Should I complete a bowl

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ScaredyCat

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Should I be aiming to complete the turning of a bowl in one session/day?

I seem to remember seeing or reading something about it and I can't remember if it was an essential thing.

The bowl is being made from a failed cutting board, end grain top/bottom that's been sat around in the house for around a year.

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If it's dry then yes. I've turned many many bowls in one day. I've just done 3 in 3 days, ash, cherry and spalted beech. They were bought as blanks and I had them sat around for a few months although that period of time was irrelevant as they were wax coated. As you are using something which sounds like it should be in a similar state then yes go ahead.
Although I must say an end grain bowl??? Or have I read that wrong.
 
Assuming the wood is within sensible moisture range (say 10-20%, not green) turn complete in one session if possible.
Even dry it is going to move to some extent and the sooner you get the basic form completed the less time it has to move out of round and make stress free completion problematic.

At least that is my philosophy and I never start a bowl or hollow cylindrical form unless I envision sufficient time to complete to finish sanding stage.

Although the above assumes normal 'whole log' blanks' I guess if your stock is a multiple segment construct movement may not be a significant factor.
 
Thanks.

bowl4.png


I went back out after eating and carried on but unfortunately things didn't work out too well and I had to abort. somehow I managed to start to break through the back after a split developed. My first turning failed but I've never had so much fun failing.

Perhaps I was a little ambitious trying to turn an end grain bowl as y first go but I learned soo much in doing so. Quite a lot of catches at first and a little more understanding of being gentle when rounding.

bowl1.png



If you can think of any ideas as to how to fix it, I'm listening. I can probably fix the crack with glue butI'm not entirely sure what to do wiht the base, given it's end grain.

bowl3.png


At least my hot glue 'chuck' worked :)

bowl2.png


Also, I'm totally shattered, exhausted... done for.
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Have you the means to mount the bowl in reverse? if so you could remove your hot melt support and hard glue another piece of timber on the base, covering the split and turn it up as a foot with socket mounting.

If the 'foot' joining surface is wide enough it would provide a stiffening support as you inevitably reduce the thickness as you smooth out the inner base ridges.

Even if you fail the exercise will teach you more before you succumb to the inevitable 'bin it'

Afraid you have made a beginners mistake in removing the piece from the chuck, you may find it very difficult to get it to run true again making gouge bevel contact difficult and only allowing you scraper use for any further cuts.

edit: forget the base socket comment and remounting to clean up the inner base, I see you face plate mounted it and I doubt you would get it running true enough again.
 
I was wondering about attaching something to the base but was just concerned that it's endgrain and perhaps wouldn't hold. I might give it a go just to see.

Removing it wasn't so much a mistake, it was destined for the woodburner.

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ScaredyCat":23ffmp05 said:
I was wondering about attaching something to the base but was just concerned that it's endgrain and perhaps wouldn't hold. ..
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For something like a bowl foot which will have little or no shear loads in use the endgrain aspect of the body will be of no matter using a decent adhesive.
After all your Hot Melt bonded OK didn't it.
 
I you are a novice in as much that you can't finish a bowl in one day something you can do is rough out the outside to the shape you want, then the following day do the finishing cuts turn and complete the inside on the second day.
Normally I find that a bowl that has not yet been hollowed out will move very little due to the bulk of material still in the centre.
If turning wet wood, turning the inside if done over just one day can result in the wood moving while still working on it.
For any novices, it is best to stick to turning dry wood until experience and speed become better
 
We all have had a break through when we start out, some of us still manage it after years of practice :D
 

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