"Dizzy Bowl"

This is my first attempt at making a “dizzy bowl” as inspired by Denny Edwards excellent YouTube video which can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ1lV-UhkB4. Denny is a masterful turner and created many other beautiful pieces that can also be seen on his YouTube videos.

It is basically a variation on the ‘bowl from a board’ method of producing a nice sized bowl from a minimal amount of materials, with very little waste along the way. The basic form is creating by gluing up a number of pieces on their wider sides (i.e., if you are using, say 1” x 2” pieces, the 2” faces are glued to each other) to form a square of most any size.

The square form is then resawn into a number of slices depending on the thickness and finished size of the bowl you want to create. Denny Edwards has a very easy to use Excel spreadsheet that shows exactly how to size the pieces, and he will graciously email you a copy upon request. The resawn boards are then cut into various size rings that will overlap as they are stacked up, offset one to the next and glued to create the basic shape. The finished glued-up form is then turned smooth.

While my description may not make perfect sense, the YouTube video is extremely clear and well worth the 28 or so minutes it takes to watch it.

This bowl is made from bloodwood, walnut, holly, cherry, and apple. The top rim is 11” wide, overall height is 5”, and the base is 3 1/2” It is finished with Myland’s Friction Polish and Renaissance Wax.

-- Once in awhile I make something really great. Most days I just make sawdust.