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Carob square edge bowl

This is Carob, square edge & off center. Within 1 mm of exactly 4" tall x 4" square. The wall thickness is 3/32" for both the bowl and the wings. Sanded to 400 and finished with walnut oil. I still have some sanding to do on the wings, but the bowl is complete.

I found that one of the most important parts is to get the diameter nearest the wings consistent on both sides before proceeding to the rest of the form. Like most other turnings, a slight gradual curve was more pleasing to the eye than having a straight side (I tried straight first). I also learned what everyone has told me about doing these...keep your fingers clear, those wings sure hurt when they hit your thumb!

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Chris Wright

Registered: November 2004
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 1,684

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Date: Fri March 18, 2005
Views: 3,889
Tags: 1
Keywords: carob square edge bowl

Comments

Philip Peak

Let's see, Square and offset,Hmmm! How many finger whacks did you say you took? I would loved to have seen how this one was done. So how was your first attempt at square turning? I see two techniques here square turning and offset turning. I like the way it turned out. On the top view, it looks like the corners have a slight bevel but it is not seen or clear on any side views. it it just the light playing tricks?

#1 Fri March 18, 2005 8:43am

Chris Wright

Only took 1 whack for me to learn that lesson! This is the first time I have truly tried a square edge or an offset turning, let alone boht techniques in one piece. The corners are not beveled, I tried to keep it as square as possible (my bandsaw doesn't always cut perfectly straight though).

As for doing it, I started between centers, mounting the piece off center. I turned the cylinder and left the wings about 1/4" thick. I then proceeded to cut the wings as flat as I could down to 3/32". They tend to flex a little when that thin though. I then worked the body, starting at the join with the wings working outwards. I turned pretty much the whole thing between centers, leaving enough meat on the base end to have a tennon for the chuck and some waste. I then mounted it into the chuck and finalized the top half and hollowed it out. Once hollowed, I finished the inside and top half completely and worked on removing more of the waste from the base. I then parted off the base from the waste in the chuck and made a jam chuck from the waste. I jammed and taped the piece to the jam chuck and brought the tailstock up to the base. I then finished the form bottom completely. Using a knife and hand sanding I removed the now tiny nub that the tailstock was holding the piece on with. Now I have to hand sand the wings and apply the finish to everything.

#2 Fri March 18, 2005 8:53am

Philip Peak

I was just wondering why the corners looked different in the top view. DO you see what I mean, they appear lighter that the rest of the wings and I am thinking that the sanding you say you need to do and finishing will take care of that? I was actually typing my earlier comments as you were typing your description because it wasn't there when I was typing. After I saw your description I had to go back and edit out some of my questions. This would have made a cool box don't you think. Overall I like it a lot. I mayb try the box aspect someday.

#3 Fri March 18, 2005 9:24am

nappen

That is pretty neat, I never thought to start them between centers. I enjoy the square bowls, but the sanding of the wings is tedious to say the least. The offset adds a whole new dimension.
The off color, I think is tool mark that is as yet not sanded...anyway, that is how mine looked prior to final sanding...am I right Chris.

#4 Fri March 18, 2005 9:33am

Chris Wright

Yep, that's right Ned. I haven't sanded out all of the tool marks yet and a little oil did get on the center of the wings when I applied it to the body, so that might also be where the light/dark is coming from...with finish vs. without.

#5 Fri March 18, 2005 9:41am

Philip Peak

Makes sense to me.

#6 Fri March 18, 2005 10:30am

keith bundy

Very nice Chris. Like you I found that I had to get the area of the corners to finished size before I moved on.

#7 Fri March 18, 2005 11:27am

Pete Kekel

Good work Chris. I watched Stuart Batty make these last year and I couldn't believe all the noise it made whipping around. Scary.

#8 Fri March 18, 2005 1:20pm

Gil

Very well done Chris. It looks difficult, and if the wings have any differential taper at all,they will generate lift and move (or try to) just like an aircraft wing.

#9 Fri March 18, 2005 3:53pm

Rev. Doug Miller

Rev. Doug Miller

Very nice Chris. I bet that corner did give you a pretty good whack. Gil and I talked for just a minute in the chat room about the bolts biting you if you put them in backwards. Decided you should learn your lesson the first time or you might end up as one of those horror stories that whinds up with a visit to Nappen in the ER.

Anyway, you've shared a great example of this style. Thanks.

#10 Fri March 18, 2005 4:43pm

Chris Wright

Thanks guys. Pete, that's actually who I learned this from. Stuart did a demo here about 2.5 years ago and this was one of the projects he did but I haven't tried yet (spherical boxes are another one I haven't tried). I wanted to ask him about these last time we played pool, but there was too much "scenery" in the club and we got distracted. Wink

#11 Fri March 18, 2005 7:12pm

keith bundy

Stuart does like his scenery doesn't he. Better be careful, you just might become one of the stories he likes to tell. Did he tell you the joke about the the guy who answered the weight loss ad in the paper?

#12 Fri March 18, 2005 7:39pm

Chris Wright

yeah he did Keith, among other stuff, Stu is full of jokes and anecdotes. For those guys that haven't seen Stuart's work yet he is just getting his new website built, the home page (and only page so far) has some of his work:
http://www.stuartbatty.com

#13 Fri March 18, 2005 7:46pm

cfuller

I guess I won the lottery on this challenge and exchange. That's an eclectic combination of skills all in one piece. I especially like the round bottom that allows it to sit on any of the four sides. I've never heard of Carob wood. Where does that come from? My wife loves it too and we look forward to showing it off.

#14 Sat March 19, 2005 4:14am

Philip Peak

I don't know about that Kurt, I think I am getting the best piece in here.

#15 Sat March 19, 2005 12:21pm

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