# My feeble attempt at bowl turning



## James (Jan 20, 2015)

This is the first real attempt at making a bowl. Man do I have respect for all of you that make them. I have a huge learning curve ahead of me, but I really enjoyed turning this FBE that I got from someone on here.

Reactions: Like 10 | Way Cool 1


----------



## DKMD (Jan 20, 2015)

Nothing wrong with that! I haven't had much luck with endgrain bowls surviving the drying process, so I'll meep my fingers crossed for you. If that's one of your first bowls, you did a hell of a job!

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 3


----------



## NYWoodturner (Jan 20, 2015)

Thats one hell of a first. Mine can be seen in a Frankenstein flick  Doc's right. End grain bowls will discourage you from bowl making because of all the warping and cracking. They are still great to learn on though. The good news is when you switch to face grain you will find it MUCH easier to turn the inside.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Treecycle Hardwoods (Jan 20, 2015)

That is an awesome first bowl! Keep up the good work!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## William Tanner (Jan 20, 2015)

I wish my first attempt at a bowl looked half this good. I have yet to try an end grained bowl. Nice job.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## SENC (Jan 20, 2015)

Well done!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## manbuckwal (Jan 20, 2015)

Nice bowl ! Just a lot more to sand and sand and sand some more lol.

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## elnino (Jan 20, 2015)

Awesome bowl. Endgrain to boot!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## David Hill (Jan 20, 2015)

Feeble it isn't.
If this is a first bowl, ya done really good.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## ripjack13 (Jan 21, 2015)

Very nice...I like the thick sides. ....says beefy.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## gman2431 (Jan 21, 2015)

Nice first!

My first took flight so you did a Heck of a lot better than me!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Fsyxxx (Jan 21, 2015)

My first bowl wound up testing the aerodynamics of turned wood and reminded me to always wear ppe. Nicely done

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Funny 1


----------



## bluedot (Jan 21, 2015)

Very nice they will do nothing but get better.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Kevin (Jan 21, 2015)

The key to turning end grain projects is simple: embrace cracks. 

The first turning I was ever give was in 2005 by a customer that had bought some FBE from me. I got an unexpected plate in the mail a couple of months after that sale. The plate was thick and not sanded well, but to my untrained eye it looked great and it never cracked in all those years. As I was cleaning an area of my shop a couple of months ago I ran across the plate and sat it on top of a box near one of my roll-up doors with some other wood I was going to box up once I got enough to make a box full. Without noticing I had sat ther plate half in, and half out of the shadow line. It hadn't sat there 15 minutes before I heard a loud POP! I thought something had just fallen over somewhere in the shop and didn't think twice about it. 

An hours later when I got back around to boxing that stuff up I saw the crack in the plate all the way to the pith. I knew then in hindsight that the pop I'd heard was the plate. I also remembered in hindsight that when I'd sat it on the box it was half in the sunlight which, at the time I obviously didn't think was a problem. That plate had been lying around my shop for nearly 10 years and had never cracked until them. End grain has a mind of its own. 

One day when I get a big lather I'm going to chuck that rough plate up and finish it, and add a few butterflies to it like the one in my avatar.

Reactions: Like 3


----------



## James (Jan 21, 2015)

Kevin said:


> The key to turning end grain projects is simple: embrace cracks.
> 
> The first turning I was ever give was in 2005 by a customer that had bought some FBE from me. I got an unexpected plate in the mail a couple of months after that sale. The plate was thick and not sanded well, but to my untrained eye it looked great and it never cracked in all those years. As I was cleaning an area of my shop a couple of months ago I ran across the plate and sat it on top of a box near one of my roll-up doors with some other wood I was going to box up once I got enough to make a box full. Without noticing I had sat ther plate half in, and half out of the shadow line. It hadn't sat there 15 minutes before I heard a loud POP! I thought something had just fallen over somewhere in the shop and didn't think twice about it.
> 
> ...


One of these days I have to try and figure out those butterflies, and inlays. After spending years turning pens and calls, I think it's time to expand my skill set, or at least give it a try.

Reactions: Like 1


----------

