How to turn a bowl

Earlier this week, I was in a 3-night class on bowl turning.  I learned a lot of stuff, and I want to share my new-found knowledge here.  That being said, I am no expert at bowl turning, but I do hope you will find this information useful.

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Tools and Supplies

To create a bowl, I used the following items:

• Lathe
• Bowl blank
• Faceplate
• Chuck (plus Cole Jaw)
• Turning tools (Roughing gouge, Bowl gouge, Scraper, Parting tool)
• A piece of thick leather (for sanding)
• Sandpaper (Grits 220 – 400)
• Bowl finish
• Bandsaw
• Ruler
• Pencil Compass
• Pencil
• Drill and screws

How to turn a bowl

Step 1: Prep the bowl blank for mounting on the lathe.

Find the center of the blank

1. Find the center of the bowl blank.
2. With a compass, draw the largest circle that can fit on the blank.
3. Draw a second circle, this one with a diameter matching the diameter of the faceplate.
4. Cut out the outer circle with a bandsaw.
5. Drill the faceplate onto the blank within the bounds of the inner circle.
6. Thread the faceplate on the lathe.

Cut out the larger circle with a bandsaw

Attaching the faceplate to the bowl blank

Step 2: Shape the outside of the bowl

First, straighten the side of the bowl with the parting tool.

Before the bowl sides are straightened

After the bowl sides are straightened

Next, flatten the base of the bowl.  I used the scraper.

Once the base is flat, cut a tenon for the chuck jaws.  To do this, use the parting tool to create a quarter-inch deep crevice.  Then, bring the inside circle down to the same depth as the crevice.

Creating a chuck tenon

The chuck tenon

Once the tenon is complete, shape the outside of the bowl.

Shaping the exterior of the bowl

Cycle through the different grits of sandpaper.  We used a thick piece of leather as barrier between the sandpaper and our fingers.  The leather absorbed the heat from the friction.

Step 3: Shape the inside of the bowl

Remove the faceplate from the lathe and remove it from the bowl.  Thread a chuck to the lathe, and remount the bowl using the chuck tenon.

In my class, our instructor used a series of Forstner drill bits to create a nice starting point for hollowing out the bowl.

A big hole from the Forstner drill bit

I used the bowl gouge to hollow the remaining portion.

Shaping the outside of the bowl

Cycle through the different grits of sandpaper and apply a finish to the interior and exterior the bowl.

Step 4: Remove the chuck tenon

Remove the bowl from the chuck and remount it with a cole jaw. For added stability, use the tailstock and a small scrap piece of wood.

Scrap away the chuck tenon.

Removing the chuck tenon

Chuck tenon removed (it’s a different bowl)

Step 5: Finish

Sand the remaining portion of the bowl and apply a finish.

A wooden bowl

I really enjoyed bowl turning and I look forward to making more bowls.

A wooden bowl

My son has found a purpose for the bowl

A wooden bowl

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