Tag Archives: walnut

How to Listen to the Wood – Carving, Day 2

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Sunday afternoon, I started a project with a board of butternut (I thought it was walnut at first).  The idea was to let the wood dictate the end result.  I documented the process of building and mounting wall brackets live on Twitter and what you see below are the updates from Day 2: Monday (you can read the first day of this project in How to Listen to the Wood – Carving, Day 1).  This was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could see the rate at which I progressed.

(If you are not familiar with the format used on Twitter, the @ symbol indicates a username.  Every update, or “tweet” below starts with a username, being the author of that tweet.  Sometimes, you will see two or more usernames in a tweet.  The second (and third, etc) usernames are people to whom the author is talking.  The other symbol you will see is #, which serves as a category.  I tried to remember to categorize all my tweets pertaining to this project under #flairww.)

FlairWoodworks So this is where I left off yesterday. Follow along with #flairww  -12:24 PM Feb 13th, 2012 pic.twitter.com/8mmHxwDo FlairWoodworks In this tight area I’m able to hold the chisel like this and move it diagonally in the direction of the arrow. #flairww -12:55 PM Feb 13th, 2012

ravinheart @FlairWoodworks LOL .. hey, I see him now -12:25 PM Feb 13th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Working in restricted spaces is one of the biggest challenges. #flairww -12:50 PM Feb 13th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks This section is now shaped. #flairww -1:07 PM Feb 13th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks If a curve feels fair, it’s fair. I use my sense of touch to judge my progress. #flairww -1:12 PM Feb 13th, 2012

FlairWoodworks As I work on this carving, I feel the need to add some colour. What do you think? Paint? Dye? Stain? Nothing? #flairww -2:24 PM Feb 13th, 2012

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asliceofwood @FlairWoodworks maybe a little darker or something to make the grain “pop” -2:28 PM Feb 13th, 2012

FlairWoodworks You think that’s all it needs? #flairww RT @asliceofwood: @FlairWoodworks maybe a little darker or something to make the grain “pop” -2:35 PM Feb 13th, 2012

asliceofwood @FlairWoodworks yeah. I’m a fan of natural. The design looks great. -2:37 PM Feb 13th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Thanks, Tim. #flairww RT @asliceofwood: @FlairWoodworks yeah. I’m a fan of natural. The design looks great. -2:37 PM Feb 13th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I have to figure out what to do about this crack which is about 3/4″ deep at the near end and gets shallower. #flairww -2:45 PM Feb 13th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks I love textures. #flairww -2:50 PM Feb 13th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks This crack just won’t work. I’m going to cut it out and reassemble the two pieces. #flairww -3:04 PM Feb 13th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks Here is the result of one cut on the bandsaw.#flairww -3:08 PM Feb 13th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks I’m taking advantage of the easy access with the bottom removed and carving the otherwise restricted areas. #flairww -3:13 PM Feb 13th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks The trick with the ribbon is to make it look delicate without being delicate. I bevelled the ends. #flairww -3:24 PM Feb 13th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks I use my thumb and finger to gauge the thickness. If it feels right, it’s right. #flairww -3:26 PM Feb 13th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Because the ribbon is fragile, I used a piece of plywood to support it while carving the back. #flairww -3:55 PM Feb 13th, 2012

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gvmcmillan @FlairWoodworks Good idea – the grain direction looks like it would make it even more fragile. #flairww What’s the project? -3:57 PM Feb 13th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @gvmcmillan The project has been evolving since the get-go. Right now, it looks like a runner crossing the finish line. #flairww -3:59 PM Feb 13th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @gvmcmillan I’m just carving and letting the piece lead the way. #flairww -4:00 PM Feb 13th, 2012

gvmcmillan @FlairWoodworks Cool! I’ve never tried that before (abstract isn’t my gift). -4:07 PM Feb 13th, 2012

