My first bowl

[rileytoolworks]

Evening all.
I've not been turning long (turned a few mallets, dibbers and a pen), but tonight I thought I'd try to do a bowl.
I don't have a load of tools, so used a 3/8" spindle gouge for most of it (except roughing the outside), and my lathe is a record dm24 something or other. (My biggest gripe is having to use spanners to adjust EVERYTHING).
Anyhow, I digress.
Here are some pictures. Please be kind...

Sorry about the photo's, I just took a few quick snaps.

As you can see, there's a fair bit of tearout on the inside, but I just wanted to get a finish on it and see what it looked like. I suspect everyone is the same on their first go.

Cheers.

Adam.

 

[Bodrighy]

It looks like a pretty fair first bowl to me. Be careful using a spindle gouge doing face work mind, it isn't really strong enough to go far out over the rest.

The tear out is common and with practice you'll not find it a problem. The shape is impressive, for some reason most people do flat bottoms on their first bowls. I like the shape on this one

Pete

 

[rileytoolworks]

Thanks Bodrighy. I took really light cuts with the gouge, as I had anticipated it wasn't really up to the job. I cannot afford to spend money on tools at the moment though, so a bowl gouge was out of the question.
The 'foot' isn't actually flat as it appears in the picture. I put a slight 'dish' into it.
How does one go about removing the dovetail, leaving a round bottom?
By the way Bodrighy, I saw your Folksy shop the other day while my wife was updating her shop. You've got some really nice stuff on there.

Cheers.
Adam.

 

[Bodrighy]

Thank you. Nice to know someone is looking at it :lol:

There's several ways of getting rid of the tenon. Fancy jaws which are quite expensive (Cole jaws) or alternatively turn a piece of ply or MDF or other scrap and fix to your face plate. Mark it with circles to help centre the bowl then jam the bowl against it with the tail stock. You can also put a bit of foam or something on the disc to help the friction grip. You can then turn the tenon down to a little nub which can be pared off with a sharp chisel and sanded down.
What a lot of people do as well is leave the tenon but do what you have done and use it as a foot.. Tart it up with beads (the turned type not the jewellery type...though now I think of it.....) and make a feature of it. If you make the foot first and put a recess in it you can hold the blank on that way as well then you are left with a clean, hollow foot. Many ways of either getting rid of it or making a feature of it.

Pete

 

[CHJ]

Hi Riley, there's a picture of the principle Pete is referring to in the link to Bob Chapmans Bowl on a budget link in the sticky, (Pic.31)

Often the spigot can be left on to advantage, just reshape the outer to the opposite taper to remove chuck marks and blend it in with the bowl curve.

Good first effort, especially as it looks like Elm that you have tackled.

 

[Blister]

Hi Riley

Nice first bowl , interesting piece of wood used , nice shape and depth

Overall good 1st bowl

looks like you are a natural at it

Well done :wink:

 

[cornucopia]

An excellent first Bowl- Elm especially Dry elm isnt the easiest of woods to get a good finish on- so for a beginner it can be very frustrating- wet elm (if you ever see any!!) is the oppposite a real pleasure to turn.

 

[Ad de Crom]

For the first bowl, it looks much better than my first bowl, that was a disaster.
For me you did it very well.
Ad

 

[duncanh]

Nice bowl, and a very good first effort considering your lack of tools.
You've avoided the mistake that I feel beginners often make - you've produce a nice, curved bowl that doesn't try to make the most out of the size of the blank (ie'. vertical sides and flat bottom just because they don't want to waste wood). This shape is actually easier as there's no transition step between the wall and the base

Duncan

 

[Deejay]

Mornin' Adam

Looks good to me.

There is a thread about tear out here ...

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... hp?t=34052

which might help. I'd be a bit wary of trying it with a spindle gouge.

You say you have to adjust everything on your lathe with spanners. Doesn't it have Bristol levers? Have a look at ...

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... hp?t=20542

Cheers

Dave

 

[Paul.J]

Very nice first bowl Adam :shock:
Looks to be well finished and a nice shape.
Well done

 

[mark sanger]

well done that certainly is a great first bowl.

 

[big soft moose]

Thanks Bodrighy. I took really light cuts with the gouge, as I had anticipated it wasn't really up to the job. I cannot afford to spend money on tools at the moment though, so a bowl gouge was out of the question.
The 'foot' isn't actually flat as it appears in the picture. I put a slight 'dish' into it.
How does one go about removing the dovetail, leaving a round bottom?
By the way Bodrighy, I saw your Folksy shop the other day while my wife was updating her shop. You've got some really nice stuff on there.

Cheers.
Adam.

you need to find a way to hold the bowl the other way up - the expensive way is to get button jaws for the chuck - but there are two cheaper ways

a) to build a donut chuck - that is a disc of wood mounted on a face plate with four bits of threaded rod and nuts supporting a ring (padded on the inside to prevent damage to the work. - You put the bowl in inverted then tighten up the nuts to hold it firmly against the disc (mind your hands on the threaded rod/nuts when using)

b) you use an old bit of router matting glued to a disc mounted on a face plate - then invert the bowl and bring up the tail stock with a live centre to hold it in place then turn the dove tail down to a nub with can be pared off with the piece off the lathe.

btw I got a new 1/2 inch bowl gouge for chrimbo so my old one is now surplus - pm me your address and you can have it for nowt, there is still a fair bit of use in it so i'd rather you had it than it sat arround the shop doing nothing or got chucked in a tidy up.

 

[loz]

Nice bowl Adam !

and Rep to BSM for his generosity !

Loz

 

[hog&bodge]

Good shaped first bowl...I went for a flat bottom base for my first bowl..