spalted box elder bowl and a blank cutter

[Jim Ketron]

got to do some turning this weekend I got a new STIHL 250 18" bar chainsaw for my B-day after bringing it home went a raided the next door neighbors fire wood pile to try it out and after the blank set in the shop for a few days decided to turn a bowl with it. This is my 2nd bowl Ive tried just getting some practice in! I need to make the bottom more rounded and flow a little better. (tips from some helpful fellers)
I may try make another soon and make it more round at the bottom
Jim

[Jim Becker]

Very nice bowl. Very nice toy. What's not to like???

[Jim Ketron]

Very nice bowl. Very nice toy. What's not to like???

Thanks Jim

[Brad Schmid]

Very nice Jim! I only wish my second bowl looked that good
Cheers,
Brad

[Michael Stafford]

Very nice, Jim. A spectacular firewood fine. I quit burning wood in my fireplace a few years ago so my firewood pile is non-existent. Keep up the good work!

[John Miliunas]

Congrats on the new bread knife and that's one nice looking bowl you whittled yourself! Great job for a fifth or 6th effort, much less second! I'm assuming you wore proper breathing protection when working with the spalted? Hope so! Anyhow, nice job and keep those pics coming.

[Ted Shrader]

Jim -

The wood in that bowl is great! Good selection. The form of the bowl shows the wood off very well - only your second one. WOW!

See you got a picture of the chainsaw prior to it being fired up. Bet it looks a little more broken it now. Congrats.

Regards,
Ted

[Glenn Hodges]

Looks like you caught that spalting just right, great looking bowl.

[Sparky Paessler]

Great looking bowl and saw! I'm still using my 25 year old Homelight saw. Nice B-day present.

[Steve Stube]

Great a "Turners Forum" afterall. I have an itch to try some turning and think it will be easier for me to glean from a group dedicated to turning and not have to sort thru a bunch of ... well non-turning stuff to get the information.

Jim, that is a very nice looking bowl you've made. I like it! Now for a question, you say, "I need to make the bottom more rounded and flow a little better. (tips from some helpful fellers)". If that is what you want to do/try fine but the outside bottom is flat why can't the inside bottom be flat? Isn't each turning a separate design, the turners expression and up to him when to lay the tools down and start the sanding/finishing phase of his creation? If I have to or need to turn a piece to someone else's expectations, where is the joy in that?

I hope I can find a wood specimen similar to yours to turn. I wouldn't have thought to wear any breathing protection when working with spalted wood, what are the recommendations for such.

[Jim Becker]

but (if) the outside bottom is flat why can't the inside bottom be flat?

It can. Design is that way. But it's also harder to turn a bowl with a flat bottom than it is to create a continuous curve...believe it or not! That said, most folks early in their turning career make bowls with wide, flat bottoms inside and out, largely due to the "visual guidance" that their faceplate or chuck provides. Most people will gradually refine their forms, both naturally and through instruction, however. It's not a matter of right or wrong, but one of developing tastes. And you are absolutely correct that one should work with forms they enjoy, too.

The concept of a "continuous curve" is something that is stressed by trainers and those who judge art forms in most cases...and that will influence most of us at some point. Jim's bowl is a very nice piece that actually a lot farther along that path than many people new to turning and I really like it a lot!

[Brad Schmid]

I wouldn't have thought to wear any breathing protection when working with spalted wood, what are the recommendations for such.

Steve,
Although breathing protection is always important when turning, it should even be considered more so with spalted timber. Spalting is essentially the result of mold growth, wood diseases, early stages of rot, etc. As you can imagine, breathing mold spores under any circumstance could be extremely dangerous.
Cheers,
Brad

[Steve Stube]

Thanks for the comments. I get it, breathing protection is a GOOD idea because of mold present but what do you use? Type? Brands? Where do I shop for such? I don't want to be hijacking a thread, should I ask this as a separate question/thread? I did turn 4 or 5 bowls in high school woodshop (~ 45 years ago) so I might not be brand new to bowl turning but close.

[Tyler Howell]

Both real nice Jim.

That new shop agrees with you.

[Brad Schmid]

Steve,

I too hesitate to hijack Jim's thread. If you will start a new thread, I'll gladly post some info for you. Hopefully it will also help catch the eye's of others that can contribute as well.
Cheers,
Brad