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7K views 67 replies 12 participants last post by  DavePolaschek 
#1 ·
Building the blank

Started making the pieces for another cholla bowl this morning, and figured there's been enough interest in what I've done that I should write it up.

The first step is building a base on a faceplate for my lathe. I've been aiming at bowls that are 6-10 inches in diameter, so I generally put a pine 1Ă—6 on the faceplate, and then put a couple pieces of 1Ă—6 across that to get up to the size I want.

Then I cut it round-ish on the bandsaw, and turn it round (and about 10 inches in diameter) on the lathe.

Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Varnish Tints and shades Circle


I stick blue tape on the joints. That helps keep the epoxy from running through the joints and making a mess in my shop.

Idiophone Wood Engineering Gas Auto part


Next, I stick a piece of blue tape around the edge of the base. Just one or two turns, but I try to stick it to the edge of the base as best I can. I'm going to be pouring epoxy into this and I don't want a leak.

I should note that I've already cleaned the cholla. If there's any material in the middle of a piece, I poke it out with a long screwdriver.

Next is putting in the cholla. In my first two bowls, I stood pieces of cholla on end. This time I'm going to try laying them circumferentially.

Wood Rectangle Staple food Natural material Composite material


If the pieces go a little beyond the tape, that's ok. And if there are gaps, I plan to fill them with the next layer. So now it's time to mix up some epoxy. 50ml of System 3 Fast Hardener, 100ml of System 3 General Purpose Resin, and 22 drops of TransTint Aqua for the first pour. That makes a fairly pale almost sky blue.

Second pour is another 150ml of epoxy (5 oz), this time with about 35 drops of Aqua, and 5 drops of TransTint Lemon Yellow. Definitely green, but I think still thin enough that it'll let light through. I pour this aiming to hit areas that didn't get any epoxy in the first pour (cholla will form dams) and I concentrated on pouring over pieces of cholla that looked dry inside. I also stuck in a few more pieces of cholla (small broken chunks) to fill any small gaps that looked wrong to me.

Wood Metal Plastic wrap Food Electric blue


At this point, there are still a few spots where I can see the dry pine base. But after this epoxy cures overnight, I'll put on another few wraps of tape, building the sides up to 1.5 to 2 inches high, lay in more cholla, and then pour the next two colors of epoxy. I'll probably set the base slightly off-level so that the epoxy pools more on one side. I'm guessing I'll have a total of four pours of two colors of epoxy (they mix a little, but the cholla will segregate the colors a bit, plus the first of two pours starts to harden before I get the second poured), and I'm leaning towards red and violet tints for the next batch.
 

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#2 ·
Building the blank

Started making the pieces for another cholla bowl this morning, and figured there's been enough interest in what I've done that I should write it up.

The first step is building a base on a faceplate for my lathe. I've been aiming at bowls that are 6-10 inches in diameter, so I generally put a pine 1Ă—6 on the faceplate, and then put a couple pieces of 1Ă—6 across that to get up to the size I want.

Then I cut it round-ish on the bandsaw, and turn it round (and about 10 inches in diameter) on the lathe.

Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Varnish Tints and shades Circle


I stick blue tape on the joints. That helps keep the epoxy from running through the joints and making a mess in my shop.

Idiophone Wood Engineering Gas Auto part


Next, I stick a piece of blue tape around the edge of the base. Just one or two turns, but I try to stick it to the edge of the base as best I can. I'm going to be pouring epoxy into this and I don't want a leak.

I should note that I've already cleaned the cholla. If there's any material in the middle of a piece, I poke it out with a long screwdriver.

Next is putting in the cholla. In my first two bowls, I stood pieces of cholla on end. This time I'm going to try laying them circumferentially.

Wood Rectangle Staple food Natural material Composite material


If the pieces go a little beyond the tape, that's ok. And if there are gaps, I plan to fill them with the next layer. So now it's time to mix up some epoxy. 50ml of System 3 Fast Hardener, 100ml of System 3 General Purpose Resin, and 22 drops of TransTint Aqua for the first pour. That makes a fairly pale almost sky blue.

Second pour is another 150ml of epoxy (5 oz), this time with about 35 drops of Aqua, and 5 drops of TransTint Lemon Yellow. Definitely green, but I think still thin enough that it'll let light through. I pour this aiming to hit areas that didn't get any epoxy in the first pour (cholla will form dams) and I concentrated on pouring over pieces of cholla that looked dry inside. I also stuck in a few more pieces of cholla (small broken chunks) to fill any small gaps that looked wrong to me.

Wood Metal Plastic wrap Food Electric blue


At this point, there are still a few spots where I can see the dry pine base. But after this epoxy cures overnight, I'll put on another few wraps of tape, building the sides up to 1.5 to 2 inches high, lay in more cholla, and then pour the next two colors of epoxy. I'll probably set the base slightly off-level so that the epoxy pools more on one side. I'm guessing I'll have a total of four pours of two colors of epoxy (they mix a little, but the cholla will segregate the colors a bit, plus the first of two pours starts to harden before I get the second poured), and I'm leaning towards red and violet tints for the next batch.
Cool write up on your process Dave.
I like the idea of the homemade faceplate that is part of the epoxy disk, very clever.
Can't wait to see the results of this piece.
Thanks for sharing.
 

