Bowl Question

[rcarmac]

So I have started turning a few bowls.

I am trying to figure out if I should have a plan of what I want the bowl to look like when I turn or just go at it and see where it goes.

 

[Mike Davis]

Have a plan. Make some sketches. Decide what the inside needs to be and make the outside accommodate that. Otherwise you will make the outside impossible to match on the inside.

 

[chris_goris]

I typically let the wood drive the shape. By this I mean the diameter of the blank Vs the thickness of it first of all. I try to use as much of the material in the final shape as I can as well. For me, the process goes like this, first, I drill a hole in the topside of the blank to attach a screw chuck. Second I proceed to true up the diameter. Depending on the blank (solid band sawed shape vs a burl perhaps) you may come close to your final shape quickly here. The third thing I do is true the bottom face and add my dovetail. While forming the outside diameter of the dovetail , knocking off the material in between to to get to it, can drive the rough shape. Now, I basically have 2 points to connect from the major outside diameter of the dovetail feature and the top rim. For me, there arent really too many shapes that fit here and are aesthetically pleasing. Depending on the diameter differnces, an ogee curve maybe or just some elliptical shape. Other times, a bad catch can also send you down a detour!. Just have fun with it.

 

[Mauser44]

I plan at a high level a general shape, then let it take shape. It also gives me room for "forced redesigns" (i.e catches) without getting disappointed if the bowl does not come out exactly as planned.
For smaller turnings (pens, finials, bottle stoppers) I take a much deliberate approach.
Have fun.

 

[smallboat]

I plan at a high level a general shape, then let it take shape. It also gives me room for "forced redesigns" (i.e catches) without getting disappointed if the bowl does not come out exactly as planned.
For smaller turnings (pens, finials, bottle stoppers) I take a much deliberate approach.
Have fun.

I'm with John when it comes to bowls.
For me this is a matter of preference.

I enjoy the "improvisation" of responding to what is happening in the moment.
That said, it's good to have some idea of what a given blank can do. The proportions and details of each blank will present limits and also opportunities.

If it's wide and flat, it's never going to be tall and narrow. Live edge or finished? That bark inclusion? Do you want to keep it or remove it? You get the idea.

Once I balance all that in my mind I start, and feel free to stray from the intended path along the way.

It should be fun not frustrating.

 

[Mrfixit71]

I'm more in the camp with John and Smallboat. I scrounge all my wood and turn it green, and I'm always looking for interesting grain or something that will make the wood be the primary feature of the bowl, as opposed to the shape. And has been mentioned, the shape of the blank (height vs. width somewhat determines the shape of the bowl, and whether you will keep bark inclusions or not. Then I put it on the lathe and see how it turns out (pun intended).

Unless you are trying to make a matched set of bowls or are set on a specific shape, does it matter what shape you end up with? The blank may have different ideas than you do, regardless. To me the challenge/enjoyment is bringing out the beauty of the wood, regardless of shape.

 

[gritz]

I only turn figured wood, mostly green. I don't bring it home unless I know there is something unusual inside it. First I look for the best features that may be hidden in the wood, then I decide the safest way to secure it. As I begin to turn it round, I wait for the wood to tell me what shape it wants to be, and what highlights it wants me to accentuate. If I was turning utilitarian pieces, the use and desired shape would dictate the process.

 

[Mike Davis]

Sure, once you have some experience and know several proven shapes in you mind you can improvise. But, I see far too many bowls that could have been great with a little more planning and design. Just this week I was looking in the local antique mall and saw someone has rented a booth to sell his bowls and other turnings. Not a piece in there that I wouldn’t hesitate to throw in the fire if they were mine. A few could be reworked since they were an inch thick or the bottom was three times as thick as the sides. But most were just terrible looking shapes.

Just a few minutes looking at the blank and thinking about the best design that can come out of that blank goes a long way.

 

[Roy G]

Look at the different shapes that other turners have come up with. See if you can get a similar shape. Cut a few bowls in two after you have turned them to check on your wall thickness. Practice, practice, practice. Big bowls, little bowls, in between sizes. Malcolm Gladwell had a yardstick for proficiency. He said 10000 hours would make you very good at what you do. Have fun along the way.

Roy G

 

[JonB]

In woodturning, shape and form are everything. When looking at a piece, imagine if you painted it black, would it still look good? You can look at all the classic shapes and forms of early pottery for inspiration. I heard a demonstrator say once that there are no "new" shapes/forms, anything that "looks" right are based on the classic forms. The golden ratio is very important to make a form look "right", anything else will always seem odd. I've often seen turners that are new to turning add beads and coves to bowls in odd places, there is no place for whoop-de-doos or misplaced beads and coves in any piece. I've also often seen bowls done with very straight sides and flat bottoms, it's difficult for a new turner to turn away too much wood from that fancy piece they bought and they end up with a dog dish. I always shape the outside of the bowl first and turn the inside to match.
If you take a piece of beaded chain or rope by the ends and let it sag in the middle it will always give you a good shape no matter the distance between the ends.

 

[Oka]

Jon and Mike make great points. A couple of others. Make practice bowls or anything to learn and see how the wood you like reacts and behaves. Make a small bowl and learn the feeling of going too far. Learn the sense and feel of how the wood feels as it gets thin. BIG POINT make sure to keep the tools sharp Always. Sharp tools are your friend. Patience is your friend. Most errors are from some basic things: No plan, not paying attention, going too fast, pushing the tools beyond their sharp edge.
That is what every person does with a lathe until you begin to understand and get the feeling of a aforesaid.