Lathe Light – Why You Probably Need More
Lathe light is essential while turning wood bowls for two reasons, illumination, and specific details. This often overlooked lathe accessory can make the difference between okay and great wood turned bowls. The first reason might seem obvious, good illumination, but I can tell you lighting at the lathe is not taken seriously, in most cases. […]
How To Make Or Turn Wood Bowl – Illustrated Step By Step
Turning Wood Bowls is one of the most enjoyable creative processes I know. However, to get started we need to know the procedures and techniques to make a wood bowl. Yes, there are plenty of videos and websites about turning wood bowls, but when I was learning there didn’t seem to be one place with […]
Wood Bowl Mortise or Tenon – Which is Best?
Mortise or tenon, that is the question when turning or making a wood bowl. For some, there is no preference, for others, it’s either mortise or tenon, but not the other. You’ve set up the bowl blank, begun turning and it’s now time to decide how to attach the bowl to the four jaw chuck. […]
5 Tricks To Instantly Improve Bowl Woodturning
To improve bowl woodturning and create the “perfect” wood turned bowl may seem like an elusive, and at times, an impossible goal. Regardless where you currently stand as a woodturner, some tricks can assure more success. Most of the tricks used to take a bowl from okay to outstanding are subtle. Some of these tricks […]
Wood Bowl Mortise – Make It Right
The wood bowl mortise method to attach a bowl to the lathe is a straightforward and relatively simple procedure. Mortise creation is an excellent and efficient technique for beginners and experts alike. What is a Bowl Mortise A recessed cavity in the bowl bottom, called a mortise, receives the jaws of a four-jaw chuck, also […]
No Catches-Using a Bowl Gouge With Confidence
Using a bowl gouge with confidence is critically important and an initial hurdle to jump when first turning wood bowls. The fear of getting catches can be paralyzing. Knowledge and practice are required to tame that fear and create beautiful bowls while using a bowl gouge. Let’s face it; no one wants to get a […]
Why Make or Turn Wood Bowls?
Why turn wood bowls? When friends or family first hear about me turning wood bowls, their first response is usually, “You’re doing what?” Then they typically just stare, with a bit of an odd face and wait for me to explain. Turning wood bowls isn’t easy to explain sometimes. The answer is really more complex […]
Bowl Sanding Tools and Finish Techniques – Wood Bowls
Bowl Sanding Tools are somewhat simplistic. How those bowl sanding tools are used to get the best looking bowls can seem overwhelming at first. I’ll tell you straight out: I used to hate sanding. I dreaded the idea of “wasting time” and wanted to get on with doing other more important things. Sanding and I […]
Riding the Bevel – Bowl Gouge Technique Explained
“Riding the Bevel” is said over and over among woodturners. But what does riding the bevel really mean? This article is going to explain the ubiquitous woodturning term – riding the bevel. Before I explain riding the bevel in detail let me simply explain that this term is used to describe the purest, most clean-cut […]
Wood Bowl Tenon Removal – 3 Easy Ways
Bowl tenon removal is one of the last steps to finishing a wood bowl. After a properly formed tenon has done its job, its no longer needed and must to be removed from the soon-to-be-finished bowl. Depending on the final bowl foot design, some of the tenon areas may become incorporated in the bowl base. […]