# Bowl to get out of the doghouse



## wyone (Nov 8, 2014)

So I bought a new, well new used lathe while the wife is out of town (got a deal on it) but thought, you know the wife won't mind if she sees results right away.

I had this piece of spalted that I was saving and it was perfect.  I was 99% done, proud of the new lathe and my work, but it had just one little nick that I could not sand out.  So of course, with it still mounted I slowly tried to work the nick out.  Just one more little pass and..  well not so good!  Perfection is overrated!  lol

I guess I turned the bottom thinner than I thought!  so this is NOT going to get me out of the doghouse!  LOL.  But I already have a picture in my head, maybe a contrasting color wood to make a pedestal base for it and then I again will be out of the doghouse!


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## Bob Wemm (Nov 8, 2014)

I Love?? it when that happens, but of course it is a design feature and exactly what you planned. The contrast base will finish it off perfectly.
What more could your lovely lady want.???

Bob.


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## wyone (Nov 8, 2014)

She is really a sport about this stuff...   I just have to figure out what kind of wood will make the perfect contrast without being too much..  hmmmm


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## mark james (Nov 8, 2014)

Consider walnut.

Yup, a nice plug will do just fine!


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## robutacion (Nov 8, 2014)

wyone said:


> So I bought a new, well new used lathe while the wife is out of town (got a deal on it) but thought, you know the wife won't mind if she sees results right away.
> 
> I had this piece of spalted that I was saving and it was perfect.  I was 99% done, proud of the new lathe and my work, but it had just one little nick that I could not sand out.  So of course, with it still mounted I slowly tried to work the nick out.  Just one more little pass and..  well not so good!  Perfection is overrated!  lol
> 
> I guess I turned the bottom thinner than I thought!  so this is NOT going to get me out of the doghouse!  LOL.  But I already have a picture in my head, maybe a contrasting color wood to make a pedestal base for it and then I again will be out of the doghouse!



OK so, lets see what we have here...!

Well, is not the end of the world but, you should be too upset about it, why...??? because that, is one of the common failures from someone just starting to learn how to turn bowls.  There is a normal "deception" of depth Vs piece base/foot that, will take a little practice to get right, there are off-course ways to measure how much "meat" you have to work with but, in the beginning, we all think that, we don't need it, and that is just a fact...!

If you don't yet have the correct or the tools that allow it to hollow wood with ease (I like my 18mm round carbide tool), 9 out of 10 times, that one more run to smooth things out, endup in a big mess so, and while you are practicing, you could use the flap disk system with a 40 grit to get it with the final shape/thickness, the process of removing the 40 grit sand paper scratches , is by following the same principle as hand sanding, you start with a coarser grit and go higher every time after that.  Flap discs are easily found right to the 120 grit, after that some hand sanding or other tool that can use higher grit sandpaper, is the easier and best way to go...!

The repair can be seen as an opportunity to improvise and make it a feature, instead of a flaw, if you have some more of that wood heartwood, clean the hole on the lathe and insert a matching plug made from the same heartwood and flowing the grain orientation of that is in the bowl however, if you don't have any of this wood left, you could try to find something (medallion, ceramic tile, brass piece, anything that could be glued neatly at the base after all the sanding is done, if that "plug" is made of something that will not allow a finish on top of it, finish the bowl and then insert the plug.

Your imagination and time you want to put into it, is the limit, really...!:wink::biggrin: 

Lets see what you come up with...!

Cheers
George


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## alankulwicki7 (Nov 8, 2014)

Don't tell her it's a bowl. Just tell her it's a fancy funnel 

I think every bowl turner has made one or two of those!


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## Rockytime (Nov 8, 2014)

That's amusing Mitch. I know you will find a solution.


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## 79spitfire (Nov 8, 2014)

Just make up a sweet little pedestal for it.


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## wyone (Nov 9, 2014)

I really did think the bottom was thicker. I had issues when I turned a dovetail into the bottom and used the jaws from the inside of that recess.  I know it is mostly due to my lack of experience and skill.  So I had enough thickness that I changed and turned a tenon which was working so much better for me.  

I never thought of using a flap sander on the inside of the bowl.  That is where the issue was .  The outside was fine, but I just could not get out that last nick inside the bowl.  I sanded and sanded, as I know my failure rate is much less with sanding at this point for the finishing.  

I really like the idea of a medallion...  but hmmm..  now I have too many ideas in my head!  lol.  

I will come up with a design that makes this all work.  I thought I might be able to salvage the tenon, and still consider it, if I can figure out a way to make it look right.  I lost some of the edges of the tenon.  I thought about turning it smaller and then basically finding a way to make it larger with a contrast color and insert all of that into the original bowl...  so many ideas...  so many directions to go


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## robutacion (Nov 9, 2014)

wyone said:


> I really did think the bottom was thicker. I had issues when I turned a dovetail into the bottom and used the jaws from the inside of that recess.  I know it is mostly due to my lack of experience and skill.  So I had enough thickness that I changed and turned a tenon which was working so much better for me.
> 
> *I never thought of using a flap sander on the inside of the bowl.  That is where the issue was* .  The outside was fine, but I just could not get out that last nick inside the bowl.  I sanded and sanded, as I know my failure rate is much less with sanding at this point for the finishing.
> 
> ...