Attachments

#3 ·
Building the blank

Started making the pieces for another cholla bowl this morning, and figured there's been enough interest in what I've done that I should write it up.

The first step is building a base on a faceplate for my lathe. I've been aiming at bowls that are 6-10 inches in diameter, so I generally put a pine 1Ă—6 on the faceplate, and then put a couple pieces of 1Ă—6 across that to get up to the size I want.

Then I cut it round-ish on the bandsaw, and turn it round (and about 10 inches in diameter) on the lathe.

Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Varnish Tints and shades Circle


I stick blue tape on the joints. That helps keep the epoxy from running through the joints and making a mess in my shop.

Idiophone Wood Engineering Gas Auto part


Next, I stick a piece of blue tape around the edge of the base. Just one or two turns, but I try to stick it to the edge of the base as best I can. I'm going to be pouring epoxy into this and I don't want a leak.

I should note that I've already cleaned the cholla. If there's any material in the middle of a piece, I poke it out with a long screwdriver.

Next is putting in the cholla. In my first two bowls, I stood pieces of cholla on end. This time I'm going to try laying them circumferentially.

Wood Rectangle Staple food Natural material Composite material


If the pieces go a little beyond the tape, that's ok. And if there are gaps, I plan to fill them with the next layer. So now it's time to mix up some epoxy. 50ml of System 3 Fast Hardener, 100ml of System 3 General Purpose Resin, and 22 drops of TransTint Aqua for the first pour. That makes a fairly pale almost sky blue.

Second pour is another 150ml of epoxy (5 oz), this time with about 35 drops of Aqua, and 5 drops of TransTint Lemon Yellow. Definitely green, but I think still thin enough that it'll let light through. I pour this aiming to hit areas that didn't get any epoxy in the first pour (cholla will form dams) and I concentrated on pouring over pieces of cholla that looked dry inside. I also stuck in a few more pieces of cholla (small broken chunks) to fill any small gaps that looked wrong to me.

Wood Metal Plastic wrap Food Electric blue


At this point, there are still a few spots where I can see the dry pine base. But after this epoxy cures overnight, I'll put on another few wraps of tape, building the sides up to 1.5 to 2 inches high, lay in more cholla, and then pour the next two colors of epoxy. I'll probably set the base slightly off-level so that the epoxy pools more on one side. I'm guessing I'll have a total of four pours of two colors of epoxy (they mix a little, but the cholla will segregate the colors a bit, plus the first of two pours starts to harden before I get the second poured), and I'm leaning towards red and violet tints for the next batch.
Have you thought about doing the pouring process in a plastic garbage can that you could cut off when the epoxy cures?
 

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#4 ·
Building the blank

Started making the pieces for another cholla bowl this morning, and figured there's been enough interest in what I've done that I should write it up.

The first step is building a base on a faceplate for my lathe. I've been aiming at bowls that are 6-10 inches in diameter, so I generally put a pine 1Ă—6 on the faceplate, and then put a couple pieces of 1Ă—6 across that to get up to the size I want.

Then I cut it round-ish on the bandsaw, and turn it round (and about 10 inches in diameter) on the lathe.

Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Varnish Tints and shades Circle


I stick blue tape on the joints. That helps keep the epoxy from running through the joints and making a mess in my shop.

Idiophone Wood Engineering Gas Auto part


Next, I stick a piece of blue tape around the edge of the base. Just one or two turns, but I try to stick it to the edge of the base as best I can. I'm going to be pouring epoxy into this and I don't want a leak.

I should note that I've already cleaned the cholla. If there's any material in the middle of a piece, I poke it out with a long screwdriver.

Next is putting in the cholla. In my first two bowls, I stood pieces of cholla on end. This time I'm going to try laying them circumferentially.

Wood Rectangle Staple food Natural material Composite material


If the pieces go a little beyond the tape, that's ok. And if there are gaps, I plan to fill them with the next layer. So now it's time to mix up some epoxy. 50ml of System 3 Fast Hardener, 100ml of System 3 General Purpose Resin, and 22 drops of TransTint Aqua for the first pour. That makes a fairly pale almost sky blue.

Second pour is another 150ml of epoxy (5 oz), this time with about 35 drops of Aqua, and 5 drops of TransTint Lemon Yellow. Definitely green, but I think still thin enough that it'll let light through. I pour this aiming to hit areas that didn't get any epoxy in the first pour (cholla will form dams) and I concentrated on pouring over pieces of cholla that looked dry inside. I also stuck in a few more pieces of cholla (small broken chunks) to fill any small gaps that looked wrong to me.

Wood Metal Plastic wrap Food Electric blue


At this point, there are still a few spots where I can see the dry pine base. But after this epoxy cures overnight, I'll put on another few wraps of tape, building the sides up to 1.5 to 2 inches high, lay in more cholla, and then pour the next two colors of epoxy. I'll probably set the base slightly off-level so that the epoxy pools more on one side. I'm guessing I'll have a total of four pours of two colors of epoxy (they mix a little, but the cholla will segregate the colors a bit, plus the first of two pours starts to harden before I get the second poured), and I'm leaning towards red and violet tints for the next batch.
Thanks, Jon! I end up turning away all of that pine so far, but I've pondered leaving it as a feature ring… maybe this is the time I'll do that.