FlairWoodworks When using a gouge across the grain, one side of the cut is always with the grain and the other side against. #flairww -4:15 PM Feb 13th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks When shaping convex surfaces, often a wide, flat chisel (and not a carving gouge) is the best tool. #flairww -4:16 PM Feb 13th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks I removed most of the material from the back of the ribbon then glued the two pieces back together. #flairww -4:55 PM Feb 13th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks I have to wait for the glue to cure, so It’s a good place to stop for the day. #flairww -4:58 PM Feb 13th, 2012

To be continued…

How to Listen to the Wood – Carving, Day 1

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Sunday afternoon, I started a project with a board of butternut (I thought it was walnut at first).  The idea was to let the wood dictate the end result.  I documented the process of building and mounting wall brackets live on Twitter and what you see below are the updates from Sunday (the project wasn’t completed in one day and so there will be more to come).  This was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could see the rate at which I progressed.

(If you are not familiar with the format used on Twitter, the @ symbol indicates a username.  Every update, or “tweet” below starts with a username, being the author of that tweet.  Sometimes, you will see two or more usernames in a tweet.  The second (and third, etc) usernames are people to whom the author is talking.  The other symbol you will see is #, which serves as a category.  I tried to remember to categorize all my tweets pertaining to this project under #flairww.)

“The inspiration for me was this irregular butternut board and a table by Jennifer Anderson called Pattern Study 1 but I was willing to listen to what the board I had on hand wanted me to do.  By the end of day one, it was clear that I was not making a table.”

Pattern Study 1 by Jennifer Anderson

FlairWoodworks I’ve got this walnut board that tapers in thickness and has a live edge. Follow my inspired process with #flairww -12:29 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks I’ve surfaced one face which revealed long checks (cracks) on it. Cutting them out would be wasteful. #flairww -12:31 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks This is going to be a carving exercise to incorporate the checks into the design. There are no defects. #flairww -12:35 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks I started by defining the edges with a V-gouge. #flairww -12:38 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks I used a series of gouges to excavate between the V cuts. From left to right: 5/12, 7/10 and 9/10 gouges. #flairww -12:45 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks My 9/10 gouge is used extensively for roughing – much like a scrub plane. #flairww -12:58 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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WatkinsWoodWork @FlairWoodworks Very cool…can’t wait to see the finished product of your inspiration. -12:59 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Same here! RT @WatkinsWoodWork: @FlairWoodworks Very cool…can’t wait to see the finished product of your inspiration. -1:00 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I had intended to have more cuts terminating in wide curves at the near edge but it’s already quite busy. #flairww -1:20 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks Here’s my new plan. #flairww -1:24 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks This deep relief visually reduces the thickness of the board. I think I still need to go deeper though. #flairww -1:36 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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WatkinsWoodWork @FlairWoodworks Yup…I agree. A bit more depth should give a nice flow. -1:39 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks My 9/25 gouge is for when I’m serious about stock removal. My 9/10 is in the background. #flairww -1:39 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks I think this looks awesome! Notice the shine on the carved surface. #flairww -1:46 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks This end is done for now. I think I need to make the other end scoops deeper now. #flairww -1:56 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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TomsWorkbench @FlairWoodworks Is this a new Br’all design? -1:58 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks No sir! RT @TomsWorkbench: @FlairWoodworks Is this a new Br’all design? #flairww -1:59 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Parts of this walnut are surprisingly hard! Sections feel like hard maple. #flairww -2:00 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m not really happy with this scoop. I want the curve to be steeper but don’t have the required thickness. #flairww -2:07 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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WatkinsWoodWork @FlairWoodworks Very nice -2:20 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Okay – I’m back after getting a bite to eat. The carving is certainly lacking but I’m not sure what it needs. #flairww -3:17 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks It’s coming along but I’m still trying to figure out where it’s going. #flairww -3:46 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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“At this point, I was not at all happy with how it was turning out.  To me, it looked like a board with one live edge, a big crack, and a whole bunch of random scoops taken out of it.  Yuck.  If I hadn’t been documenting the progress live on Twitter all along, I might have tossed it in the firewood box.  But I kept working on it, hoping that something would emerge.  Eventually something did emerge.”

