Beginner Bowl Picture w/comparisons

Re: Beginner Bowl Picture w/comparisons

Stuart Johnson

>Thanks Bill, it is good to have a set of good vs. bad photos for comparison. The beginner bowl looks like a good solid backyard bbq type bowl. Something you are not afraid will break if it is dropped. The middle one is for everyday salad and the fancy one you use when Aunt Ida comes for Sunday dinner.

Re: Beginner Bowl Picture w/comparisons

John Lucas

>Bill

are you sure it wasn't the wood. I turned a set of small bowls for a gift that were very similar in shape and grain orientation and don't remember having any trouble other than the transition point from side to bottom. That was difficult but I reground a second gouge to a more blunt angle and solved the problem. John

Re: Beginner Bowl

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Ah, so we go from Danish MoDern to English Urban to French Provincial.

See problem is here, Perfessor, that despite your preference, you handle each form with the same skill.

Can't say I'd classify the walnut as "beginner." The hint of an enclosing form coupled with a rolled and softened base to lighten the piece and ease the profile are not what I'd call beginning. Granted your exterior sides are a very shallow curve, but curved they still are. From your prior description, I envisioned a straight cylindar with a bottom in it.

Mark

Re: Beginner Bowl Picture w/comparisons

Bill Grumbine, Kutztown PA

>Good afternoon gentlemen

I just came down from the shop after making it knee deep in honey locust shavings for the day. I had a ton (actually several tons) of this wood many years ago, and I did not appreciate its subtle beauty as much as I could have. I also oiled up the big walnut bowl. It does look a lot better than it did.

Stuart, it is not necessarily a bad bowl, just a shape I do not care for. I don't turn this shape unless someone specifically asks for it. It does have an advantage for holding lots of whatever you want to put in it.

John, I did not have trouble at the transition point, although I fully expected it. I have a very long grind on my gouge. In fact, I say on my DVD, if the grind was any longer, I would have to sharpen the handle. But even so, I was able to round that corner (so to speak) with no trouble. It was on the sides that I had a tough time. I will say that the oil made it look better. I thought it would look worse, but maybe I am just being picky.

Mark, I appreciate your comments. This is a piece of walnut that you left at the picnic. I could wish for something to dress it up a bit, but it is as it was commissioned. They will love it because they loved the last one.

Bill

Re: Beginner Bowl Picture w/comparisons

Brad Adams

>Bill,

In my early days I turned a 12" diameter bowl with the exact same proportions out of red alder. I turned it to my wife's specs. Straight sides and a flat bottom. I think it's ugly as sin but it's the most used bowl in our house. I've had customers over to look at my bowls walk into the kitchen and say "can you make me one like that". Now I keep a couple "uglies" in stock. It's amazing how many I sell. The best tool I've found for the inside sidewalls is a scraper held at a steep angle (followed by the 80 grit of course.

The customer with the checkbook is always right :-)

Brad in Benicia

Re: Beginner Bowl Picture w/comparisons

Keith Tompkins

>Me again....this was actually one of the most interesting topics to me in quite a while....

Your "beginner" bowl isn't what I had envisioned on your first post. To me, a beginner bowl goes from the rim to the chuck in a straight line, the size of the foot being dictated by the size of the chuck, the overall form not unlike a dog dish.

Your form is much more advanced than that; in fact, big bowls such as the one you posted have a sense of VOLUME that cannot be easily duplicated in many of the artistic bowls.

I think that sense of volume is tangible, even to the untrained eye of a customer. I think that's one reason some people are attracted to the form...not to mention those big, round bowls have a striking resemblance to a part of the human anatomy that many of us find attractive.( don't mean to be crude)

Many turners have built reputations by taking the same form as the one you posted, and following the curve to the top, reducing the rim diameter in the process.

Re: Beginner Bowl Picture w/comparisons *LINK*

Russ

>There is a difference between a working bowl and a piece of art. This one has an abundance of "useability".

There are seven words that describe a working salad bowl. They all begin with an "S". "Shape" is in the eye of the user, but the other 6 "S's" are obvious with this bowl. I can understand why it works for your customer.

You might be surprised how many of these you would sell if you started making some of them. These are not the only folks who will buy this shape.


What makes a good salad bowl

Re: Beginner Bowl Picture w/comparisons

Bill Grumbine, Kutztown PA

>Okay, now you guys have me thinking in other directions as well. Keith, I have done a couple of bowls like you describe, where the bottom is larger than the top, with a slight curve inwards. Russ, I appreciate your comments and went back to read the 7 S article again. It has been a while since I first read it.

Maybe I am being too picky on this thing. Maybe it is the wood that give me the problem. It does look better with oil on it, and the places where the grain looked iffy don't look bad at all now that it is finished. I do know the customer will like it.

Maybe I'll see about doing a few on spec, but with a little more curve to it. I like curves. ;-)

Bill

Re: Beginner Bowl Picture w/comparisons

e

>... and i can testify that brad and brenda's 'ugly' salad bowl serves up the best salads w/pine nuts -- it's a perfect shape to keep all those yummy ingredients in place!

Re: Beginner Bowl Picture w/comparisons

Ron in Drums PA

>Sorry I'm a bit late on this.

I read all the responses and decided to ask my wife what she thought of your shape on this bowl.

She scrinched nose and said "I don't really like it" then after a moment she said, "But it would be perfect for a salad or popcorn. Can you make one like that for me?"

The customer is always right.

Re: Beginner Bowl Picture w/comparisons

John Lucas

>Bill

I've been playing with a bowl gouge I sharpened like Soren Berger does. It sort of looks like a rough out gouge. You use the left wing when cutting down the inside of a bowl and it gives an extremely clean surface. It's a little finicky you don't want to catch that upper corner but the cutting edge is almost parallel to the way the wood is rotating.

I figure you've been around long enough to remember when all gouges were sharpened this way or at least with really short grind on the wings. Maybe that sort of grind would work better on the sides of that bowl.

I'm looking forward to seeing your video. Can we buy it on Sunday morning TV for $19.95 and get a free ginsoo bowl gouge.

Re: Beginner Bowl Picture w/comparisons

Mike-in-Michign(Richland that is)

>Bill, my wife liked the first one better.. she said it looked like bowl that you don't have to worry 'bout tipping, and would be easy to use/clean everyday. She the others were prettier (her words) but she wouldn't want to serve from them.. to tippy/light looking, can't slide them across the table, etc... anyway that was how she saw it..