Hello. I want to turn a salad bowl set for my wife. One large and some small ones. I need advice on the pros and cons of solid vs laminated bowls. Thanks. John.
Hello. I want to turn a salad bowl set for my wife. One large and some small ones. I need advice on the pros and cons of solid vs laminated bowls. Thanks. John.
Take the meanest, rustiest plane you have. Clean it, grind andsharpen the blade like a razor, and then set it up. Now, with theplane set very fine, run it over a scrap of oak. Hear the sound itmakes, and feel the perfect finish. What a thrill! --John Brown
John, do you intend to do the laminating? That would be the only way to control the grain alignment, glue application, etc. Practically speaking, I would not do laminated for aesthetic reasons, as well as possible de-lamination. That isn't to say that all laminated bowls are unattractive, but I would think most folks would prefer to see a solid wood bowl vs. a laminated bowl. It just says "handmade quality" a bit more, IMO.
Yeah, my Mother In Law has some old ones and even the small ones are laminated and coming apart. I didn't want to laminate them but was worried about cracking on the large bowl.
Take the meanest, rustiest plane you have. Clean it, grind andsharpen the blade like a razor, and then set it up. Now, with theplane set very fine, run it over a scrap of oak. Hear the sound itmakes, and feel the perfect finish. What a thrill! --John Brown
A laminated utility bowl will not last. It might look nice for a while, but no matter how tight your glue joints are or what kind of glue you use, eventually the joints will fail. A utility bowl that is used with food needs to be washed after each use, and glue and water don't mix. Definitely use solid wood. Solid bowls will not crack and will last for a lifetime if properly made and cared for.
I agree to go with solid. Even using Titebond III I have had a couple start to split. I usually use cherry, maple or walnut for my salad bowls.
Bernie
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.
To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.
vinegar eats through glue..having said that I have seen laminated bowls hold up with epoxy.
Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the ground each morning, the devil says, "oh crap she's up!"
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Are you saying that segmented bowls will come apart? They are laminated segments.
Thanks Larry
Larry, I think the issues here may relate more to the use of the bowl as a salad bowl and being exposed to water, vinegar, and other situations in which a utility bowl might be used. Most segmented work is artistic and not utilitarian, perhaps with the exception of cutting boards and the like. I would think those generally are reasonably stable simply because of the grain alignment and construction techniques used.
Thanks, John Larry
Do you have a time frame in mind? The solid wood approach would likely mean turning them rough while wet, letting them dry for several months, then turning them into final size and shape. It's the way to go, no doubt, by does it fit your schedule?
Grant
Ottawa ON
Thanks for the advice. Solid it is. I think I will turn them rough while wet Grant. I was worried about cracking on the solid bowl, but maybe if I do it that way it wont be an issue.
Take the meanest, rustiest plane you have. Clean it, grind andsharpen the blade like a razor, and then set it up. Now, with theplane set very fine, run it over a scrap of oak. Hear the sound itmakes, and feel the perfect finish. What a thrill! --John Brown