# Scared of turning a Bowl??????



## dicklaxt (Jun 2, 2005)

I keep reading where folks are saying ,one of these days I'll get up the nerve to try that or something similar.

I'm not trying to be a smart ***** in saying this or patting myself on the back either but you can do it,just think safety and be cautious.

I had never turned a lick in my life,I set up some soft pine 2x2 and started to get the feel of the different cutting tools after a couple of days I turned a solid shaped vase,then a candle stick holder but I wanted to turn a Pedestal Bowl, The only wood I had was some wet Pecan and it was a pretty big piece. It is now about a week after the 1st test run of tools.

I mounted it in the lathe on a 3/4" spur drive and a live center at the tail stock and turned the lathe on . It started bucking and jumping and moving across the floor,,,,scared me? YOU BET!!!!! I shut it down and regrouped by taking a few cuts with a chainsaw to get a better balance and tried again,it was better but still was pretty rough in running and moving a bit. I started in with roughing gouge and that was a bone jarring experience as the out of round piece caught and off the spur drive it came. I had suspicioned this might happen so I was standing to the left of the tail stock so was in the clear. It did it two more times before I got it balanced. The wood was so wet
and heavy the spur drive kept tearing out and I had to keep sinking it further and further into the wood.

I finally got the pedestal and outside of the bowl done,the bottom of the pedestal is towards the tail stock.I then sanded the outside and removed it from the lathe, cut the nub off the bottom of the pedestal,turned it around and mounted it back in the lathe using a 3/8" screw center at the headstock and the live center again at the tail stock. I turned as much of the interior of the bowl as I could while leaving a post so to speak in the center for live center support. I them slid the tail stock back and continued to turn away the post . Keep in mind that it is now only being supported by the screw center at the head stock so I was being very careful to only take light cuts and if I get a catch at this point its going to go airborne. Well with my skills being that of a very, very green novice at turning ,YOU GUESSED IT airborne it went,it missed me tho and I was afarid it would be cracked or a chunk broken out of it,but it survived the fall. I had to repair the tear out in the bottom of the base where the screw came out with epoxy. I remounted it and finished it later that day.

This whole operation took about 3 days from start to finish, The bowl is 13 1/2" in diameter by just under 6" high.Note how it has warped over the years as it dried out.

The point of this story is to make you aware that larger projects can be done by you as a novice turner and in a short period of time they will become routine.


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## Slip (Jul 25, 2006)

Very nice bowl, expecially for a first time? Good form.


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## speckle-catcher (May 20, 2004)

your pedestal looks wavy. was that from the wood moving since it was wet?


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## dicklaxt (Jun 2, 2005)

Yes it is from warpage looking straight down into the bowl itself, it is egg shaped,,,

gives it character

BTW Pecan or at least that that I have turned has a lot of silica in it and is hard on tools especially when dry....

dick


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## trodery (Sep 13, 2006)

LOL at Dick.....I'm glad to see someone else not scared!

Good Job!


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

trodery said:


> LOL at Dick.....I'm glad to see someone else not scared!
> 
> Good Job!


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LOL, Trod...I'm STILL SCARED !!!!

and I'm sure as hell not gonna start off with a 2x4 like somebody I know.:tongue:


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## Bobby (May 21, 2004)

I ain't scared!!!!!!!! Just lazy as heck.


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## 3192 (Dec 30, 2004)

Trod....anyone that can turn a 2X4 between centers for the first project shouldn't be scare of anything! lol gb


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## trodery (Sep 13, 2006)

galvbay said:


> Trod....anyone that can turn a 2X4 between centers for the first project shouldn't be scare of anything! lol gb


LOL......That's me, to dumb to be scared of much


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