We've all done it...

[Woodmonkey]

Or at least I hope its not just me...

You're going great guns hollowing out the bottom of the bowl and get a bit carried away and suddenly its not a bowl anymore its a funnel. Do you bin them or attempt to save, and if so what techniques do you use?
Thought about trying to plug it, but whats left is so thin it would have to be plugged the whole width of the recess, the hassle and the time involved doesn't seem worth it (since I don't normally pay for bowl blanks).
Any other ideas?
Rich

 

[MMUK]

Personally I'd put a contrasting section in to create a flat at the bottom of the bowl. Something like ebony maybe? Make it in two parts with a dowel so you can have a base as well

Something like this

 

[Woodmonkey]

but how would you go about doing that? difficult to cut the bottom out on the lathe as the chuck jaws will be in the way.

edit, the drawing explains it but that looks tricky to get a good fit

 

[Spindle]

Hi

You could always enter it into this months turning competition - 'something pierced' :roll:

Regards Mick

 

[Woodmonkey]

That did cross my mind!

 

[tekno.mage]

That's a fine wooden lampshade with a natural edge you have there!

 

[chipmunk]

If that's your thumb at the side then it's not very big - I'd just chalk it up to experience.

You'll not make the same mistake again.
Jon

 

[Woodmonkey]

Ha you'd like to think so...

 

[bodge]

You'll not make the same mistake again.
Jon

I did. Several times. I often end up with bowls that have bases an inch thick now. :lol:

 

[Woodmonkey]

Yeah me too, its on my list to make a simple bowl depth measuring jig.

 

[nev]

#-o Been there done that. #-o

Just before Christmas I was given a small pile of blanks by someone who never quite got around to turning. So as is the required 'payment' ''which would you like back as a bowl?'' I say.. ''I really like that one '' says he, pointing to a lovely big lump of zebrano. ''No worries you'll have it for Chrimbo'' says I.

Yep! straight through the bottom :evil: #-o :evil: #-o

fixed it with a plug of cocobolo, and sheepishly presented it , ''thats fab! how did you get that a different colour in the bottom??''

''top secret'' I say walking away whistling 8) :roll:

 

[woodfarmer]

You'll not make the same mistake again.
Jon

I did. Several times. I often end up with bowls that have bases an inch thick now. :lol:

Aren't the bases supposed to be an inch thick ???

 

[Woodmonkey]

I normally aim to get the base the same thickness as the rest of the bowl

 

[MMUK]

but how would you go about doing that? difficult to cut the bottom out on the lathe as the chuck jaws will be in the way.

edit, the drawing explains it but that looks tricky to get a good fit

Turn the contrasting base in one piece, slice and fit a dowel to piece it back together again?

 

[bodge]

Aren't the bases supposed to be an inch thick ???

I normally aim to get the base the same thickness as the rest of the bowl

Me too, or perhaps just a little thicker. An inch always feels really heavy and cumbersome to me, way too much. Maybe it's a personal preference thing.

 

[paulm]

Nope, never done that, not me :-" :---)

Well not more than a couple or three times, mainly using the coring system and misjudging things as you can't really see what the cutter is doing until it breaks through the side/bottom :roll: :lol:

Cheers, Paul

 

[sammo]

No you are not the only one. I have just gone through the bottom of a goblet bowl - while turning the stem, I miss-measured the gobble depth, marked my "turn in" point a little high........
The real pain was that I had spent most of the morning completing the piercing pattern and was quiet satisfied......

Cheers, Sammo

 

[MMUK]

while turning the stem, I miss-measured the gobble depth

Mod Edit:-- Please refrain from making such comments

 

[KimG]

I normally aim to get the base the same thickness as the rest of the bowl

Going by what you said earlier about the recess, I would guess that is your problem, you cannot really have a constant wall thickness AND a recess without getting super thin near the recess, (unless the bowl is very thick of course) if you like a constant wall thickness (and I think that is a very good thing to aim for) then a foot at the base of your bowl is what will save this from happening again. I recently answered a post asking how to achieve a finished foot with the minimum of fuss, perhaps you saw it, I don't remember which thread it was in now though.

 

[Woodmonkey]

you're right, normally I would use a tenon rather than a recess and then remove it using cole jaws, unfortunately this isn't possible when turning a natural edge bowl, is there a way of reverse chucking a natural edge?