. He thought it might have some interesting grain inside. So did I. I figured a roly-poly bowl might intersect a cone-shaped boundary between the branch grain and the trunk grain, at the "bottom" and outboard the "top" opening of the bowl. Unfortunately, neither of us marked the wedge to indicate the upper end of the trunk; by the time I determined the sloping geometry of the cone, it was too late to make the piece I wanted, except as a miniature version. For our WT club's Show'n'Tell, I marked the upward direction of the trunk grain [P8].

I trimmed the blank with a chainsaw [P1], and drilled a socket to try out Cliff Rogers' trick mounting. The blank was hopelessly unbalanced. I let it drift to mark the heavier parts for cutting with the Lancelot [P2]. Eventually, it was balanced enough to allow turning with an auxiliary rotisserie drive (5rpm), and I continued use of the Lancelot, generally with climbing cuts [P3]. The socket became waste material for a lid to the bowl [P4 & P5].

I filled all the breakouts and cracks (except the equatorial one) with a mortar of epoxy and coffee grounds. Filling slightly proud of the final surface allows cutting and sanding to reveal a fine-grain terrazzo-like pattern. The knob is reminiscent of an onion dome, a major feature of Russian Orthodox churches and one of my favourite shapes after ta-tas [P7].

Gloss polyurethane was not a perfect choice for the finish. Satin, or EEE and wax, might have been better, because of the highly-figured grain.

The bowl and the lid have both warped a little since turning them. With just a few degrees of twist out of alignment, the lid is tight enough to hang the bowl under it. The foot no longer sits quite flat on a support. A little sanding might fix that.

6 3/4" high, 5 3/4" diameter (170mm, 145mm).

Thanks for looking. Comments and critiques welcome.

Joe

Ed Reiss
23rd December 2008, 01:14 AM
It's got a nice "rustic" look to it Joe...neat!

Agree that the gloss poly didn't do it justice:C

Skew ChiDAMN!!
23rd December 2008, 01:21 AM
It definitely has character!

From a couple of the pix, it looks like it may've given you a few heart-stopping moments there. But definitely worth it in the long run.

rsser
23rd December 2008, 06:37 AM
Great work Joe, and great result.

hughie
23rd December 2008, 09:10 AM
Joe.

Sorta like St Basils Cathedrill with out the candy colour..:U

:2tsup: lookin good :2tsup:

Rum Pig
23rd December 2008, 11:14 AM
:whs: I think I would have to agree that it is a very nice piece but the finish whilst looking good did not do it justice. I do like the shape and the rustic/natural look

Well done:2tsup::2tsup:

munruben
23rd December 2008, 05:44 PM
Looks nice, I think you did a good job.

joe greiner
23rd December 2008, 11:14 PM
Thanks, mates.

There were a few anxious moments. My first line of Show'n'Tell speech was something like "Before I finished this, it almost finished me." On a few occasions, I wanted to throw myself under the next bus. Luckily, only one bus drives on my street, and it's a school bus only twice a day.:D

Cheers,
Joe

Hardenfast
29th December 2008, 08:37 AM
Hi Joe. Nice work - and nicer perseverence.

I was most interested to see you shaping the piece with the "Lancelot". It was only yesterday that I found myself doing the same thing to an old, old piece of Eucalytpus burl which was just too hard.

The best I could do with the rough blank was to scribe a few lines with a parting tool while spinning slowly, then attack it progressively with the 4" grinder and a shaping disc. I hadn't seen it done before so thought I was being quite innovative!

Just goes to show how little turning experience I've had, I guess. Interesting (and disappointing) that the piece has warped even after you kept the blank for a year. Excellent shape. I'll bet this was a hard old piece of Oak.

BTW.... I like your saw/cutting trestle.

Wayne

joe greiner
29th December 2008, 01:39 PM
Thanks, Wayne.