Earl, I have, but I have a lot of pine scraps left over from my bookcase build, and blue tape is pretty cheap. And this way the edge of the "mold" can vary a little if I have a piece of cholla sticking out. And if I notice a leak mid-pour, I just slap on some more blue tape to plug the leak. Also, building the mold as I go means I don't have a preset height limit. I make the blank thick enough to "look right." That's generally been in the neighborhood of 2" thick, but I might go thicker this time and stick a plastic tub in the middle to make the center of the bowl…
 

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#5 ·
Building the blank

Started making the pieces for another cholla bowl this morning, and figured there's been enough interest in what I've done that I should write it up.

The first step is building a base on a faceplate for my lathe. I've been aiming at bowls that are 6-10 inches in diameter, so I generally put a pine 1Ă—6 on the faceplate, and then put a couple pieces of 1Ă—6 across that to get up to the size I want.

Then I cut it round-ish on the bandsaw, and turn it round (and about 10 inches in diameter) on the lathe.

Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Varnish Tints and shades Circle


I stick blue tape on the joints. That helps keep the epoxy from running through the joints and making a mess in my shop.

Idiophone Wood Engineering Gas Auto part


Next, I stick a piece of blue tape around the edge of the base. Just one or two turns, but I try to stick it to the edge of the base as best I can. I'm going to be pouring epoxy into this and I don't want a leak.

I should note that I've already cleaned the cholla. If there's any material in the middle of a piece, I poke it out with a long screwdriver.

Next is putting in the cholla. In my first two bowls, I stood pieces of cholla on end. This time I'm going to try laying them circumferentially.

Wood Rectangle Staple food Natural material Composite material


If the pieces go a little beyond the tape, that's ok. And if there are gaps, I plan to fill them with the next layer. So now it's time to mix up some epoxy. 50ml of System 3 Fast Hardener, 100ml of System 3 General Purpose Resin, and 22 drops of TransTint Aqua for the first pour. That makes a fairly pale almost sky blue.

Second pour is another 150ml of epoxy (5 oz), this time with about 35 drops of Aqua, and 5 drops of TransTint Lemon Yellow. Definitely green, but I think still thin enough that it'll let light through. I pour this aiming to hit areas that didn't get any epoxy in the first pour (cholla will form dams) and I concentrated on pouring over pieces of cholla that looked dry inside. I also stuck in a few more pieces of cholla (small broken chunks) to fill any small gaps that looked wrong to me.

Wood Metal Plastic wrap Food Electric blue


At this point, there are still a few spots where I can see the dry pine base. But after this epoxy cures overnight, I'll put on another few wraps of tape, building the sides up to 1.5 to 2 inches high, lay in more cholla, and then pour the next two colors of epoxy. I'll probably set the base slightly off-level so that the epoxy pools more on one side. I'm guessing I'll have a total of four pours of two colors of epoxy (they mix a little, but the cholla will segregate the colors a bit, plus the first of two pours starts to harden before I get the second poured), and I'm leaning towards red and violet tints for the next batch.
Interesting design features Dave, like Mr. Wolfe said, waiting to see the results of this manner for the cholla segments being laid out.
How is that cholla wood to work with? It looks to be somewhat brittle, maybe breaks apart easily. I looked up cholla with Google and Wiki says ….. "The cholla wood is made up of a ton of holes and is hollow through the center which provides a natural cover for shrimp to hide" You got an ocean near you?
 

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#6 ·
Building the blank

Started making the pieces for another cholla bowl this morning, and figured there's been enough interest in what I've done that I should write it up.

The first step is building a base on a faceplate for my lathe. I've been aiming at bowls that are 6-10 inches in diameter, so I generally put a pine 1Ă—6 on the faceplate, and then put a couple pieces of 1Ă—6 across that to get up to the size I want.

Then I cut it round-ish on the bandsaw, and turn it round (and about 10 inches in diameter) on the lathe.

Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Varnish Tints and shades Circle


I stick blue tape on the joints. That helps keep the epoxy from running through the joints and making a mess in my shop.

Idiophone Wood Engineering Gas Auto part


Next, I stick a piece of blue tape around the edge of the base. Just one or two turns, but I try to stick it to the edge of the base as best I can. I'm going to be pouring epoxy into this and I don't want a leak.

I should note that I've already cleaned the cholla. If there's any material in the middle of a piece, I poke it out with a long screwdriver.

Next is putting in the cholla. In my first two bowls, I stood pieces of cholla on end. This time I'm going to try laying them circumferentially.

Wood Rectangle Staple food Natural material Composite material


If the pieces go a little beyond the tape, that's ok. And if there are gaps, I plan to fill them with the next layer. So now it's time to mix up some epoxy. 50ml of System 3 Fast Hardener, 100ml of System 3 General Purpose Resin, and 22 drops of TransTint Aqua for the first pour. That makes a fairly pale almost sky blue.

Second pour is another 150ml of epoxy (5 oz), this time with about 35 drops of Aqua, and 5 drops of TransTint Lemon Yellow. Definitely green, but I think still thin enough that it'll let light through. I pour this aiming to hit areas that didn't get any epoxy in the first pour (cholla will form dams) and I concentrated on pouring over pieces of cholla that looked dry inside. I also stuck in a few more pieces of cholla (small broken chunks) to fill any small gaps that looked wrong to me.