FlairWoodworks I rounded over the shoulders of the cracks that I was unable to carve out. #flairww -3:57 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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cobwobbler @FlairWoodworks I like this process, letting the project evolve organically. -3:59 PM Feb 12th, 2012

cobwobbler @FlairWoodworks That’s looking good. How easy was it to cut? -4:01 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I don’t think enough people allow it to happen. RT @cobwobbler: @FlairWoodworks I like this process, letting the project evolve organically -4:02 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @cobwobbler Some parts are easy, some areas are harder and challenging. -4:02 PM Feb 12th, 2012

cobwobbler @FlairWoodworks Now it’s flowing like a river bed. Nice. -4:04 PM Feb 12th, 2012

cobwobbler @FlairWoodworks yes that works, it’s got a real flow and almost a sense of movement. -4:06 PM Feb 12th, 2012

WatkinsWoodWork @FlairWoodworks I like it. The check was distracting. -4:09 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I used a wide chisel, bevel-down, to extend the rounded corners. #flairww -4:09 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks I like the part I just did but the rest looks lacking. I might use a saw to cut more “checks” into the board. #flairww -4:19 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks Pay attention to the wood. This little knot is a signal that the grain may change direction. #flairww -4:26 PM Feb 12th, 2012

MichaelAgate @FlairWoodworks Chris, perhaps it is fine just like it is. Sometimes knowing where to stop is the challenge :) We all like it here :) -4:26 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @MichaelAgate Thanks for the input, Michael and company. However, I feel it is not done yet. Onwards! #flairww -4:28 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I feel that I am on the right track. That’s good because it’s very difficult to undo carving ;) #flairww -4:33 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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asliceofwood @FlairWoodworks looking good! Like all these little tips. -4:39 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks It was still looking too blocky so I went to the bandsaw and made a series of cuts. Now I’ll refine it with carving tools. #flairww -4:58 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks For unrestricted access to the edge, I clamped a short 2×4 in my vise and clamped the workpiece to it. #flairww -5:04 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks I’m really not happy with how uniform it looks. Time for some adjustments on the bandsaw. #flairww -5:09 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks When I come across an inconsistency like this I have to decide whether to incorporate or eliminate it. #flairww -5:19 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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HighRockWW @FlairWoodworks I like the looks of the rest that I can see. -5:24 PM Feb 12th, 2012

MansFineFurn @FlairWoodworks character -5:24 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m starting to see something! Can you see it? This is #exciting! #flairww -5:27 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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ravinheart @FlairWoodworks Yup I can see it it’s in there just keep letting it out -5:30 PM Feb 12th, 2012

MansFineFurn @FlairWoodworks yes -5:34 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve learned to embrace sanding as sometimes it, just like any other technique, has its place. 1 side sanded. #flairww -5:46 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks Having dust collection nearby doesn’t catch all the dust but it gets most, if not all, of the airborne dust. #flairww -5:54 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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ravinheart: @FlairWoodworks a tree within a tree, water, and motion #flairww -5:56 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks We must remember to be patient with the creative process. #flairww -6:00 PM Feb 12th, 2012

MansFineFurn @FlairWoodworks A highway interchange, Dr Seuss’s horns from the Grinch, fine carving work, your mad skills, and my lack of artistry -6:14 PM Feb 12th, 2012

MansFineFurn @FlairWoodworks I keep asking myself: “but what’s it DO?” #TheEngineerLooksAtArt -6:17 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Ha ha ha! I was doing that too. #flairww RT @MansFineFurn: @FlairWoodworks I keep asking myself: “but what’s it DO?” #TheEngineerLooksAtArt -6:17 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Would anyone else care to share what they see here? #flairww  -6:19 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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ravinheart @FlairWoodworks a running man would be in motion :) -6:22 PM Feb 12th, 2012

Flairwoodworks If you were closer I might throw him at you! ;) RT @ravinheart: @FlairWoodworks a running man would be in motion :) -6:23 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @ravinheart sees a tree, water and motion. @MansFineFurn sees a highway interchange or Grinch horns. I see a runner. #flairww -6:25 PM Feb 12th, 2012

ravinheart @FlairWoodworks there will be no throwing :P

FlairWoodworks Ok. Dinner break. #flairww -6:29 PM Feb 12th, 2012

Tooltutor @FlairWoodworks Looks like a tree on its side being struck by a meteorite…or a flowing river being hit by a meteorite =P -6:40 PM Feb 12th, 2012

