# Sweetgum bowl



## DKMD (Sep 7, 2013)

I finished up a sweet gum bowl today from a batch of roughouts I cored/turned last year. This one is about 11" across and 4 1/2" tall. I should've slowed down the drying on this batch of bowls as I got cracks in a number of them. Not to worry, I've got Dane Fuller's handy dandy bowtie patch system... This bowl got a total of 7 white oak bowties. Some of you may remember me looking for thin stuff a while back... I sent all that stuff to Dane so he could do his laser magic on them. The patches are 3/4" long, but he's set up to do other sizes.

It's got a single coat of polyurethane at this point. Why poly, you ask... Because I had already poured some in a cup for another project.:i_dunno:

[attachment=30591]


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## barry richardson (Sep 7, 2013)

Nice bowl! and the patches add to it. So the bowties are cut out with a laser, is the recess cut out by hand?


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## DKMD (Sep 7, 2013)

barry richardson said:


> Nice bowl! and the patches add to it. So the bowties are cut out with a laser, is the recess cut out by hand?



Thanks, Barry. Dane also makes a clear router template for each size bowtie. That makes most of the recess but leaves rounded corners... I use a scalpel to cut the corners.


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## jimmyjames (Sep 7, 2013)

I have a beautiful bowl with the good doctors bowtues in it, all I can say is wow, that has got to be a lot of work, on my bowl the fit of them is flawless and this bowl looks just as or more amazing!


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## Dane Fuller (Sep 7, 2013)

Damn! That's a beauty, Keller. :welldone:
You were right about the bowties popping. I'm glad you're getting some use out of them. Think you could do a photo tutorial on how the (for lack of a better word) "system" works? The curve is as good as it gets too. I've never turned sweetgum. What does it compare to?


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## DKMD (Sep 7, 2013)

Dane Fuller said:


> Think you could do a photo tutorial on how the (for lack of a better word) "system" works? The curve is as good as it gets too. I've never turned sweetgum. What does it compare to?



Sweet gum turns great... One of the better turning woods around here wet or dry. It moves quite a bit when it dries, and in my shop, it cracks if I even look at it funny. Trouble is... I'm kinda funny looking all the time!:wacko1: It sands about as well as anything I've ever turned.

I've got several cored sets from this log, so you can throw one on the lathe next time you come up.

I'm happy to do a step-by-step next time I put some patches in. The next smaller bowl that came out of this same blank has a crack in it as well, so maybe I'll do it next time I get on the lathe. Cleaning up the corners of the recess is probably the hardest part of the whole process, and it's really not that tough with the scalpel or a really sharp chisel.


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## SDB777 (Sep 7, 2013)

Does your Sweetgum there seem to crack even if the pith was pretty far away?
Mine does, it crack to all 'heavens'! Itwould end up looking like a quilt if I were to patch them...too bad, cause I get some really nice tones and hues in the timber around here from mineral consumption(I'm only guessing on that part).


Fine turning!!! Keep them coming, and may your sales be fruitful!!!




Scott (used Sweetgum for the photo of my website) B


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## Sprung (Sep 7, 2013)

As with everything else you make, very nice work!



DKMD said:


> I use a scalpel to cut the corners.



Of course you would.


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## rdnkmedic (Sep 7, 2013)

Awesome work, Doc. Pretty wood. The how ties really set it off.


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## NYWoodturner (Sep 7, 2013)

Nice bowl Doc! Nice save with the bow ties too. I have a piece of Sweet Gum from Kevin . Any tips on drying? Turn it thick or close to finish on the first turn?
I don't think I have the patience for the bow ties if it cracks.  I REALLY need to avoid that


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## DKMD (Sep 7, 2013)

I wouldn't go thin... It has a tendency to move quite a bit while drying. I anchorsealed mine inside and out, but I probably should have put them in a box afterward to slow things down a little more. My shop is pretty dry, so you may not have to be so cautious about the cracking.


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## Kevin (Sep 7, 2013)

That's a fine piece of work. I bet that took even more work than it sounds like.


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