Michael’s Segmented Bowl

Viewer Project - By Michael Harman from Dayton, OH
Added on September 30, 2010

This is only the second segmented bowl I’ve turned and it was really a surprise how easy it was to construct and turn. Turning this bowl was way easier than I thought and very enjoyable. I won’t win any design competitions with my simple design but the outcome is really great and does not take long. I would encourage anyone to give it a try. I simply have a Jet 1014 lathe and common lathe tools. It is a quick and satisfying project.

I glued up several 8-sided rings (painters tape to hold the segments together) this makes it faster. When I got them all assembled, I stacked and clamped them in place. I included a piece of plywood on the very top to mount the faceplate. I inserted a piece of paper between the top ring and the plywood mount. I was able to turn them only a few hours later. Once the outside and bottom were shaped using a roughing and spindle gouge, I was able to break the paper bond from the plywood and flip the piece around, mounting it on a chuck. I turned the top edge and inside with a gouge and scraper. The scraper, utilized at a downward angle to engage the hook edge properly, is really the key.

For the finish I sanded 120-400 grit and buffed with a cotton cloth while on the lathe. I used only 1 coat of tung oil.

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