10 Bowl Turning Basics – Important FAQs Answered

Bowl Turning Basics Main Image

Bowl turning basics are important steps in developing and honing bowl turning skills. Sometimes it feels awkward asking questions, but that’s why we’re here. Many bowl turning basics need to be addressed, learned and understood. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to learn everything all at once, instead, build up your knowledge bank of bowl turning […]

Wood Bowl Turning Trouble Zone – Dirty Little Secret

Wood Bowl Turning Trouble Zone

The wood bowl turning trouble zone is a dirty little secret seems to mention. It is a very real wood surface issue that occurs on almost every turned bowl and must be addressed. Both the outside and the inside of a wood bowl turning have two locations each where tear can occur, even if all […]

Live Edge Bowl – 10 Secrets For Turning Success

Live Edge Bowl Wood Techniques Steps

Live edge bowl turning is especially fun, exciting and the end results can be visually stunning. Of all the bowls I’ve turned, nothing gets the same excited and positive response like natural edge bowls. Making a natural or live edge bowl is like displaying an elegant cross-section of a beautiful tree for all to see. […]

14 Ways To Avoid Grain Tear Out With Wood Bowl

Grain Tear Out Wood Bowl Prevention

How can I avoid grain tear out on a wood bowl and get a good smooth final surface? Wood bowl grain tear out can be frustrating. There are many ways to address this issue including using sharp tools, cutting with the supported grain, speeding up the lathe, changing angles, and even treating the surface. This […]

Drying Green Wood Bowls – 6 Methods For Success

Drying Green Wood Bowls Main Image

How do I start drying green wood bowls? There are many approaches for drying green wood bowls once they have been turned or roughed out, including using paper bags, a microwave, kiln, denatured alcohol, even desiccant drying beads, or just simply waiting. Inside Drying Green Wood Bowls In a dream world, we could find a […]

Bandsaw Basics for Wood Bowl Turners

Bandsaw Basics Main Image

How important is it for a woodturner to have a bandsaw? A bandsaw is an essential tool for woodturners, especially wood bowl turners. The bandsaw helps remove excess material in order to make the process of turning a wood bowl more efficient. Understanding how the bandsaw works, using it safely, and showing it all due […]

Quarter Sawn Wood Bowl – How To Make

Quarter Sawn Wood Bowl

A quarter sawn wood bowl reveals a woodturner’s attention to detail and ability to genuinely connect and integrate the very nature of the natural resource being turned. A quarter sawn wood bowl is usually well-defined, clean, and somewhat graphic due to the alignment of grain pattern. A quarter sawn wood bowl showcases an artist’s ability […]

Turning Green Wood Bowls – The Process

Turning Green Wood Bowls The Process

Turning green wood bowls is one of the most satisfying experiences imaginable. Taking a freshly cut piece of timber and turning it into a form, a creation to enjoy, use, and admire, is the ultimate gratification. Wood is an ever-changing, dynamic material. Raw timber, green wood, is the blank canvas of bowl turning. Whether it’s […]

My Favorite Food Safe Wood Finish – Waterproof Almost

Food Safe Wood Finish Tried and True Linseed Oil and Bees Wax

Ah, My Favorite Food Safe Wood Finish? There are several criteria to meet for something to become a favorite. For a wood bowl finish, I believe it needs to naturally look good, protect the wood bowl, be food-safe, non-toxic, water-resistant, ready-to-go, and easy to apply. Wow, if that’s not a tall order for a wood […]

Why Make or Turn Wood Bowls?

Why Turn Wood Bowls Main Image

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 […]