Most of the rough cutting with the Lancelot was stationary; see the pair of wedges locking it in the second picture. The blank wasn't very old when I turned it. And I slathered it with end grain sealant part way through the turning process. Some day, I may acquire enough patience to wait after rough turning.

The sawbuck is described here: http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=47976

At the time, I halfway admitted it was over-engineered, in reply to one of the comments. But it's proven more versatile than I'd hoped after all.

[BTW, that was the second version of sawbuck (maybe even the third) - just in case I direct Toni (lubbing etc.) to this thread.]

I've maintained an index of some of my threads and other interesting ones, to reduce search time. It looks like the number of threads has just about doubled in my short term of membership - probably more than that, with the separation of the renovation portion.

Joe

artme
29th December 2008, 04:45 PM
That is a great piece of timber and I like what you have done with it!:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

Ad de Crom
29th December 2008, 09:03 PM
Joe, this was quit an experiment for you, with shaping it in the first place.
On the finished piece I can see some warping you talking about, especially between the lid and the box. I think you can fix that lateron, with some patience.
Anyway a nice chunck of wood with a beautiful color. I'm in doubt about the finish you brought on this lidded box, but I like the overall shape.
Seems to me that it was not so easy to get this shape you wanted to achieve.
Better saying, a difficult but also a fun project.
Got yesterday a truck load new wood, think it's alder, was to dark last evening to discover what kind of wood I got. Big chuncks 20'' in diam. so heavy stuff to lift.
I expect more wood, the parents of the boyfriend of my youngest daughter Karin have a big maple tree in there frontyard, and wanted to get rid of that tree.
The boyfriend of my youngest daughter is a truck driver on a big truck with a build on crane, he brought me yesterday this big surprise with his truck, so lucky me.
Only it's on this moment very cold with minus 7C, nice for skate riding but not for my outside workshop.
Ad :2tsup:

joe greiner
29th December 2008, 10:55 PM
Thanks and congratulations, Ad.

The outside workshop is a mixed blessing, I guess. Easier cleanup, of course.

When the dimensions stabilize, I'll consider some selective hand shaving of both components at the joint, as well as sanding the bottom slightly.

I might be able hand rub the polyurethane with EEE-Ultrashine to soften the finish. I'll do a test rub someplace inconspicuous.

Joe

robutacion
30th December 2008, 12:05 AM
Interesting piece Joe,
One of those pieces where the Ci1 works a treat!:wink: I've done one "lump" of olive a few days ago, and worked well. If the piece is able to turn on the lathe, and you have a very low speed and torque on you lathe motor, you could save the time on the grinder, even tough I can see that this work the bearings a little harder. I often "shape" some ridiculous pieces of wood with the chainsaw, just to fit (turn) on the lathe, as I had to re-use the chainsaw after mounted in the lathe because of a mongrel corner hitting somewhere...!:~

Ad de Crom,
I would make sure, I would get that daughter's boyfriend of yours working over time with his big truck, until the yard could hold no more timber. You know, the $@% can it the fan, like the truck brake down or something, and then no more free timber...!:o:D, just joking...!:B

Cheers:2tsup:
RBTCO

Sawdust Maker
31st December 2008, 04:01 PM
Joe
Nice piece - lovely grain, pity about the little warping - but sounds salvageable
from the ugliest blanks come works of art
and thanks for the link to your sawbuck - I can see one being made at my place soon :D I note that it is about 10" high. Could it be a bit higher to save one's back? or would it become unstable?
cheers

joe greiner
1st January 2009, 01:19 AM
Joe
Nice piece - lovely grain, pity about the little warping - but sounds salvageable
from the ugliest blanks come works of art
and thanks for the link to your sawbuck - I can see one being made at my place soon :D I note that it is about 10" high. Could it be a bit higher to save one's back? or would it become unstable?
cheers

I probably don't use it often enough to develop back problems, but the closer to the ground, the more stable it is. Kneepads are a good compromise accessory, if needed, for close-in work. I haven't needed them yet.

Cheers,
Joe