My first ever bowl!

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Madman1978

Madman1978

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Here it is, not too bad learn some, as always.

However, people, please do not spare my feeling. I am such a novice and always like feedback. So if you see something say it. The is nowhere near perfect. I found the log next to a dumpster ready to be firewood. An apple tree they cut down close by.
 

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hilltopper46 said:
It looks a heck of a lot lot better than my first bowl, and significant portion of the ones I have made since then!
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I have been practicing with my tools and of course, the pens help I think. I did a french rolling pen a while back. It was fun. Just be sure those tools are sharp!
 
Looks good. I really like that apple wood. I do agree with Wayne that it could use more sanding. Sanding seems neverending with bowls for me, but that's because I always end up with some tearout. I obviously need more practice sharpening my tools. I finished one just the night before you posted this and felt like I was never going to get it sanded smooth. There's still a couple spots I am not happy with, but I'm still quite new to bowls, too.
 
Glad you adventured out into bowls! The wood looks amazing and for a first bowl... not bad. First, you'll want to start working on the outside form of the bowl and giving it a better U shape at the bottom. Then when you do the inside, follow the contouring of the outside of the bowl. As time progresses and you do more bowls... you'll want to keep learning to narrow the bottoms/foot of the bowl. Here are a few examples. I'm by no means an expert... but I have turned plenty of bowls.
 

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Nice Bowl! Every piece you turn makes you a better turner. I use a notebook for every first piece. After completion I write down everything I would do better or different. Needed tools or jig improvements etc. Make sure you get all these new ideas and techniques into bowl #2. After number 2 or 3 the processes are second nature. (Muscle Memory?)
 
A couple of points.
If you found the log cut from a nearby tree, it seems plausible that the blank was not dry, which could in part explain your sanding issue. If it was indeed green expect the bowl to warp or even crack as it dries. For "green" blanks you should look into the "twice turning" method, turn to shape when "green", let the roughed bowl dry (several months), and back on the lathe for final shaping and finishing.
For bowl sanding, I find that a rotating-head sander is a very practical and easy-to-use tool. Something like that https://www.amazon.com/Turning-Sanding-Sander-Rotatable-Spindle/dp/B07QXMTVQF . In my hands' model like this one has resisted much better than more flimsy ones with a wood handle and no interchangeable/replaceable head.
 
Fred Bruche said:
A couple of points.
If you found the log cut from a nearby tree, it seems plausible that the blank was not dry, which could in part explain your sanding issue. If it was indeed green expect the bowl to warp or even crack as it dries. For "green" blanks you should look into the "twice turning" method, turn to shape when "green", let the roughed bowl dry (several months), and back on the lathe for final shaping and finishing.
For bowl sanding, I find that a rotating-head sander is a very practical and easy-to-use tool. Something like that https://www.amazon.com/Turning-Sanding-Sander-Rotatable-Spindle/dp/B07QXMTVQF . In my hands' model like this one has resisted much better than more flimsy ones with a wood handle and no interchangeable/replaceable head.
Click to expand...
I have had it for 6 months now. I did check the moister content and it was below 8%. Nice and dry I think

I have added the sander disc to my list of needs.

Thank you
 
I prefer to power sand my bowls with this

NEIKO 10529A 3/8" Close Quarter Angle Power Drill | 55-Degree Angle | Variable Speed (0-1400 RPM) | 120 Volt

in the lower grits... depending on how well I did my cuts, I'll start at 80 or 100 grit... when I get to about 150 grit I switch to hand sanding up through at least 440, sometimes even higher. The drill will run forward and reverse and I sand with the bowl turning on the lathe at 450 or 600 rpm... I have a home made rotary sander as shown by Fred Buche that I made from a magnetic ball bearing and sleeve that I got from Capn Eddie for about $10... it works okay, but prefer the power sander as it's easier on my arthritic hands.

I also like to follow up my sanding with my version of Yorkshire grit before I put the sanding sealer and wipe on poly on the bowl....
 
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