Biggs' Gallery of  Unique Woodturning

(705)385-0518 
248 LaNeige Ave,
, R.R.#1,  Port Sydney, ON  Canada  P0B 1L0
email: 
woodturn@biggsgallery.com

 

Birth of a Bowl
 

Cut and waxed log ends are stored on racks waiting to be rough-turned into bowls.
     

  Two bowls hidden in a log.  Ends are waxed to stop cracking as the wood is drying.
     

  The log is sliced in half to prepare it for the rough-turning process.
     

  A 9" disk template is used to size the rough bowl that will be turned from the log.
     

  Waste is removed with a band saw.
     

  The remaining log is mounted on a lathe awaiting outside shaping.
     

  The outside of the bowl is shaped and the tenon, which will later hold the bowl on the chuck while the inside is turned, is formed.
     

  A view of the outside and tenon-turning process from another angle.
     

  Waiting to be reversed in order to hollow out the centre of the bowl.
     

  The rough bowl is now in position for turning out the centre.
     

  The rough-turning process is now complete.
     

  The outside is waxed and the bowl labelled with date and type of wood.
     

  The waxed rough-turned bowl sits on a drying rack in the protected shed for 6 to 9 months after which it will be fine-turned and finished into its final form.
     

  Ten months later the bowl is returned to the lathe.
     

  Having gone oval during the drying process the tenon is 'trued up' to hold the bowl on the lathe.
     

  The outside of the bowl is returned in stages to keep the maximum outside diameter.
     

  Next the bowl is power sanded from 80 grit.....
     

  .....to 400 grit to get a smooth even finish.
     

  Now it is time to turn the inside of the bowl.  This is done in stages working from the rim to the bottom.
     

  The inside is sanded the same way as the outside.
     

  Reversed onto a vacuum pad the tenon is turned off with the tailstock in place for support.
     

  With the help of the vacuum chuck the bottom is sanded to a finish.
     

  Off the lathe the bottom of the bowl is burned with my name and the type of wood.
     

  Finally the bowl is coated with five or six coats of a food-safe salad bowl finish, hand-sanded with 600 grit between coats and then buffed to a sheen and ready for sale.
     

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