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I turned another bowl today. Went a little more smoothly, but it was a smaller blank to begin with. Piece of 7/4 birch, 5½ inches wide.

I mostly was concentrating on making the bowl thinner, especially the bottom. I'd say it's between ¼ and ⅜ thick on the bottom and maybe down to 3/16 at the thinnest part of the side.

Almost entirely done with a bowl gouge, which now needs sharpening. Finished with 180 grit sandpaper and three coats of blonde shellac. I think it probably needs a couple more coats on the end grain sides of the bowl, and I should take a scraper to the inside of the bottom to remove the tool marks from the bowl gouge.

Still, I'm pretty happy with it, and it might get filled with candy and become a present for some neighbors.

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I like the way your sunlight gives it a terra-cotta look.

Those pavers look like the ones I have, Kinney Bricks?

Can't wait for the juniper turnings! I'll let you see if the wood explodes first 8^)
 

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Get back to work on those bookcases!
 

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Chuck, I've been informed if I don't get back to making bookcases, it may become a nut bowl. :-|

Not sure who made the bricks, splint. But yeah, this time of year, shooting pictures on the patio is almost too easy to make things pretty.

Duck, see my first comment. I did get all but one dovetail done on another bookcase today before it was time to come in and start dinner.
 

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your gettin hooked arn't ya dave.after seeing you get into it ive got some bowl gouges coming myself,been wanting to do some for quite awhile so this winter will be it.been watching some you tube videos on what to do and what not to do.
 

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Getting better, just need a scrapper to clean up the grain pull out!
 

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Well, it's a new thing, Pottz, which always winds me up a little.

You'll probably want a rounded or domed scraper too. That's my next turning tool on the way. And a smaller bowl gouge.

But as has been pointed out, I need to get back to the bookcase factory for a while…

Yep Andre. It's already ordered.
 

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Looks wonderful Dave, impressive second run!
I think the marks gives it character, it looks well to the rustic design.
Respect.
Best thoughts,
Mads
 

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Nice work, coming along nicely.
Question, as you mention scraping the inside bottom to remove tool marks, why not sand on the lathe? or am I missing something here?

Oh, and while I'm here, congrats on the Top 3
 

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Thanks, Mads.

Tom, I did sand a little on the lathe, but I'd rather use a scraper. Edge tools, even a scraper, leave a surface I like better than a sanded one. Personal taste thing, mostly.
 

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Nice timber and beaut bowl Dave.
 

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Thanks, Peter. The birch that became this bowl was a 4 foot long 2×6 (7/4×5½ actual) that I got from the shorts bin at Siwek Lumber back in Minneapolis. It was marked $13.50. It had a couple knots, and I think I talked them down closer to $10 when I was really after the knots. Hopefully they'll appear in a future bowl once I'm more confident in my skills.
 

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Great start with two bowls under you belt you are getting sucked into turning vortex.

Suggestions. I see you had trouble with tear out and some wood is worse for that than others. Faster speed with sharp tools helps. I have on occasion had to resort to 60 grit sand paper to deal with that. On lathes that are reversible a lot of the tear out can be cut off from the opposite direction. The tool marks on the bottom can be easily removed with an orbital sander. I almost always make the bottom of bowls lower at the center to the bowl rests on an outer ring so it won't "teeter". Cleaning up the tool marks on the inside of the bottom can be the most difficult. Sometimes a large (1") round scraper works, very sharp at a fairly high speed.
 

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got my new bowl gouges today but with a lot of christmas stuff going on may not get to trying bowls until next year.
 

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Thanks, Les. I started on a third one today, and got better at cleaning up the tear-out (and avoiding it in the first place) with lighter cuts with the bowl gouge. Didn't resort to turning it over and treating it like a scraper, but I'll try that tomorrow.

I've got a bunch of 60 grit, but the places that give me fits are the inside corners where I have a hard time even getting the sandpaper in there. My domed scraper (flatter than a round, but that means corners that are sharper curves) should be here early next week, I think.

Pottz, it's a lot of fun. I may end up skipping one present I was planning to make and making a bowl instead. But I'm also trying to hold to my resolve of making one bookcase before I turn on the lathe for the day. :-/
 

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Joining the bowl craze huh Dave. It's a nice job. A little more at riding the bevel of the bowl gouge near the end ever so lightly and you will soon find yourself at very minimal need for sanding. Get those bookcases done so you can play more. Lol.
 

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Thanks, Dave! Yeah, it's just a matter of touch at the end, I think. Plus maybe a scraper for the tricky bits.

I've got at least a dozen more bookcases to build yet, and I'm averaging three a week, so… it'll be a while. Unless I go on a tear. I can do two a day if I spend all day in the shop and don't play with the other toys, but where's the fun in that?
 
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