# Segmented Bowl Build - 1010 Pieces



## cabomhn (Oct 21, 2012)

Hello everyone. Well I saw a cool picture of a segmented bowl around the internet, found the guys' website who created it and he has a video where he encourages people to give it a try so I got to work this evening making up the plan for it and getting it dimensioned in "Woodturner Pro." This is my first time trying this software but I am pretty pleased. I was able to set apart how each ring was going to be composed, etc.

I am going to be making this out of walnut, maple, purpleheart, and bloodwood. I will need to get a hold of a pretty good amount of 4/4 stock in these species sometime soon. I will hopefully be putting up 4 3x3x24" FBE pepper mill stock for trade for some 4/4 stock here in a week or two. Well, here are a couple pics from the software to show what the general pattern/shape will look like...

[attachment=12380]
[attachment=12381]

The general dimensions of this bowl will end up being just shy of 13" wide and about 6" tall. 

So, the next update might not be for a while, but I figured I would put the first installment up.

The next step will be make a table saw sled for this, so I will try my best to detail the steps required for that. Thanks for looking!

- Matt


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## woodtickgreg (Oct 21, 2012)

Wow, that's ambitious! I get dizzy just looking at it, I will follow this build! Matt, I might be able to help you out with some maple and walnut, I have a lot of 5/4 rough sawn air dried for years stuff.


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## Kenbo (Oct 21, 2012)

Okay, you've got my attention. Subscribed!!


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## Kevin (Oct 21, 2012)

I have walnut, maple, purpleheart, and bloodwood. But I don't want any FBE back. 

:lolol:


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## cabomhn (Oct 21, 2012)

Kevin said:


> I have walnut, maple, purpleheart, and bloodwood. But I don't want any FBE back.
> 
> :lolol:



Hey Kevin, I'll be in touch here in a week or so when I get paid! 

Thanks for the interest guys, I was originally thinking about making this an open segment piece and make jig for that, but then I thought that would probably be a little too crazy for now. Stuff like this where I go into a project with a lot of unknowns is what really excites me about the hobby. Looking forward to learning new things and having a bunch of people at the woodshop tell me I'm nuts! :lolol:


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## Kevin (Oct 21, 2012)

We'll work something out.


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## DKMD (Oct 21, 2012)

Looks like it'll be a gorgeous finished piece, Matt! If you're looking for reading material along these lines, Malcolm Tibbetts is probably as good a source as any:

http://www.tahoeturner.com/

It's definitely an ambitious project, but that's what makes it fun!


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## cabomhn (Oct 21, 2012)

DKMD said:


> Looks like it'll be a gorgeous finished piece, Matt! If you're looking for reading material along these lines, Malcolm Tibbetts is probably as good a source as any:
> 
> http://www.tahoeturner.com/
> 
> It's definitely an ambitious project, but that's what makes it fun!



Thanks for the link! I bought his book last year and it has a TON of useful information about segmenting. For anybody trying to learn the idea of segmented turning his book really covers anything you could want to know.


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## NYWoodturner (Oct 21, 2012)

Well you certainly have my attention. Please share info on that software program as you go if you don't mind... remeber you are keeping us old dogs current !
Scott


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## cabomhn (Oct 23, 2012)

Well I made a little progress today. I'm really just getting into getting all of my preliminary jigs set up. I got my faceplate and waste block set up. I had to get a faceplate for this project so that as I'm glueing the rings back on I can get the piece in the EXACT same spot every time unlike with a chuck. This is an EWT 1 1/4" thread and 4 1/2" diameter faceplate. Glued up a couple pieces to be a waste block to give as much weight as possible close to the spindle since the segmented portion has an irregular weight distribution...

[attachment=12529]

I have also been working on my table saw jig for this. It will be cutting at a 3.75 degree angle so precision is key. I will probably need a couple practice rings to fine tune it as much as possible and then the guide block will be superglued and never moved again! The runners are incra's miter sliders, they are top notch, I was able to warp the runners using the adjustments until it fits with absolutely zero wobble as the cut is made so you get the same angle each time. I made a bridge for the front to keep it structural sound where the blade will cut through. Sorry for the crappy picture, I had to take a picture of a picture on my phone 

[attachment=12530]

Alright, hopefully I will have some more progress here in the next few days. Thanks for looking!

- Matt


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## barry richardson (Oct 23, 2012)

Wow! you sure jump right in dontcha? A very ambitious segmented turning. Hope you have a wide belt or drum sander to flaten the rings, if not I can give you a suggestion for that. It is a very important nesessity. No matter how carefully you glue the segments into rings, they wont be flat enough to eliminate gaps unless you sand them flat. I'll follow your post and give you my two cents if I can help, I've made a couple of segmented turnings...


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## cabomhn (Oct 23, 2012)

barry richardson said:


> Wow! you sure jump right in dontcha? A very ambitious segmented turning. Hope you have a wide belt or drum sander to flaten the rings, if not I can give you a suggestion for that. It is a very important nesessity. No matter how carefully you glue the segments into rings, they wont be flat enough to eliminate gaps unless you sand them flat. I'll follow your post and give you my two cents if I can help, I've made a couple of segmented turnings...