Seanw78 @FlairWoodworks something between antlers and a blowing wind -7:15 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Thanks for sharing! #flairww RT @Seanw78: @FlairWoodworks something between antlers and a blowing wind -7:18 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks So I’m back after dinner and thinking about some major material removal, as indicated by the scribble. #flairww -8:19 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks I think Andrew @RavinHeart may have inspired me to make this cut by hand instead of the bandsaw. #flairww -8:35 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks Two cutouts complete. I’m going to do some shaping next. #flairww -8:44 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks The correct sweep of gouge is determined by which part of the edge engages. The corners should not engage. #flairww -8:56 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks Out damned crack! I know it doesn’t go through but I can’t tell how deep it is. I’ll keep going… #flairww -9:03 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks I’m defining what I think is a ribbon running horizontally across what I think is the waist of the runner. #flairww -9:33 PM Feb 12th, 2012

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FlairWoodworks I’m using a 15/6 (60-degree V) gouge to undercut the ribbon. #flairww -9:49 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I want to remove this narrow bit that I’ve shaded but I know it will mean a lot more work. It’s worth it. #flairww -10:12 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks A good tool solves problems without causing any. This Knew Concepts fret saw is certainly a good tool. #flairww -10:16 PM Feb 12th, 2012

Tumblewood @FlairWoodworks fun to watch your creative improvisation. -10:34 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Thanks, Vic! #flairww -10:37 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I finished roughing the cutout. Now to refine that confined space. Not fun. #flairww -10:42 PM Feb 12th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Time for another break! #flairww -11:00 PM Feb 12th, 2012

The carving is continued in How to Listen to the Wood – Carving, Day 2.

From Chair to Table, Literally

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Dave Kilpatrick is the kind of guy who hates to see wood go to waste. So when he heard that six solid-walnut chairs were being tossed out, he offered to take them. His wife must have been thrilled when he brought them home. Anyhow, they ended up in my garage where I let them sit while I figured out what I could do with them. The style was horribly dated, and I decided that they had no future as chairs so I asked my brother to knock them apart. This is what I ended up with:

So, I thought, what could I do with a bunch of nice walnut sticks? I figured that I had enough to make a table top, so I started there. I dressed the sticks using my bandsaw, tablesaw, and thickness planer and carefully laid them out so that no seams lined up and so that the grain ran in all the same direction for ease of later surfacing. I went and had dinner, then came back to do the glue-up.

I started by covering a sheet of flat 3/4″ plywood with kraft paper to protect my nice plywood from glue. The stiff plywood served as a surface to do the glue-up on, and one which the glued top could be clamped to to ensure it stays relatively flat. I got out my bottle of liquid hide glue and for curiousity’s sake, started the timer I keep in my shop. I applied worked quickly and calmly, applying glue to every mating surface then rubbing the mating surfaces together until the glue grabbed. It was a long glue-up, with 61 pieces. 90 minutes later, I put the last clamp on before washing my hands and cleaning up the shop.

I let the assembly dry for 24 hours before removing the clamps. I used handplanes to flatten and smooth the top starting with a scrub plane before progressing to a jack plane and smooth plane. I flattened the bottom with the scrub and finished the less-critical surface with the jack plane.

The top looked stellar, but I had one minor problem: The chairs had been joined with dowels. I had been careful to make sure none of these dowels showed on the top surface, but it couldn’t be avoided around the edges. And the bottom was riddled with holes, but thankfully not enough to be a structural issue.

I had considered running banding around the outside of the table, but ruled that out as it would make the table look like it was veneered. I decided to rout a groove along the four edges of the top and insert a strip of maple to cover the holes. It worked like a charm. After milling the groove, I planed the maple for a friciton fit in the groove.

