Bowl Orientation-Which is Better?

[Greg Bender]

I've been turning for several years but I'm self taught so there are things that I do that are not everybody's 1st choice.
When everybody gets a log and cuts it into bowl blanks ,do you orient the bottom of the bowl blank to the outside of the log,orto the area next to the pith.And,whichever is your choice,why do you make that choice.I know that on a natural edge bowl there is no choice but do you go that direction anyway.Also,what is the typical sequence for all when starting to turn a piece from a half or third of a log.Faceplate to the bigger diameter,shape the bottom and turn a tenon,sand and then flip ends and do the interior?
I'm needing to improve in several areas and are considering taking some classes.I get some very nice bowls,and would post pix if I could remember the best way,but when I see what some of you gentlemen are doing I feel like OH well,back to the drawing board.
Last but not least,would anybody suggest a DVD in particular that does really teach ,from a standpoint of improving skills.Some of what I've seen seem like there trying to sell tools more than sharing what gets the results.
Thanx,Greg

[Scott Conners]

This PDF was posted on here just a few days ago, I've already found it very useful. It shows many of the ways to cut a bowl, and how it will affect the look, it's worth having or printing out. In theory, if the log is big enough, putting the pith towards the foot will result in the least distortion of the rim during drying. I usually use wood the other way, because of size.

I generally use a screw chuck into the bowl face, turn the bottom and tenon, reverse into a chuck, then hollow. After drying I'll true the tenon between centers, re-chuck and finish and sand, then friction chuck or use flat jaws to finish the bottom.

I highly recommend Bill Grumbine's "Turned Bowls Made Easy", it's a VERY good dvd and covers a huge amount of techniques and when and why they are useful. I'm self taught also, and his DVD was one of the best resources.

Too big for the forums so I hosted it on my site: http://www.scottconners.com/upload/b...s_from_log.pdf

[Richard Madison]

Greg,
That DVD by Bill G. that Scott mentioned is the one everybody recommends, so it would be a good choice.

One method is to start a bowl between centers with pith side at the headstock, mostly because this yields the largest possible bowl from the blank. Turn a tenon for your chuck at the tailstock end (which will be the bottom of the bowl) and shape the exterior of the bowl. Then reverse onto a chuck as Scott said, and turn the interior.

One advantage of starting between centers is you have the option of moving the tail center a bit if your blank is not initially centered the way you want. If one side of blank is cleaning up nicely and still have lots of bark on other side, you can shift the tail point a bit to center the blank better. Hope that made sense.

[Dick Sowa]

I second the Bill G. video recommendation. Money well spent.

Your question was "which is better?" My answer: I don't think there is one way that is better. Each orientation yields a different grain pattern and different appearance. They are all good Scott's pdf link is a good resource. How the grain is oriented will also affect how the wood shrinks as it dries (if you turn green) and how it will warp during changes in humidity.

I also start between centers. Sometimes I use a spur center, other times a faceplate on the side that will eventually be "up". I turn a tenon on the tailstock end for my chuck, and finish the outside profile before tackling the inside.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Greg - another vote for Bill Grumbine's video. Shows you everything you need to know to turn a bowl as far as tool techniques. It is a great resource and I go back and review it every few months. I still catch something new each time I watch it!

Orientation - the pith side towards headstock - held with woodworm screw. Turn outside of bowl, form tenon, reverse and then hollow. There are times when I orient the blank different just to have a different result. Play with it and have some fun!

[Greg Bender]

Scott, Richard, Dick and Steve,
Sounds like Bill's DVD is the unanimous choice and I will look for it.As far as your answers,I realize that orientation can depend on grain patterns and final shape that you are going for but I did not even think about what Scott mentioned about less distortion when drying as I have had sme interesting results with turning green apple and hickory and the distorted results.On that note,Would it be safe to assume that if your turning wood that is all ready dry then it really shouldn't matter from a cracking /distortion viewpoint what side/end you locate the bottom of the bowl but can just concentrate on getting the best and most yield from that blank.I'm getting it a little at a time,I'm mostly a furniture and cabinet builder but I enjoy the semi-instant gratification of turning.I just need now to repower my Woodfast or hit Powerball!Thanx a bunch
Greg

[Cyril Griesbach]

Greg, Bill Grumbine's DVD is beyond excellent for what you're asking and his second DVD...I think it's "Beyond the Basic Bowl" is just as good if not better. Here's where you can get them.

http://www.wonderfulwood.com/dvd.html

[Steve Schlumpf]

Greg - if turning really dry wood you would think that orientation shouldn't make much difference as far as distortion/cracking. I would think a lot would depend on what kind of wood it is and what the grain pattern is like. The wood may be dry but when turning it you will relieve some of the internal stresses and that may still cause it to warp or crack. If you already have the wood - give it a try. What's the worse that can happen?

[Bernie Weishapl]

Another vote for both of Bill's DVD's.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

I second this. Bill's video is an excellent one for learning to turn bowls.

And that PDF is great. My thanks to the author of that document!

Joshua

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Greg side grain is the better way to orient your bowl in the wood.
With side grain the bowl can get oval when drying, as the sides will lower while drying.
With end grain orientation, the wood will shrink all around, the outside (sapwood) will dry more than the inside (heartwood) of the bowl, in order for the outside to get smaller the inside has to give, (bulge out) if you make a round shape and thinner center it might do that, but there's a good chance it will split, also the pit itself will like to split by contracting, anyway it can be done but it is a hard one to pull off.
Yes you are doing it the usual way, faceplate on the wide part and shape the outside, flip over and hollow out the interior.
Don't be shy to show your stuff, as there's always someone that finds a nicer piece of wood, and if we all thought that way, there wouldn't be a picture shown here.
So bring it on ;-))))

[David Walser]

I'm a proud owner and watcher of both of Bill's videos. Like other owners, I watch the videos every few months and always learn something new. However, if I could only have one video on bowl turning it would be Lyle Jamieson's Bowl Basics the Easy Way. Not only is it a great bowl video, it may be the best turning video I've ever seen. (I own more than 15 turning videos and have seen dozens more.) Lyle provides clear explanations about both how's and why's. You may not always agree with Lyle, but you'll understand why he thinks one approach is better than another. Here's a link to Lyle's video: http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/st...l_basics?Args=

Another video on bowl making is Mike Mahoney's Bowl Basics. Mike makes his living and made his name turning bowls. Mike's videos give you a lot of the insights Mike has gained from turning thousands of bowls. His video is not better than Bill's, but it's every bit as good. Here's a link: http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/st...l_basics?Args=

Hope this helps!