Wood Metal Plastic wrap Food Electric blue


At this point, there are still a few spots where I can see the dry pine base. But after this epoxy cures overnight, I'll put on another few wraps of tape, building the sides up to 1.5 to 2 inches high, lay in more cholla, and then pour the next two colors of epoxy. I'll probably set the base slightly off-level so that the epoxy pools more on one side. I'm guessing I'll have a total of four pours of two colors of epoxy (they mix a little, but the cholla will segregate the colors a bit, plus the first of two pours starts to harden before I get the second poured), and I'm leaning towards red and violet tints for the next batch.
Thanks, Tom! I'm waiting to see how it comes out, too!

Cholla wood is super-hard. Makes hickory feel easy to work. If it's all sound, it's hard to cut too. There's always some soft spots, but in a 1" diameter branch, if there are no soft spots, I need a boot on it to break it, and its hard to go through with the 2" capacity loppers.

Cholla wood is a little brittle. The "grain" is pretty linear, but if you catch a knot the wrong direction, rather than getting a little tear-out, you'll lose a big chunk.

If you're curious, PM me your address, and I can send you a small flat-rate of pieces. I harvested a bunch more from our yard, and when my neighbor saw me, he offered to give me all he collects from his lot. I took about half of it, but have a pretty good pile I need to hit with the pressure washer to get the spines off. What I send you would be mostly clean, but there's no guarantee I won't miss one spine.

No ocean nearby as far as I can tell.
 

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#7 ·
Building the blank

Started making the pieces for another cholla bowl this morning, and figured there's been enough interest in what I've done that I should write it up.

The first step is building a base on a faceplate for my lathe. I've been aiming at bowls that are 6-10 inches in diameter, so I generally put a pine 1Ă—6 on the faceplate, and then put a couple pieces of 1Ă—6 across that to get up to the size I want.

Then I cut it round-ish on the bandsaw, and turn it round (and about 10 inches in diameter) on the lathe.

Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Varnish Tints and shades Circle


I stick blue tape on the joints. That helps keep the epoxy from running through the joints and making a mess in my shop.

Idiophone Wood Engineering Gas Auto part


Next, I stick a piece of blue tape around the edge of the base. Just one or two turns, but I try to stick it to the edge of the base as best I can. I'm going to be pouring epoxy into this and I don't want a leak.

I should note that I've already cleaned the cholla. If there's any material in the middle of a piece, I poke it out with a long screwdriver.

Next is putting in the cholla. In my first two bowls, I stood pieces of cholla on end. This time I'm going to try laying them circumferentially.

Wood Rectangle Staple food Natural material Composite material


If the pieces go a little beyond the tape, that's ok. And if there are gaps, I plan to fill them with the next layer. So now it's time to mix up some epoxy. 50ml of System 3 Fast Hardener, 100ml of System 3 General Purpose Resin, and 22 drops of TransTint Aqua for the first pour. That makes a fairly pale almost sky blue.

Second pour is another 150ml of epoxy (5 oz), this time with about 35 drops of Aqua, and 5 drops of TransTint Lemon Yellow. Definitely green, but I think still thin enough that it'll let light through. I pour this aiming to hit areas that didn't get any epoxy in the first pour (cholla will form dams) and I concentrated on pouring over pieces of cholla that looked dry inside. I also stuck in a few more pieces of cholla (small broken chunks) to fill any small gaps that looked wrong to me.

Wood Metal Plastic wrap Food Electric blue


At this point, there are still a few spots where I can see the dry pine base. But after this epoxy cures overnight, I'll put on another few wraps of tape, building the sides up to 1.5 to 2 inches high, lay in more cholla, and then pour the next two colors of epoxy. I'll probably set the base slightly off-level so that the epoxy pools more on one side. I'm guessing I'll have a total of four pours of two colors of epoxy (they mix a little, but the cholla will segregate the colors a bit, plus the first of two pours starts to harden before I get the second poured), and I'm leaning towards red and violet tints for the next batch.
That is an interesting process Dave. Using the pine as a face plate and starting the base is a great idea. And the epoxy process sounds easy to do. It will be neat to see the finished product.
 

Attachments

#8 ·
Building the blank

Started making the pieces for another cholla bowl this morning, and figured there's been enough interest in what I've done that I should write it up.

The first step is building a base on a faceplate for my lathe. I've been aiming at bowls that are 6-10 inches in diameter, so I generally put a pine 1Ă—6 on the faceplate, and then put a couple pieces of 1Ă—6 across that to get up to the size I want.

Then I cut it round-ish on the bandsaw, and turn it round (and about 10 inches in diameter) on the lathe.

Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Varnish Tints and shades Circle


I stick blue tape on the joints. That helps keep the epoxy from running through the joints and making a mess in my shop.

Idiophone Wood Engineering Gas Auto part


Next, I stick a piece of blue tape around the edge of the base. Just one or two turns, but I try to stick it to the edge of the base as best I can. I'm going to be pouring epoxy into this and I don't want a leak.

I should note that I've already cleaned the cholla. If there's any material in the middle of a piece, I poke it out with a long screwdriver.

Next is putting in the cholla. In my first two bowls, I stood pieces of cholla on end. This time I'm going to try laying them circumferentially.