To simplify the corner joinery, I used three pieces of maple along each edge – one at either corner and one in the center. 45-degree miters went on the end towards the corner and a 5-degree miter went on the opposite end. I cut the miters in the corners first and installed the eight pieces. I then measured the length of the four center pieces directly off of the table, then cut them a little long at 5 degrees. This little detail ensured that no gaps would show. I realized afterwards that by cutting them a little long, I had inadvertently created an interesting design feature, a sort of keystone, if you will. Though I had initially planned on planing them flush, I decided to leave them proud.

With the desk’s top almost done, I used a card scraper on the top surface to give it the final smoothing. Here’s what the scraped surface looked like. Note that this is a bare scraped surface with absolutely nothing on it – no finish or anything. This is why I love my planes and scrapers.

No matter how nice the top looks, a table is not a table without a base. A few years ago, I had started building a desk but abandoned the project for some reason. I had rough-shaped the legs with an eighth-twist in them using a drawknife, then stopped. I liked the look of them – simple, tapered legs with a bit of a twist (pun intended). I dusted them off and finished making them using a spokeshave followed by a card scraper. It’s so nice having a patternmaker’s vise. I use the tilt and rotation features daily. I get a fair bit of use of the skew-able front jaw too. And of course, the quick-release foot-pedal on this vise gets a workout every day. To shape the legs, I tilted the vise up a bit so that I was working on a level surface and supported the far end with a cut-to-length bench slave.

Using some of the wider walnut pieces, I made the aprons for the table. They were long enough to make the side aprons from one piece, but the front and back apron needed to be made from three pieces. I glued them up and added a glue block along the length on the inside to reinforce the long aprons. I cut a concave curve along the bottom edge of the front apron and added maple trim to the bottom edge of each apron to cover the screw holes and visually tie the aprons to the top. I assembled the base, then finished the top and base separately with an oil/varnish blend. Once the finish dried, I attached the top to the base.

Wood – My Weakness

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Offer me a piece of wood and I will accept.
Consequently, my side yard contains the following:

One holly log, approximately 14″ diameter and 5′ long;

A large stack of 2″ to 3″ thick spalted maple; and

An assortment of turning blanks.  Currently, maple, black walnut and acacia make up my stash.

Just recently, I realized that 7′ skids make ideal platforms for drying & storing wood.  They keep it off the ground providing good air circulation and are also sturdy enough to handle the immense weight of freshly cut wood with a high moisture content.  I always use sticks of wood known as stickers between each layer to promote circulation.  The more circulation, the faster the wood will dry.

In my backyard, I’ve converted an unused play house into a useful wood storage shed.

Playhouse to Wood Shed2-Mo Apple & Plum Blocks4-Mo Hornbeam, 1-Yr Maple, 5-Yr Cherry

At left is the storage shed.  I’ve added the cross brace because the weight of the wood in the upper half was causing the shed to lean.  In the center are more turning blanks.  These are apple and plum.  In the right photo, from left to right, are:  two hornbeam logs, a stack of 1-1/2″ thick maple slabs, a stack of thick cherry slabs, and scrap wood.

And the latest haul – a fraction of the maple my good friend Dave milled.  Arbourists at UBC decided that a number of trees had to go.  Dave got word of this and arranged to have a large amount of it delivered to a site in Langley where he proceeded to mill the trees into usable (not to mention spectacular) lumber during his free time.  To mill the crotch, which measured up to five feet and change, Dave used his biggest chainsaw equipped with his longest bar which measures 72″ long.  To guide the saw, he rigs the chainsaw up to a modified Alaskan Mill.  Much of the wood he milled was donated to a local high school.  Today he brought over a few slabs for me - about 1200 lbs or so worth.  To make it easier to handle, we cut some pieces shorter.

SlabsWavy Slab

These picture doesn’t show the scale of the wood.  The slabs are just over seven feet long.  At the base of the crotch, the slabs are four feet.  The picture on the right shows the piece which I think is the most prized.  It’s got a wavy shape and medium burling at the near end as well as substantial figure and colour throughout.  Inspirational.

Dave is using a chainsaw with a 24″ bar to cut the slabs into manageable pieces.  Whole, they can weigh well over 400 lbs.

