How many bowls per day?

[Clif Moore]

I am new to turning. Still learning how to use the tools I have properly. I can get about half a bowl done in the time I have during a Saturday or Sunday. I was wondering, once I my skills are more developed, how many bowls per day can an experienced turner produce? I know there are many variable ( green vs dry, size of bowl, etc.) so ballpark it for me?

[Roger Chandler]

I don't claim to be an expert at bowl turning..........as you said there are many variables. If I have a piece of wood suitable for turning to finish, I can turn a 10" diameter bowl in about an hour +/- 15 minutes, including sanding...........finishing is another add on as far as time.

[Scott Hackler]

Very similar to Roger, if I was roughing out 10" bowls from green wood.. about a bowl an hour. Turning green to final thickness and light sanding, about 2 hours. Dry wood to finish sanded maybe 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours...maybe.

[Brian Kent]

It takes me about an hour and fifteen minutes to four hours depending on the wood, whether it is wet or dry, and how balanced it is on the inside.

Eucalyptus really varies in weight between the inside and outside of the log, moves even when mostly dry, and is very hard (when mostly dry) and I am turning on a Delta 46-460. I have to keep it slow even after it has a round shape. Maybe 500 rpm. Then it changes shape again and I have to sand at the slowest speed or off in order to reach all of the surfaces. That's the 2 to 4 hour option.

My dry avocado is soft, sands easily, and doesn't do any shape shifting, so an hour and fifteen minutes lets me turn an enclosed form (not a hollow form) with sanding and fast-finishing.

My total hobbyist bowl count is in the dozens, not hundreds.

[Brian Kent]

I am relieved, Roger. First time I read your post I thought you said +/- 15 minutes , not "an hour and +/- fifteen minutes".

[Clif Moore]

Thanks guys. I was thinking about 2 hours, start to finish, would be a good benchmark. I'll keep working on it.

[Roger Chandler]

I am relieved, Roger. First time I read your post I thought you said +/- 15 minutes , not "an hour and +/- fifteen minutes".

Glad you caught that hour and not just the minutes, Brian! I have done a bowl in 30 minutes.......from good wood........that is not the norm, however. A lot of times, just getting the tenon shaped on the piece for me is one of the most time consuming things........you have to figure out how you are going to hold a piece until you can get a tenon turned........

......that has improved dramatically with the chuck plate I got from Jerry M. in AZ. that thing really helps in getting a tenon turned from a log blank.

[Al Wasser]

If you read one of Raffan's books he says he can do it a lot faster than any of us mere mortals. He suggest time in minutes is equal to the diameter times the thickness.

[James Combs]

I can't believe you folks are talking minutes and hours, I thought I was doing good measuring in days. Guess I need to brush up on my technique a little or quit lolly gagging or something.

[Richard Madden]

I can't believe you folks are talking minutes and hours, I thought I was doing good measuring in days. Guess I need to brush up on my technique a little or quit lolly gagging or something.

You and me both James.

[Tim Boger]

The longer it takes me the better as far as I'm concerned ... I do segmented work and the joy is in the process.

It's not how much I can do in the time I have, it's how much time I have to do it.

Tim

[Michael Stafford]

Glenn Lucas turns several thousand bowls per year. He is pretty quick. I have watched him rip wood from a bowl blank using a 3/4" bowl gouge with a 1" sweep on the flute so fast that the wood was screaming. It is frightening to see how quickly the wood is turned to chips. Mike Mahoney is another rather speedy production turner.

Here is a Lucas video clip showing him removing wood with that big gouge. Doesn't take him long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTohOsvzjD0

[Richard Coers]

First liar doesn't have a chance. I can turn a bowl in 2 minutes. You didn't mention size. What's the hurry? A beginner that worries about speed is cheating himself of the joy of turning. Learn the process, be safe, throw away a few, and for goodness sake, don't get in a rush to sell. Every new guy thinks he will pay off the new lathe with his "art". Throw them away, or give them to your aunt. Just have some fun! After you've messed up a few, find a mentor in a local club. This isn't a skill learned easily on the Internet and YouTube.

[Jim Underwood]

Turning green wood is the way to learn. Once you have had a few Saturday sessions blanking out wood and turning rough outs you begin to pick up speed and improve technique. Or the other way around. I think I remember turning sixteen rough outs one weekend. I was sure tired though...

[Peter Blair]

I'm with Jim. What's the rush unless you are a production turner of course. If I really get into it I often rough out 10 or 12 on a weekend including coring and boiling them but that was an extreme.