EcrosTechWiki | Woodworking / Turning a Wood Bowl - Shaping the Bottom and Outside of the Bowl

This page is Part 2 of the steps involved in turning a basic wood bowl. In Part 1, we prepared the blank by cutting away excess material using a saw of some sort, reducing the effort needed at the lathe. Then we mounted the top side of the blank to the lathe headstock. Here we take advantage of the fact that our screw holes will be removed when we hollow out the inside of the bowl. Now we turn the blank round, true up the bottom, shape the outside and then prepare to turn the bowl around on the lathe to work from the top.

From here, you can go back to the main page, to the next step (Step 3) or the previous step (Step 1).

Part 2 - Shaping the Bottom and Outside of the Bowl

1 — True up the bottom surface of the bowl (video 3, 5:32). One way to do this is with a push cut from the outer edge inwards to the center. I have difficulty starting this cut, given that it may be partly in air space. Some turners use a pull cut, but I have not mastered that. What works for me is to skip ahead and begin rounding over the outer edge using push cuts from a starting point on the bottom face, coming outwards, deepening and turning the corner. After a few of these, I can start an inward push cut with the bevel against the rounded edge. If the bottom of the blank is almost true, so I don't have to remove much material, a scraping cut is another choice. I use the bowl gouge with the flute closed and scrape with the bottom wing.

2 — Make a pencil mark 11/16" from the center of the bottom surface and spin that into a 1 3/8" diameter circle (video 1, 3:20). At this point, it's fine to run the lathe motor while holding a pencil on the tool rest. While you're at it, you can also draw the foot, see step 7, below.

3 — Begin making the mortise (a.k.a. recess) by removing wood from inside the circle (video 1, 6:36). Push cuts going inwards to the center will work fine. I use push cuts starting at the center and coming out, stopping just short of the circle. This leaves less wood to be scraped away in the next step, but also allows me to leave a decorative bump in the middle to disguise the function of the mortise. At first, I cut the mortise to a depth of 1/4", worried that the bowl would pop out if I made it shallower. I am now emboldened to stop at 3/16" and can therefore make the bottom of the bowl thinner. With bigger bowls (therefore, a wider foot) and/or hard, strong woods, I may try for 1/8", cranking the chuck tighter to hold on.

4 — True up the outer edge of the mortise using a parting tool as if it were a negative-rake scraper. Don't go outside the 1 3/8" diameter circle or you'll have to open up the scroll chuck more than the ideal amount. The bowl will then be gripped at four points instead of all around. You can slide the parting tool along the bottom face of the mortise to get it nice and flat where the jaws will seat.

5 — Cut the dovetail angle into the outer edge of the mortise using a skew chisel as a negative-rake scraper.

6 — If necessary, revisit getting the bottom of the bowl (outside the mortise) nice and flat. You can also have it very slightly dished, so that the bowl rests on the outer edge of the foot. What you don't want is to have it domed so that the bowl wobbles. If you suspect that the wood might move (due to drying out or the relief of internal stresses), then go for dished.

7 — If you've not already done this, make a pencil circle representing the circumference of the foot (base, pedestal) of the bowl (video 1, 4:00). Be sure to leave enough material around the mortise to withstand the outward pressure of the chuck jaws in the event of a catch (video 2).

8 — Shape the outside of the bowl. You can use a "pull cut" (video 1, 4:20 to 6:36) or a "push cut" ().