Week 1

This past week provided several learning experiences. My first project was a small bowl from black walnut. The second project involved sawing up some red oak logs and then roughing out some bowls.


While turning the small walnut bowl, I could not achieve a smooth transition from the side wall to the bottom of the interior of the bowl. After doing some research I discovered that I was using a gouge with too shallow of a bevel. A steeper bevel would have allowed me to work through the tight curve. Also on this bowl, I used a power sander for the first time, it provided a considerably better finish much faster than hand sanding.

While sawing up the red oak my Poulan 16" chainsaw bit the dust. It could not handle the 16-18" diameter logs. I made a quick run to the local Stihl dealer and purchased a MS-290 20" saw. The Stihl made quick work of the logs, it is a much higher quality machine.

I mounted on of the half logs to a face plate and proceeded to rough out the bowl. Instead of hollowing out the interior with a gouge, I wanted to create a set of three nesting bowls using a Stewart System Straight Slicing Tool. Leaving the bowl on the face plate I proceeded to turn off the outer bowl. I found that it is critical to turn the relief cuts first, then make the final straight cut. The tool took a few bad catches,  but I finally got the bowl off. While turning the second bowl off, I was close to the the end of the cut, when I took a catch and sent half of the bowl flying across the shop. When using a straight slicer, give yourself plenty of room from the start with good relief cuts.

I will try to figure out how to post pictures later this week.