My First Turning

[Vulthoom]

Firstly, hello all. This is my first post as I am new to both the forums and to woodturning. Please excuse me if this first post is a bit long-winded...
My interest - Bowls!

I have spent the last couple of years dithering about buying a lathe and waiting until we moved house and I had somewhere to put one.
In this time I have read as many books as possible and watched all the video material, including those online at the Woodworking Channel.

I have to say that of all the vids, "Bowl turning with Del Stubbs" has been my favourite - his relaxed
"try what I say but do it your own way" approach is a pleasant change from the usual "this is the one and only way and you WILL do it".

Anyway, I'm drifting.....

Having finally acquired my lathe last week (a very nice second hand Draper WTL95 off Ebay) I set it up, ordered a new Patriot chuck
and some accessory bits and bobs and yesterday embarked on my first bowl turning.
I would say to anyone else in my position - just starting out - get hold of some videos and watch them.
Over and over and over.

By the time I was ready to put metal to wood I had absorbed so much technique that I felt like
I had been turning for months.
(Here I have to praise the generosity of the gentleman I bought the lathe from - the huge
selection of tools he threw in with it have been a godsend. Yes, a few were cheap and cheerful as he warned but,
under a very light surface rust, most were very good tools and have cleaned and sharpened up brilliantly.)
Yes, I had a few dig-ins but, as I was expecting dozens of wrecks at first, I was more than pleasantly surprised
when my first effort came off passably well.

For the first test turnings everyone suggested a nice soft, green wood to practice on.
However, having thrown common sense to the wind I decided to try out the piece of spalted Sycamore (I think) burl
I rescued from the woodpile and have been drying in the shed this last year.
Parts were soft and tore, parts were iron hard but I have learned an awful lot from turning this first piece.

Here it is (I haven't finished the foot off yet - so just ignore that part. )

Any comments gratefully accepted....

 

[Vulthoom]

Any ideas why the images aren't working - look fine on the preview....?

 

[xraymtb]

Its the spam trap - you'll be fine after a few posts. Here you go...

Nice work by the way...

 

[Vulthoom]

Thanks Mike,

 

[user 5053]

Quite nice as a first attempt. The base looks a bit heavy and the general look is a bit lacking in form and the finish looks a little over shiny. Richard Raffan used to recommend cutting a bowl in half to see the profile of the bowl. His book Turned Bowl Design is superb and goes into all aspects of bowl making etc. Its a case of the more you do, the better you will get. Don't forget in the old days they would have served a 5 - 7 year apprenticeship before they would be considered a competent turner.

 

[Vulthoom]

I assume the smell is acceptable to you?

 

[Woodmagnet]

Very nice first attempt Vulthoom, and welcome to the forum.
Not everyone is as harsh on here mate.
And an excellent reply too. :lol:

 

[greggy]

well i think its a little stunner, and welcome to the forum.

 

[pete honeyman]

That'll be you hooked then - great result.

Also, bowls don't have to be thin walled - it's a test of skill to make them thin, but a design might call for proportionately thick walls - especially with spalting, it's good to see the lines going right through a thick wall and changing direction. I also like bowls to feel 'right' in terms of weight, and sometimes a thin-walled bowl or hollow vessel feels too light and 'cheap' to me when I pick it up.

 

[RodN]

I think that it is really nice. Forget the fact that it is a "first attempt".

I am about to try making a bowl for the first time too, on my new lathe that arrived on Thursday. If my first attempt was as good as that, then I would definitely be pleased, and as others have said, a small bowl with a thick wall, and heavy for its size, is a nice stable ornament. I like the idea of a chunky pyramid base on that design too. So far I have made a few pens on my new lathe, but for some reason there seems to be a "oh not again... another pen" type of attitude amongst some folks on the forum, which is why I haven't posted photos.

Hey! We have to start somewhere! And yours is a great start.

Rod

 

[hpl]

Looks good, nice shape, well sanded, and a good finish. I'd be very happy with that for a first attempt.

