Sycamore Bowls

[pennardesign]

Here are two Sycamore Bowls that I turned today for the wife to give as Christmas presents, this is Sycamore that I milled myself at the beginning of the year, still learning this great art of woodturning.

[Bryan Milham]

I agree with George, although my preference is for the bowl in the second picture. The shape of the outer curve to the narrow rim and return curve inside really works.

You don't give dimensions though.

[pennardesign]

Thanks for the replies, I do agree I prefer the second bowl, I just chuck the wood up and turn away and let the wood tell me what to do! I still need to develop the art of end grain tear out - any tips?

[Bryan Milham]

Sometimes wood will tear out at the end grain and there is nothing you can do about it.

But you can minimise it, Sharpen your tool for the last one or two cuts and make then very fine, also work with the grain.

If you are asking because of the dark patches I can see in the photo, it's odds-on you made the cut in one go. And as it's a concave curve at some stage you were working against the grain.

In that situation you needed to be cutting from the middle of the curve (widest point) to the base of the bowl and again from the same point out to the rim. This way you provide the maximum support for the fibres being cut with the fibres below the bevel.

Hold a bowl as if mounted for turning and so the the grain is horizontal, now look at the grain/fibres and see which way they lay and it will be more apparent.

[Terry Miller]

Hi Bryan

Just reading your tips on tear out prevention and I thought the point where you cut from the widest point of the curve one way and then from the same point the other way very interesting. Being a relative novice it is a problem that I sometimes encounter.
Thanks for the tip.

Regards

Terry