While the idea is good and it will work wonders, there is one issue that you may need to confront and that is, is the bowl big enough to allow the 4" flap discs to work inside and on the bottom curve...???

This is where, the use of the 2" rubber disc with the screw in 2" hard backed sand paper discs, as shown on my thread and video, using the same 4" grinder with the "guard" removed, makes it a lot easier to use with both disc sizes however, some extra care is necessary to make sure you don't get hurt, particularly with the 4" discs.

The 2" discs on a grinder, do really go on very tight spots and, making an extension to reach deeper places, is a very easy thing to make...!

Cheers
George


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## MarkD (Nov 9, 2014)

We have all made a few funnels in our day!


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## SDB777 (Nov 9, 2014)

Having also made these 'funnels'.....I can offer the advise I was given.

Do not turn the inside large then the outside, or the outside smaller then the inside.



Scott (nice chunk though) B


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## wyone (Nov 9, 2014)

But I like to try NEW things...  and you know.. just a bowl would have been WAY too easy.  I mean I had already applied a coat of finish on it when I... ummm..  decided to FIX it.  Literally was 2 minutes from completing it.    But I do think my creative juices needed an extra jump start for some reason.  Still have not decided on how to COMPLETE this bowl, not fix it.  I was going to do that before the wife got home tomorrow, but now thinking, maybe I should not and have a plan so she can see what an artistic, creative,  skilled guy I am.  Ok, that gave me an extra chuckle!


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## alankulwicki7 (Nov 9, 2014)

wyone said:


> just a bowl would have been WAY too easy.  I mean I had already applied a coat of finish on it when I... ummm..  decided to FIX it.  Literally was 2 minutes from completing it.   )



That's how I made my last funnel . I apply finish off the lathe but I was just turning off the tenon and finishing up the bottom. I was making one last pass on the bottom and surprise! I've got a funnel!:biggrin: 

I thought of fixing it but I decided to hang it by my lathe as a reminder to be careful...


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## wyone (Nov 9, 2014)

Ok..so I knew my nature would not let me wait. I had a chunk of Walnut and this is the progress so far.  I originally planned to part it off at the bottom where you can see I changed sizes.  When I get it standing I am not sure if I want to do that or not.  Hmm.  Well I guess I will decide after the glue dries as I have the two sections together  now.  of course I still need to turn the inside smooth and will be VERY nervous about that.  but I love the extra creativity this one has.


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## 79spitfire (Nov 9, 2014)

That's sweet!


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## Gethenet (Nov 14, 2014)

wyone said:


> Ok..so I knew my nature would not let me wait. I had a chunk of Walnut and this is the progress so far.  I originally planned to part it off at the bottom where you can see I changed sizes.  When I get it standing I am not sure if I want to do that or not.  Hmm.  Well I guess I will decide after the glue dries as I have the two sections together  now.  of course I still need to turn the inside smooth and will be VERY nervous about that.  but I love the extra creativity this one has.




That's looking really nice. My wife is a school teacher and this is giving me a idea on what to make her for her desk.....thanks a bunch
Can't wait to see what it looks like when you're all done


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## robutacion (Nov 14, 2014)

wyone said:


> Ok..so I knew my nature would not let me wait. I had a chunk of Walnut and this is the progress so far.  I originally planned to part it off at the bottom where you can see I changed sizes.  When I get it standing I am not sure if I want to do that or not.  Hmm.  Well I guess I will decide after the glue dries as I have the two sections together  now.  of course I still need to turn the inside smooth and will be VERY nervous about that.  but I love the extra creativity this one has.



Well, you've done well so far and I think that, I would cut that last straight edge foot piece out, possibly where you have also though, the rounded base, before the "disk" should be plenty as a foot, I reckon...!

You have the outside quite OK but, the inside has lots of deep tool cuts and that tells me that you are struggling with finishing the hollowing with a cutting tool, and if don't have a 18mm round carbide insert gouge to finish if out inside, use the flap disc.  The smaller discs (2") ones as shown on my thread, would be easily to handle inside that size piece however, you can use the normal 4" flap disc, just be careful on how you position the grinder to do the bottom corner.

Another good trick to use if you have reverse on your lathe is to, turn it in reverse to send the inside with the flap/round discs, from your lathe standing normal position, you will be looking straight at the surfaces you are working on, and not looking/working on the surfaces towards you, it really works wonders...!

If you intend to turn a few more bowls or similar pieces, let me know, I may spend some time giving you some pointers and helping to get the correct tools for that job...!

Cheers
George


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## wyone (Nov 14, 2014)

George..  again.. you go above and beyond!  I do sturggle exactly as you suggest.  I have not turned many bowls and between my current skill set and tooling, well  that does not help.  Just as with pens, I have learned all I know about turning by watching you tubes and reading.. a LOT .   

My lathe has a headstock that will rotate 20,60 and 90 degrees to the bed.  I did not use that until the late in my process, but think I might have more success using it.  It feels like the toolrest is pretty secure so I am thinking vibration wont be too bad.

I have been looking at carbide tools and currently only have one.  I think it is a 12 mm round rockler.  It  was on sale a while back, and it does work, but thinking it is not the best for pens or bowls actually.  

Any and all advice you have to give I will soak in with pleasure.  I love to learn and take every bit of advice without being insulted about how I am doing things.  I know that every one who offers advice here offers it truly to help improve skills and make things even more enjoyable!

Thank you in advance!


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