Johnny B

 

[gasmansteve]

I think its a lovely bowl. I much prefer bowls with a bit of oomph about em. Not too keen on these arty farty wafer thin 3/1000" thick wall types meself. I like the glossy finish on it too.
Well done
Steve

 

[big soft moose]

Quite nice as a first attempt. The base looks a bit heavy and the general look is a bit lacking in form and the finish looks a little over shiny..

have you ever considered the adage "that if you cant say anything nice, you shouldnt say anything ! " particularly for someone who says that this his first attempt and who acknowledges he hasnt finished the bottom yet :roll: I also notice that we still havent seen any examples of your no doubt masterful work.

 

[big soft moose]

Firstly, hello all. This is my first post as I am new to both the forums and to woodturning. Please excuse me if this first post is a bit long-winded...
My interest - Bowls!

I was more than pleasantly surprised when my first effort came off passably well.

For the first test turnings everyone suggested a nice soft, green wood to practice on.
However, having thrown common sense to the wind I decided to try out the piece of spalted Sycamore (I think) burl
I rescued from the woodpile and have been drying in the shed this last year.
Parts were soft and tore, parts were iron hard but I have learned an awful lot from turning this first piece.

Here it is (I haven't finished the foot off yet - so just ignore that part. )

Any comments gratefully accepted....

for my money vulthoom thats a decent first bit of work (its a lot better than my first attempt) - for a small functional bowl i cant see anything wrong with the form (barring the unfinished foot which you say is a WIP)

the walls could may be be a bit thinner , but this comes with time and practice and also is easier with non spalted woods. ( the part soft, part hard is also a symptom of the spalting)

re the shiny coating - there is nothing wrong with the high sheen approach , but you might also like to experiment with a softer look such as wax or oil to see what you prefer (note don't use oil on spalted timbers tho as the absorbtion is very uneven)

in terms of guidance and inspiration as your interest is principally bowls , might i suggest that you seek out a copy of tony boases wood turning and bowl turning masterclass books which ought to give you lots of ideas - I am at my fiancees at present but when i get home on wednesday i will look up the isbns etc for you.

 

[loz]

I love that wood.

Very nice for a first piece, Not been at it too long myself, so i know the delight you must be feeling.

Im not qualified to offer any advice, except, plan your remounting to finish the base/foot. ( By plan i mean ask someone in here ! )


I killed loads of my bowls, and still havent got the knack of reversing and finished bases, so im completely finishing bases ( and the outside) now at the start of the job, and using very thin ( 2 mill ) recess to chuck, then I begin hollowing.

one day i'll attempt using jams etc, or i'll buy that set or plugged plates !

 

[Vulthoom]

Thank you all for your kind words!

I feel suitably stroked and patted now.

Hooked is right - I spent the whole day in the shed cutting blanks and roughing out green bowls for drying and refinishing at a later date.

I think I may also be spending all the time not on the lathe on the forums...
Good thing I didn't have a life before!

 

[CHJ]

Welcome to the forum Vulthoom, great first attempt on a wood that is not the easiest to handle, should be getting a few more positive comments when those of us who have been putting the world to rights in B'ham have time to have a look.

 

[Maia28]

That's a lovely piece of wood to start on and it looks like you have a good finish too. I started off with smaller pieces, but actually find them harder to do now. I like that shape, it's chalice like and functional. Good choice with the Patriot chuck - just don't add up what you spend over the next few months on those must have tools, sharpening jigs, abbrasives, finishes etc. Looking forward to seeing more of your work,
Andy

 

[PowerTool]

Hello and welcome to the forum

Lovely looking piece of timber;certainly not an easy choice to start with,but well worth the effort.
Personally,I like the shape and proportions,and the finish looks good.
Hope you enjoyed making it,and look forward to seeing more

Andrew

 

[dickm]

Really good, especially for a first attempt. Makes dramatic use of the spalting, and finish is fine. I think I'd prefer a bit less tall "foot", which at the moment makes it look a bit top-heavy to me, but that's a matter of aesthetics. As a beginner, I'd say concentrate on the finish - design of shapes comes later.