Here is a view of the figure in some of the wood.

And here is the end of a slab exhibiting spalting, which is caused by rot.  Spalting produces many colours and results in very attractive wood.  If it is halted at the right time, the wood doesn’t lose any of its structure.  If allowed to rot for too long, it just crumbles.

A Weekend That Turned Out Well

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I had this past weekend off, and I made the most of it, turning a total of five bowls, all from green wood.  I slept in until 10:00am on Saturday.  I had a quick breakfast and headed down to the shop.  The first bowl was a result of a co-worker giving me a section of a Japanese Cherry.  It still had the bark on the outside and I was inspired to turn a natural-edged bowl.  I also wanted to try my hand at a deep vessel.  It wasn’t incredibly difficult hollowing out the bowl, but the confined space doesn’t make sanding easy.  Nonetheless, I am pleased with the shape and end result.

Natural Edge Cherry

From the same cherry, I turned a small, thin-walled bowl.  The walls are less than 1/16″ thick.  When I turned the bowl, the wood had a high moisture content.  When I finished shaping the bowl, I put it into the microwave for a minute then, wearing gloves to avoid burning myself, formed the round rim square.

Steambent Cherry

The next bowl I turned was of Black walnut.  I had a nice big blank so I decided to turn a wide bowl.  I started with the rim and worked my way down, shaping the bowl as I deemed appropriate.  I often let the grain and colour dictate the final shape.  Once the shaping was finished, I sanded the bowl and parted it off.  I sat it on a pile of green shavings to let it dry slowly.  When I uncovered the bowl, the rim had warped to a smooth, wavy shape.  I could not have been more pleased with the end result.

Wide Rim Black Walnut

The wood used for this bowl is unknown.  It is creamy white, and has a blue-purple stain at the center.  This pattern is consistent throughout all the blanks I got from this tree (thanks Ralph).  By this time, the light has long since disappeared and I decided to have some fun (correction: more fun) and try a different style bowl and a different technique.  Most bowls I turn have the grain running from side to side.

This bowl, however, has the end grain running from top to bottom.  Once I mounted the block on the lathe and trued it up so that it was round and balanced, I killed the overhead lights and turned on a single articulated fluorescent task light.  I worked quickly to shape the outside to a gentle curve, then moved to the inside.  I quickly wasted out the bulk of the inside, then moved the light so that it was shining on the outside of the bowl.

When a wood is green (has a relatively high moisture content) and is fairly thin, it appears translucent.  By noting the brightness of different areas of the bowl, I can very accurately gauge the wall thickness.  I took light cuts until the light was shining through evenly, then parted the bowl off.  Time for bed – it’s well past 10:00pm.

Translucent

Twelve hours later, I was back in the shop to turn another bowl.  This bowl is an excellent example of how I let the wood determine the final shape of the bowl.  I chose a large chunk of black walnut and cut it round on the bandsaw.  As I trued it up on the lathe, I realized that there was a void in the tree which meant that there was bark further towards the middle.

My first objective was to remove all traces of bark.  Sometimes bark is desirable.  But not this time.  After the bark had been eradicated, I re-evaluated the bowl.  I had a large amount of sapwood (the lighter coloured wood) on what would become the lower half of the bowl.  I realized that I would have to either get rid of the sapwood entirely or use it extensively to make it seem intentional.  So I gauged the highest point the sapwood extended and made that the middle of the bowl.

I have become partial to flared sides, so I decided to stick with that.  A narrow base meant more sapwood exposure in this case without any bark or other defects.  A wider rim seems to make the bowl seem more open – like it has a greater capacity.  I also like to cut a shallow bevel on the bottom of the bowl it makes it seem lighter, almost as if it is floating.  Once I had defined the outside of the bow, I turned my attention to the insides.  I tapered the walls from a razor-thin (and sharp) lip to thick (1/4″) at the base.  I finished off my sanding up to 600x and applied a sanding sealer before parting off.

Razor's Edge (Black Walnut)

This is what my shop looked like after 5 bowls had been revealed.

After a Weekend of Turning