Wood Rectangle Staple food Natural material Composite material


If the pieces go a little beyond the tape, that's ok. And if there are gaps, I plan to fill them with the next layer. So now it's time to mix up some epoxy. 50ml of System 3 Fast Hardener, 100ml of System 3 General Purpose Resin, and 22 drops of TransTint Aqua for the first pour. That makes a fairly pale almost sky blue.

Second pour is another 150ml of epoxy (5 oz), this time with about 35 drops of Aqua, and 5 drops of TransTint Lemon Yellow. Definitely green, but I think still thin enough that it'll let light through. I pour this aiming to hit areas that didn't get any epoxy in the first pour (cholla will form dams) and I concentrated on pouring over pieces of cholla that looked dry inside. I also stuck in a few more pieces of cholla (small broken chunks) to fill any small gaps that looked wrong to me.

Wood Metal Plastic wrap Food Electric blue


At this point, there are still a few spots where I can see the dry pine base. But after this epoxy cures overnight, I'll put on another few wraps of tape, building the sides up to 1.5 to 2 inches high, lay in more cholla, and then pour the next two colors of epoxy. I'll probably set the base slightly off-level so that the epoxy pools more on one side. I'm guessing I'll have a total of four pours of two colors of epoxy (they mix a little, but the cholla will segregate the colors a bit, plus the first of two pours starts to harden before I get the second poured), and I'm leaning towards red and violet tints for the next batch.
Thanks, Eric. I was trying to figure a way to make the blank without having to buy a plastic bucket or something, and then I had all that pine left, so….

And yeah, the only real hard part is that I get some bubbles in the epoxy. I try to get as many out as possible by rapping the whole thing on the bench, but that can get sloppy if I'm not careful. But I'll also come back and fill them later if I can.
 

Attachments

#9 ·
Building the blank

Started making the pieces for another cholla bowl this morning, and figured there's been enough interest in what I've done that I should write it up.

The first step is building a base on a faceplate for my lathe. I've been aiming at bowls that are 6-10 inches in diameter, so I generally put a pine 1Ă—6 on the faceplate, and then put a couple pieces of 1Ă—6 across that to get up to the size I want.

Then I cut it round-ish on the bandsaw, and turn it round (and about 10 inches in diameter) on the lathe.

Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Varnish Tints and shades Circle


I stick blue tape on the joints. That helps keep the epoxy from running through the joints and making a mess in my shop.

Idiophone Wood Engineering Gas Auto part


Next, I stick a piece of blue tape around the edge of the base. Just one or two turns, but I try to stick it to the edge of the base as best I can. I'm going to be pouring epoxy into this and I don't want a leak.

I should note that I've already cleaned the cholla. If there's any material in the middle of a piece, I poke it out with a long screwdriver.

Next is putting in the cholla. In my first two bowls, I stood pieces of cholla on end. This time I'm going to try laying them circumferentially.

Wood Rectangle Staple food Natural material Composite material


If the pieces go a little beyond the tape, that's ok. And if there are gaps, I plan to fill them with the next layer. So now it's time to mix up some epoxy. 50ml of System 3 Fast Hardener, 100ml of System 3 General Purpose Resin, and 22 drops of TransTint Aqua for the first pour. That makes a fairly pale almost sky blue.

Second pour is another 150ml of epoxy (5 oz), this time with about 35 drops of Aqua, and 5 drops of TransTint Lemon Yellow. Definitely green, but I think still thin enough that it'll let light through. I pour this aiming to hit areas that didn't get any epoxy in the first pour (cholla will form dams) and I concentrated on pouring over pieces of cholla that looked dry inside. I also stuck in a few more pieces of cholla (small broken chunks) to fill any small gaps that looked wrong to me.

Wood Metal Plastic wrap Food Electric blue


At this point, there are still a few spots where I can see the dry pine base. But after this epoxy cures overnight, I'll put on another few wraps of tape, building the sides up to 1.5 to 2 inches high, lay in more cholla, and then pour the next two colors of epoxy. I'll probably set the base slightly off-level so that the epoxy pools more on one side. I'm guessing I'll have a total of four pours of two colors of epoxy (they mix a little, but the cholla will segregate the colors a bit, plus the first of two pours starts to harden before I get the second poured), and I'm leaning towards red and violet tints for the next batch.
It will be interested to see the results with cholla laying on their sides. Ill be following Dave.
 

Attachments

#10 ·
Building the blank

Started making the pieces for another cholla bowl this morning, and figured there's been enough interest in what I've done that I should write it up.

The first step is building a base on a faceplate for my lathe. I've been aiming at bowls that are 6-10 inches in diameter, so I generally put a pine 1Ă—6 on the faceplate, and then put a couple pieces of 1Ă—6 across that to get up to the size I want.

Then I cut it round-ish on the bandsaw, and turn it round (and about 10 inches in diameter) on the lathe.

Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Varnish Tints and shades Circle


I stick blue tape on the joints. That helps keep the epoxy from running through the joints and making a mess in my shop.

Idiophone Wood Engineering Gas Auto part


Next, I stick a piece of blue tape around the edge of the base. Just one or two turns, but I try to stick it to the edge of the base as best I can. I'm going to be pouring epoxy into this and I don't want a leak.

I should note that I've already cleaned the cholla. If there's any material in the middle of a piece, I poke it out with a long screwdriver.

