Live edge cherry

[Ryan Mooney]

from a friends tree, twice turned. fair bit of hand sanding on this one.. four little stub feet underneath so some carving as well. It almost warped past where I could save it. Maybe 3/16 on the walls.

 

[Ted Calver]

I surely do like a natural edge bowls. The stub feet are a bonus too.

 

[Mike Stafford]

It is great to see someone getting quality time in the woodturning shop. I put my shop to bed for hibernation until it gets warmer.

I haven't done any carved feet on a bowl or platter in a good while. I may have to dredge up that skill this spring. Yours are excellent.

 

[David Johnson]

Very nice bowl. You did a very good job.
David

 

[Les Elm]

Lots of character in the form.
Nicely done.
Les

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

Noice!

 

[Dave Hoskins]

Downright gorgeous! Makes me thinks me needs to do some live edge bowls again. Been awhile.

 

[Chas Jones]

Like Mike, my shops in hibernation, don't seem to be able to generate any pleasure these days in having to heat it for play time.

You released some attractive figuring in that piece.

Would have been too nervous to tackle that as twice turned, have always finished natural edge pieces in one go because they inevitably move enough to make me nervous about going back with a tool against all those wicked edges.

 

[Ryan Mooney]

I haven't done any carved feet on a bowl or platter in a good while. I may have to dredge up that skill this spring. Yours are excellent.

I'd have liked slightly larger feet .. or maybe just more towards the outside on this one, but the weird grain warped in ways that made that infeasible.. so I worked with what I had.

Would have been too nervous to tackle that as twice turned, have always finished natural edge pieces in one go because they inevitably move enough to make me nervous about going back with a tool against all those wicked edges.

Your fear would have been somewhat well founded. I did saturate the bark with glue before drying and it was kind of an experiment. I think the glue helped quite a bit actually... The bark seemed really stable (I soaked it with thin CA again a few times while turning it and before sanding as extra insurance).

I actually wasn't sure if I was going to be able to turn it at all once it was dry as it had moved quite a lot and there was a spot on the inside maybe 1/2"x2" and another on the outside that was maybe 1/2"x1/2" that I couldn't quite get without going overly thin elsewhere (plus it was, surprisingly, near the bottom and I'd already turned the top so it would have caused uneven walls due to my inability to go back up as they were also moving some). I was able to blend it out with some 80 grit so it's not really noticeable (it's a bit less than a 1/16 dip at the worst.. maybe only 1/32.. so not much.. but.. I was flying closer than I felt comfortable anyway heh).

The actual turning wasn't too bad though, sharp tool, light cuts. There was a lot of air at times, but with some focus it wasn't bad at all really.

 

[Jonathan Shively]

Ryan, that is one beautiful live edged bowl for sure. Have never done any feet so a picture of them would be appreciated.

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

...The actual turning wasn't too bad though, sharp tool, light cuts. There was a lot of air at times, but with some focus it wasn't bad at all really.

I agree on the sharp tools/light cuts idea. In the past I've found that it was easier for me to see the "ghost" edge of a natural edge piece by turning off all the lights in my shop except for a single incandescent Moffat light mounted on my lathe. It sounds strange, but it works for me.

 

[Ryan Mooney]

In the past I've found that it was easier for me to see the "ghost" edge of a natural edge piece by turning off all the lights in my shop except for a single incandescent Moffat light mounted on my lathe. It sounds strange, but it works for me.

A lot of the time I'm not even looking at the tool at all but at the back of the piece where I can see what's being removed, at least for the inside.. for the outside I'm looking at the top. Doesn't work so well for getting INTO the cut.. but once you're in the cut it's easier to see the wood removal that way (that requires a fair bit of non-air-turning practice so the tool movement is mostly automatic).

 

[Chas Jones]

Yes it's a different technique to master, having firm control of tool position in hand and on the rest, so much instruction when starting wood turning is based on bevel rubbing and subsequent depth of cut control that deliberately having the cutting edge in free air takes a little getting to grips with.

The principle of air turning and what was needed was not a concept I had problems with as I came at serious attempts at wood turning as a hobby from an engineering lathe/machining background and it was the bevel control that was my steep learning curve.

But no matter how much past experience I've had 'Air Turning' for want of a better expression, it still sees me high on the nervous quotient curve every time I tackle it on a piece that is determined to move as quick as I can cut it.

As already said, the selection of the 80 grit multi faceted cutting tool can work wonders and nobody is any the wiser once its out of the shop.

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

...As already said, the selection of the 80 grit multi faceted cutting tool can work wonders and nobody is any the wiser once its out of the shop.

I agree. I've put quite a few miles on my 80 grit pneumatic gouge.

 

[Tom Baugues]

Beautiful bowl Ryan. I admire those of you who have the skills to do this. I have much to learn.

 

[Ryan Mooney]

I admire those of you who have the skills to do this. I have much to learn.

Lets be clear there is a lot more hubris and stubbornness than talent involved here

Mostly you just have to be willing to have an ever growing burn pile of things that almost but didn't quite work out.