Bowl #1, FINALLY!

[Roland Martin]

After a few frustrating attempts, I decided to turn a bowl that a newbie ought to turn, basic. I was recently at the local Rockler and bought a figured maple blank that looked to have some decent figure & color. I bought a small blank in order to force me to keep my turning options in check. This is what I ended up with, though quite basic, I am humbly pleased. It is 5 1/2" x 1 1/2" with 3/16" walls. I apologize for the amuteur photography, but after all my failed attempts at turning a bowl, I just wanted to get some feedback. Please let me know what you think, where I went wrong or possibly right. I reallize there may be limited comments on such a basic bowl, but any feedback would be a help. Thanks for looking.

[Ken Glass]

Roland,
I only wish my first would have been that good. Excellent bowl. A simple yet classic shape. The figure in the Maple is really great. Make sure you keep this one to see in a year how far you have come. Could have been you 30th bowl. Very nice work. Well Done!!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Roland that is a great looking bowl out of a really pretty piece of wood. It really looks good and did a nice job. For me when I started the flat bottom bowl was hard. I had a heck of a time keeping the bevel rubbing but it looks like you did a good job on it. Keep at it. It takes lots of practice and I can't tell you how many bowls went into the neighbors firewood pile. I still have a couple on the bench that are beautiful funnels just as reminders to measure often.

[William Bachtel]

Great piece of wood, selecting the right wood is key. I like the bowl, for your first bowl it is great. One thing I wood do is make the bottom smaller, less diameter, l/3 of the total diameter. One this bowl l/4 wood be great. This way you show more curl on the inside, and the bowl wood be more pleasing to look at. You are going to make a great bowlmaker.

[Roland Martin]

Thanks a bunch Bernie. I must admit that I cheated as I was turning the bottom. I quickly found that I was on the verge of blowing this thing up with the gouge, am not anywhere comfortable enough with the skew yet, so I resorted to using a square-nosed scraper that I made from a cheap turning tool I had & slightly relieved the corners. Otherwise, I keep either digging or skating.

[Frank Townend]

Very nicely done Roland! You showed great respect to that beautiful piece of wood.

[Sean Hughto]

You're a natural. Great first bowl. Sweet wood, and nice shape.

I'm not too far ahead of you - maybe up to 20 bowls or so. If you make a smaller foot, you can make a nice inside curve all the way to the bottom. Something to try, though there is nothing wrong with flat bottoms, of course (also, I like scrapers too - and so does Raffan!). Lately I'm obsessed with the curves and the thicknesses - keeping everything simple. Plenty of variation there for me to work out yet. I'm continually amazed by how much a decent bowl versus a real keeper is sort of luck for me still - not just in the wonder of what is actually in the piece of wood, but sometimes, mistakes cause me to do things I wouldn't have thought to otherwise, that were better than I could have intended! It's a blast!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Roland - very nice work! Love the wood and you did a good job on the finish as well!

Forms for bowls or anything else turning related is a matter of personal taste and the more you turn - the more that taste changes relative to your experience. This form works but is actually one of the harder bowl forms to turn because of the flat bottom.

As you progress through turning bowls - keep in mind continuous curves and proportions. I think you did quite well with your first bowl - heck of a lot better looking than mine! Have fun with it and play around a little with shape and see what you like.

Also, seeing as how you were having trouble with using your gouge (Never use a skew for a bowl), I was wondering if you belong to a turning club? Saves a lot of time in learning how to turn when someone can show you a few of the basics.

Have fun! Looking forward to seeing bowl #2!

[Baxter Smith]

I like the wood and finish. As for shape, there may be more pleasing ones depending on your taste, but certainly no more functional. Looks very usable if you are so inclined!
Very good job.

[Robert McGowen]

I must admit that I cheated as I was turning the bottom....... I resorted to using a square-nosed scraper.....

And that would be cheating how?????

It looks like you did a fine job. As mentioned, you could curve in the bottom a little more and consequently make the flat part of the bottom a little smaller, but overall it is a very pleasing shape. Very nice bowl.

[Steve Mawson]

Roland,
Great piece of wood and you created a very nice bowl. Actually have not made a flat bottom bowl so you got me thinking. Have to second Steve on the skew and bowls, not a good idea-experience taught me many years ago. Using your scraper is just the ticket.

[Chris Hayes]

Very nice first survivor. I've got a boatload of that figured maple from Rockler and have enjoyed the frustrations it gives me. I wouldn't count using the square scraper as cheating -- cheating would be having someone else turn it then taking credit for the work.

for those of us who're not that much more experienced, you're setting a high bar for first attempts...Good going.

[David E Keller]

Great job on a great piece of wood. I agree with the others about proportions, but nothing wrong with it the way it is.

Steve mentioned that your tastes will change as you turn more and more... My problem is that my tastes change faster than my skills.

[Dale Bright]

Roland, you did Great! Very nice for a first bowl and beautiful piece of wood.

Dale

[Curt Fuller]

That's a very nice looking bowl, especially for a first. As to feed back, the only thing I can say is that it was a great idea to number the bottom. You'll be able to keep it as a reference to compare to as you turn more of them.