Next is putting in the cholla. In my first two bowls, I stood pieces of cholla on end. This time I'm going to try laying them circumferentially.

Wood Rectangle Staple food Natural material Composite material


If the pieces go a little beyond the tape, that's ok. And if there are gaps, I plan to fill them with the next layer. So now it's time to mix up some epoxy. 50ml of System 3 Fast Hardener, 100ml of System 3 General Purpose Resin, and 22 drops of TransTint Aqua for the first pour. That makes a fairly pale almost sky blue.

Second pour is another 150ml of epoxy (5 oz), this time with about 35 drops of Aqua, and 5 drops of TransTint Lemon Yellow. Definitely green, but I think still thin enough that it'll let light through. I pour this aiming to hit areas that didn't get any epoxy in the first pour (cholla will form dams) and I concentrated on pouring over pieces of cholla that looked dry inside. I also stuck in a few more pieces of cholla (small broken chunks) to fill any small gaps that looked wrong to me.

Wood Metal Plastic wrap Food Electric blue


At this point, there are still a few spots where I can see the dry pine base. But after this epoxy cures overnight, I'll put on another few wraps of tape, building the sides up to 1.5 to 2 inches high, lay in more cholla, and then pour the next two colors of epoxy. I'll probably set the base slightly off-level so that the epoxy pools more on one side. I'm guessing I'll have a total of four pours of two colors of epoxy (they mix a little, but the cholla will segregate the colors a bit, plus the first of two pours starts to harden before I get the second poured), and I'm leaning towards red and violet tints for the next batch.
Thanks, Dave. I'm interested to see what I come up with, too. My brain thinks it might look pretty good, but sometimes my brain, it gets a mite confused.
 

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#11 ·
Second pair of pours for the blank

Nothing too exciting in this one, but I want to document what I'm doing for my own records, too.

I went back out this evening and wrapped the blue tape an inch and change higher, rotated the blank 180 degrees so I would be pouring epoxy into the end that had almost none in it, and mixed up another batch of epoxy. This time it had 30+ drops of Aqua and I added 5 drops of TransTint Bright Red. That made a reasonable violet, though I maybe had just a touch too much blue.

After pouring that, I added some more pieces of cholla, trying to get them going a different direction than the ones they were on top of, and once I had about half of the blank built up that extra layer, I mixed another batch of epoxy with just the Bright Red. I think I did 8 drops. Then I poured that over the other side of the blank, trying to avoid mixing the two still-liquid pours too much. I put on three our four more wraps of blue tape as insurance against leaks, and moved the blank to the floor, just in case. Ten ounces of liquid epoxy leaking over the bench would be quite a mess. It wouldn't be pleasant on the floor either, but at least it won't ruin many tools if it leaks now.

Rectangle Automotive design Font Wood Electric blue


The pieces of cholla that don't have any epoxy visible on the top of them will be where I concentrate the next couple colors / pours of epoxy. I think before I pour the next one, I'll make a mark around the tape at a final thickness for the blank, and I'll work on stacking cholla and pouring epoxy up to that level so I don't get a wildly unbalanced blank. I think I'm going to aim for something between 2.5 and 3 inches thick.
 

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#12 ·
Second pair of pours for the blank

Nothing too exciting in this one, but I want to document what I'm doing for my own records, too.

I went back out this evening and wrapped the blue tape an inch and change higher, rotated the blank 180 degrees so I would be pouring epoxy into the end that had almost none in it, and mixed up another batch of epoxy. This time it had 30+ drops of Aqua and I added 5 drops of TransTint Bright Red. That made a reasonable violet, though I maybe had just a touch too much blue.

After pouring that, I added some more pieces of cholla, trying to get them going a different direction than the ones they were on top of, and once I had about half of the blank built up that extra layer, I mixed another batch of epoxy with just the Bright Red. I think I did 8 drops. Then I poured that over the other side of the blank, trying to avoid mixing the two still-liquid pours too much. I put on three our four more wraps of blue tape as insurance against leaks, and moved the blank to the floor, just in case. Ten ounces of liquid epoxy leaking over the bench would be quite a mess. It wouldn't be pleasant on the floor either, but at least it won't ruin many tools if it leaks now.

Rectangle Automotive design Font Wood Electric blue


The pieces of cholla that don't have any epoxy visible on the top of them will be where I concentrate the next couple colors / pours of epoxy. I think before I pour the next one, I'll make a mark around the tape at a final thickness for the blank, and I'll work on stacking cholla and pouring epoxy up to that level so I don't get a wildly unbalanced blank. I think I'm going to aim for something between 2.5 and 3 inches thick.
I don't blame you for setting that on the floor, it would be a real mess on the bench. What about using a large plastic tub to set in while it cures, just in case a leak springs.
 

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#22 ·
Second pair of pours for the blank

Nothing too exciting in this one, but I want to document what I'm doing for my own records, too.

I went back out this evening and wrapped the blue tape an inch and change higher, rotated the blank 180 degrees so I would be pouring epoxy into the end that had almost none in it, and mixed up another batch of epoxy. This time it had 30+ drops of Aqua and I added 5 drops of TransTint Bright Red. That made a reasonable violet, though I maybe had just a touch too much blue.

