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Turning
interesting and decorative bowls doesn't have to result
in wood waste |
I
turned my first bowl in high-school shop class. Many years later,
I bought a lathe and eventually got up the nerve to try making
another bowl. I was happy with the results, except for one thing:
most of the expensive block of cherry burl I had bought was
on the floor. I said to myself, as I'm sure many people who
have turned bowls do, "There has to be a way to do this
without wasting so much wood!" Well, there is.
The
idea is simple — start with wood that is in the basic
shape of the bowl before it's mounted on the lathe. This is
accomplished by making rings of wood out of many segments and
stacking them on a round, flat bottom. Perhaps you've seen this
method described in a book, and perhaps, like me, you felt too
intimidated to try this seemingly intricate task. Let me tell
you that it's not as hard as it looks.
Along with not being too difficult, another most-satisfying
benefit associated with this method is that you can use scrap
wood at little or no cost. You may even have a bin full of small
pieces in your shop that are too good to throw away but you
have no idea what to do with them. As a kitchen installer, I
often have leftover pieces of fillers, crown molding, light
valance and the occasional damaged or defective cabinet door
that would otherwise be tossed in the dumpster. Instead, I bring
them home and make them into something useful. I have also used
hardwood flooring, old tables, railings, just about anything
made of solid wood. The only time I have bought wood to use
in my bowls is when I want something out of the ordinary that
adds a striking contrast or highlight; the rest of the wood
I use is salvaged and recycled. |
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