Turn a Green Wood Bowl
By Alan Lacer
Purchase the complete version of this woodworking technique story from AWBookstore.com.
Making
a functional object directly from
raw material in
its natural state is
incredibly satisfying.
Just ask any potter.
For woodworkers,
green woodturning
captures that feeling.
You literally start with
a log and end up with a
beautiful bowl.
If you’ve never turned green
wood before, you’re in for a treat.
Green wood is easier to turn than kiln-dried
wood. It cuts cleaner and produces very little dust. To
top it off, the wood itself often costs nothing.
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1. Cut green bowl blanks in
lengths that are equal to the
log’s diameter, plus one inch.
Start by lopping off a short
section to eliminate any end
checks. Mark a line through the
pith where the log will be split
into two bowl blanks.
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Click any image to view a larger version.
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5. Screw the faceplate into what will
be the opening of the bowl. The
screws should penetrate the wood at
least 1" for initial rough turning.
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6. Rough the bowl with a bowl gouge.
Point the flute in the direction of
the cut and keep the bevel rubbing on
the wood. The tailstock adds support.
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9. The bowl is now
mounted with
the base towards the
headstock. Cut the
bowl’s height so the
pith is removed. Use
the gouge in a scraping
fashion with the bevel
facing away from the
wood and the bottom
edge scraping.
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12. Start the hollowing process by drilling out the center of
the bowl. The hole gives a place for the tool to end each
cut and eliminates the need to constantly check the depth. Use
a 5/8" to 1" dia. bit mounted in a Jacobs-style chuck. Drill to a
depth that is 1/2" less than the finished depth will be.
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15. Establish the bowl’s final depth with a heavy scraper.
Use the scraper for the bottom and a little up the
sides. Scrapers cut poorly across end grain, so rely on the
gouge for cutting most of the bowl’s sides.
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21. Cut away the waste block where the screws were
fastened. Refine the final shape of the base and
the bottom third of the bowl with light, finishing cuts.
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22. Undercut the bowl’s base to create
a rim for the bowl to sit on.
This looks better than a flat bottom.
Watch the bottom mark (made by holding
a pencil on the mark made earlier) so
you don’t cut too deep.
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24. Sand the bowl after it has dried
for 4-5 days. Use a soft foambacked
disc mounted on the lathe with
a drill chuck. Keep the bowl moving
to avoid creating flat spots. Start with
100-grit and work through 220-grit.
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