After pouring that, I added some more pieces of cholla, trying to get them going a different direction than the ones they were on top of, and once I had about half of the blank built up that extra layer, I mixed another batch of epoxy with just the Bright Red. I think I did 8 drops. Then I poured that over the other side of the blank, trying to avoid mixing the two still-liquid pours too much. I put on three our four more wraps of blue tape as insurance against leaks, and moved the blank to the floor, just in case. Ten ounces of liquid epoxy leaking over the bench would be quite a mess. It wouldn't be pleasant on the floor either, but at least it won't ruin many tools if it leaks now.

Rectangle Automotive design Font Wood Electric blue


The pieces of cholla that don't have any epoxy visible on the top of them will be where I concentrate the next couple colors / pours of epoxy. I think before I pour the next one, I'll make a mark around the tape at a final thickness for the blank, and I'll work on stacking cholla and pouring epoxy up to that level so I don't get a wildly unbalanced blank. I think I'm going to aim for something between 2.5 and 3 inches thick.
Thanks, Dave!

I bought IPG ProMask blue tape, which has been very good to me.

Some bubbles from the cholla, but I tap the blank on the bench (or floor) a few times after each pour to try and dislodge as many as I can, and tipping it different ways as I pour gives epoxy a chance to find its way into more nooks and crannies.

I'll have a few voids I'll find when I cut things apart and turn the bowl. If they're bad enough, I'll stop, mix a 1oz batch of epoxy, let it start to set up, and use it as spackle to fill holes, then cover each with blue tape to hold it in place. That always feels like I'm a one-armed paper hanger.

I've also got some metal-filled machinable epoxy that I've used to fill voids. That's super-thick and doesn't run out much. And I've mixed "frosting" with cholla dust and epoxy, but haven't gotten the proportions quite right yet. So yeah, more experimentation, which I'll talk about more in a future blog.
 

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#23 ·
Third batch of pours

Poured approximately 400 ml of epoxy this morning, in three batches of just under 150 ml each. The first had 5 drops of bright red and 10 drops of lemon yellow. The second had 3 drops of bright red, and 10 drops of lemon yellow. The third had 1 drop of bright red, and 10 drops of lemon yellow. The second and third are closer to a nice orange, I think. The first was pretty red still.

I also think I set in the last of the cholla that will go into this bowl between the first and second pours. I think I'm going to make a shallower bowl this time with no cutting of layers. I might need a few pieces of cholla in one edge, but I'm going to have to measure before I decide.

Looking at the epoxy level and guesstimating, I'd say I need one more set of pours. Maybe 500 ml more of epoxy, which would finish out at almost exactly a quart kit.

Blue Automotive tire Gas Composite material Electric blue
 

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#24 ·
Third batch of pours

Poured approximately 400 ml of epoxy this morning, in three batches of just under 150 ml each. The first had 5 drops of bright red and 10 drops of lemon yellow. The second had 3 drops of bright red, and 10 drops of lemon yellow. The third had 1 drop of bright red, and 10 drops of lemon yellow. The second and third are closer to a nice orange, I think. The first was pretty red still.

I also think I set in the last of the cholla that will go into this bowl between the first and second pours. I think I'm going to make a shallower bowl this time with no cutting of layers. I might need a few pieces of cholla in one edge, but I'm going to have to measure before I decide.

Looking at the epoxy level and guesstimating, I'd say I need one more set of pours. Maybe 500 ml more of epoxy, which would finish out at almost exactly a quart kit.

Blue Automotive tire Gas Composite material Electric blue
Just poured two more batches, approx 250ml of light brown (3 drops violet, 8 drops yellow)
 

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#30 ·
Final pair of pours

I think the blank is about done. Two more pours of 150 ml each this morning, both with aqua tint. 20 drops or so.

Hood Product Blue Natural material Gas


Pouring a quart and a half of epoxy over three days has also given me chances to use small amounts of epoxy for other projects. I have a shop stool which also gets used as a table for my corded miter saw (most used for chopping cholla canes to length).

Table Rectangle Wood Pink Red


It had a crack in the seat from dropping my post drill on it while I was getting that ready to mount on the wall. So I glued a piece of ash veneer behind the crack, then excavated all the cracked wood, put a piece of veneer on the top of the crack, and then poured four different pours of epoxy to fill the voids. Most were 5ml or so, but now the plywood is rock solid again.

Brown Purple Wood Fixture Pink


I also needed a new knob for the table on my post drill. I drilled a couple holes in some cherry, stuck a bolt in there, and used epoxy to bind the whole mess together. I'll finish shaping the knob once it's had a chance to cure.

Wood Tool Hand tool Yellow Gas


Not too shabby for 9:30 on a Sunday morning.
 

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#31 ·
Final pair of pours

I think the blank is about done. Two more pours of 150 ml each this morning, both with aqua tint. 20 drops or so.

Hood Product Blue Natural material Gas


Pouring a quart and a half of epoxy over three days has also given me chances to use small amounts of epoxy for other projects. I have a shop stool which also gets used as a table for my corded miter saw (most used for chopping cholla canes to length).

Table Rectangle Wood Pink Red


It had a crack in the seat from dropping my post drill on it while I was getting that ready to mount on the wall. So I glued a piece of ash veneer behind the crack, then excavated all the cracked wood, put a piece of veneer on the top of the crack, and then poured four different pours of epoxy to fill the voids. Most were 5ml or so, but now the plywood is rock solid again.