Thank you I always appreciate any help and feedback people have to offer. This is my 4th segmented piece I've done so I know the basics but I always am open to new ideas. The shop I use at school has a large belt sander big enough to handle the 13.5" largest ring with plenty of room to spare. Please let me know if you have any ideas that come to you as I progress! 

- Matt


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## cabomhn (Oct 24, 2012)

Sorry again for the crappy pictures, I keep on forgetting to bring my camera with me, but I am trying to keep some pictures of the process for here as well as when a family member asks "how'd you do that?" 

First off this is the "fence" that the pieces to cut will run against. Right now it is positioned at what I calculate to be 3.75 degrees, but I will be doing a couple test rings which will confirm or deny that and once I get the angle perfect that block is getting super glued to the jig, never going to be moved again. With 48 pieces any small inaccuracy is only amplified 48 times so once I get the angle perfect I don't want to have to make the angle again. 

[attachment=12576]

I cut a rabbit into a piece of maple which will serve as the bridge for where the saw blade will cut through. Hopefully this will help keep the jig in service for as long as possible.

[attachment=12577]

And finally, all this strip seen being glued on here is for is just to make it easier for me to pull the jig back to make each cut, because, well, I'll be making over a thousand of them I might as well make it as user friendly as possible! 

[attachment=12578]

That's about all for today, I didn't get a ton done but it is some steady progress with the jig, all I need to do now is to get some new bolts and nuts and make a new clamping piece for the jig so I can hold down the extremely small pieces as they are being cut. Next update in a few days!


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## cabomhn (Oct 25, 2012)

Alright so a little update today. I made two different rings today, the first one I was way off on my cutting angle, so the second time I made an adjustment and this is the ring that I got...

[attachment=12607]

This is glued together with really no sanding, and just glued to tack it on there for a test fit. I'm pretty happy that on the second try the angle is really perfectly where it needs to be!   So now that that's done, I just need to attach my toggle clamps and prepare my stock and start cutting!


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## cabomhn (Oct 27, 2012)

Got my first 3 rings cut out today at the shop. So far I'm pretty happy with how it's going and I think that the angle is really set how it needs to be. The stock was planed down to about 3/10" and then cut into segments. The first pic shows just matching up the pairs of two, then you simply work you way up until you have half rings. I'm going to finish glueing up the two other rings in this same fashion tonight and then tomorrow I'll take it to the disc sander and that will make sure that when I join it up it matches perfectly. Cutting the pieces once set up really doesn't take anywhere near as long as you might imagine, probably only about 10 minutes for 48 pieces, not too bad. Thanks for looking!

[attachment=12718]

[attachment=12720]


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## Kevin (Oct 27, 2012)

Looking good Matt. I've never been a fan of segmented turnings but I do appreciate the work that goes into them and I have seen a few that really look great too, and I think this will be one of the few I really like. I'm totally tuned in to this channel.


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## cabomhn (Oct 27, 2012)

Kevin said:


> Looking good Matt. I've never been a fan of segmented turnings but I do appreciate the work that goes into them and I have seen a few that really look great too, and I think this will be one of the few I really like. I'm totally tuned in to this channel.



Thanks Kevin, I'm really hoping that it turns out well but I'm making the width of the rings pretty wide to try to alleviate as much chance of making a lamp shade as possible and make the pattern match up really well.


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## woodtickgreg (Oct 27, 2012)

I do like segmented turnings, they are fun to do. I have done a couple and use the same techniques as you are, gluing pieces into pairs, then those pairs together, etc. until half rings. I work on mdf with wax paper just like you are so they don't stick. Your doing great Matt!


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## robert421960 (Nov 8, 2012)

you have not posted on this in a while but i sure hope you do 
im really wanting to follow this


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## cabomhn (Nov 8, 2012)

robert421960 said:


> you have not posted on this in a while but i sure hope you do
> im really wanting to follow this



I will be getting back to this! I have had to take a break for a couple weeks because the woodshop is closing on the 5th of december and I need to get christmas presents done! I am struggling to even get those done but this will likely be my project to finish up once I get back from break. Once I really have time to devote to it it won't take but more than a couple weeks to finish.


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## 65BAJA (Nov 8, 2012)

Looks cool. going to have to watch this one.


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## cabomhn (Dec 22, 2012)

I will be getting back to this soon enough. I'm going to be hitting the shop shortly after I get back in January and this is one of the first projects on my list to finish up. Hopefully it'll only really take another couple weeks once I get working on this.


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## Kenbo (Dec 23, 2012)

cabomhn said:


> I will be getting back to this soon enough. I'm going to be hitting the shop shortly after I get back in January and this is one of the first projects on my list to finish up. Hopefully it'll only really take another couple weeks once I get working on this.



JANUARY!?!?!?!?!?!?! I can't wait that long!!!!!!!!! I was just getting into this. Looking great so far though.


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## BangleGuy (Dec 23, 2012)

This is an awesome thread!


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## cabomhn (Dec 23, 2012)

Kenbo said:


> cabomhn said:
> 
> 
> > I will be getting back to this soon enough. I'm going to be hitting the shop shortly after I get back in January and this is one of the first projects on my list to finish up. Hopefully it'll only really take another couple weeks once I get working on this.
> ...



Sorry! I don't have access to shop nor lathe while I'm at home! Well, not yet anyways


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