Brown Purple Wood Fixture Pink


I also needed a new knob for the table on my post drill. I drilled a couple holes in some cherry, stuck a bolt in there, and used epoxy to bind the whole mess together. I'll finish shaping the knob once it's had a chance to cure.

Wood Tool Hand tool Yellow Gas


Not too shabby for 9:30 on a Sunday morning.
Epoxy - the new duct tape for woodworkers.

Regarding the cholla pour picture, aren't you going to completely cover the cholla tubes with epoxy? Don't know why I'm asking because I've never done anything like this, just assumed. But as my wife says - Wrong again!
 

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#42 ·
Roughing it out

Got a few minutes at the lathe this morning and decided I'm just going to make the bowl in one piece. Yeah, it feels like wasting expensive materials, but it's also pretty fiddly getting all the layers glued together. So it'll only be a couple inches high. More of a plate, I guess.

Automotive tire Tire Wood Tread Tints and shades


I turned the edge round, and flattened the bottom and put in a recess I can chuck up when its time to turn the bowl over to do the inside. But I'm going to try and get the outside nearly done before I do that. Almost all of the work today was done with a 14mm bedan. Went to the grinder four or five times, and still was working dull much of the time.

Bag Automotive tire Wood Rectangle Pattern


It's going to be some work, as there are a few voids / bubbles in the epoxy. But I'll go back and fill those I can't turn away. And I'll definitely make a mess again.

Wood Gas Composite material Flooring Stairs
 

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#43 ·
Roughing it out

Got a few minutes at the lathe this morning and decided I'm just going to make the bowl in one piece. Yeah, it feels like wasting expensive materials, but it's also pretty fiddly getting all the layers glued together. So it'll only be a couple inches high. More of a plate, I guess.

Automotive tire Tire Wood Tread Tints and shades


I turned the edge round, and flattened the bottom and put in a recess I can chuck up when its time to turn the bowl over to do the inside. But I'm going to try and get the outside nearly done before I do that. Almost all of the work today was done with a 14mm bedan. Went to the grinder four or five times, and still was working dull much of the time.

Bag Automotive tire Wood Rectangle Pattern


It's going to be some work, as there are a few voids / bubbles in the epoxy. But I'll go back and fill those I can't turn away. And I'll definitely make a mess again.

Wood Gas Composite material Flooring Stairs
Dave,

Have you thought about seeing if you can get somebody to Ringmaster it for you
 

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#52 ·
Shaping and filling

I finally got back in the shop after a crazy week. On Saturday I shaped the outside of the bowl and filled a few holes, then Sunday I smoothed that out and finished it, then chucked the base of the bowl and started shaping the inside.

Automotive tire Tints and shades Artifact Art Pattern


Automotive tire World Art Artifact Astronomical object


That's the outside pretty good. Let's get to the inside.

Automotive tire Automotive wheel system Gas Camouflage Rim


First I have to cut off the pine "base."

Drum Wood Gas Auto part Machine


Then clean up.

Hat Wood Rectangle Automotive wheel system Basket


Automotive tire Tread Tire Wood Headgear


Once I get pretty close to the final shape, I pull the bowl from the lathe, leaving it on the chuck, and fill and gaps in the epoxy.

Automotive tire Wood Natural material Gas Metal


Automotive tire Circle Art Auto part Natural material


For this filling I use a 12 hour epoxy, which takes about a half-hour to get thick enough that it'll most stay in place. But it flows better so I don't end up with bubbles just under the surface. The down-side is that I need to spend about 45 minutes watching the bowl and turning it this way and that so that all the holes on the inside get mostly filled.

It won't be perfect tomorrow, but I should be able to fill things more completely then with a faster-setting epoxy, and get the bowl back on the lathe on Thursday or Friday.
 

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#53 ·
Shaping and filling

I finally got back in the shop after a crazy week. On Saturday I shaped the outside of the bowl and filled a few holes, then Sunday I smoothed that out and finished it, then chucked the base of the bowl and started shaping the inside.

Automotive tire Tints and shades Artifact Art Pattern


Automotive tire World Art Artifact Astronomical object


That's the outside pretty good. Let's get to the inside.

Automotive tire Automotive wheel system Gas Camouflage Rim


First I have to cut off the pine "base."

Drum Wood Gas Auto part Machine


Then clean up.

Hat Wood Rectangle Automotive wheel system Basket


Automotive tire Tread Tire Wood Headgear


Once I get pretty close to the final shape, I pull the bowl from the lathe, leaving it on the chuck, and fill and gaps in the epoxy.

Automotive tire Wood Natural material Gas Metal


Automotive tire Circle Art Auto part Natural material


For this filling I use a 12 hour epoxy, which takes about a half-hour to get thick enough that it'll most stay in place. But it flows better so I don't end up with bubbles just under the surface. The down-side is that I need to spend about 45 minutes watching the bowl and turning it this way and that so that all the holes on the inside get mostly filled.

It won't be perfect tomorrow, but I should be able to fill things more completely then with a faster-setting epoxy, and get the bowl back on the lathe on Thursday or Friday.
Good progress Dave. What brand of epoxy is 12 hour?

Cheers, Jim
 

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