Box elder bowl and box - Woodworking Talk

firehawkmph · 11-05-2009, 05:33 PM

I had some box elder sitting around collecting dust (regular dust) so I made a bowl and a lidded box. The bowl was an exercise in making good cuts so as to eliminate a bunch of sanding and also to maintain an even wall thickness. It turned out pretty nice. The walls are about an 1/8" with the bottom a bit thicker. It measures just under 8" x 3".
The box was a fun little project. I added a padauk top piece to have something to grab onto. My wife will probably put earrings in it.
Mike Hawkins

johnep · 11-06-2009, 05:37 AM

Congratulations, gorgeous work. Intrigued as how you put name etc on base, laser?, stencil?
johnep

john lucas · 11-06-2009, 08:37 AM

I really like the bowl. Good shape and cleanly done. I always enjoy boxes. I'll bet that was fun.

firehawkmph · 11-06-2009, 10:00 AM

Thanks guys.
Johnep,
I put my name on my pieces with a thirty year old, $9.95 sears woodburner. I think they now sell for about fourty bucks. I let it heat up for about ten minutes before I start.
Mike Hawkins

jdixon · 11-07-2009, 11:07 AM

Mike that is some nice work as usual. Love seeing your work. did you turn the bowl with a tenon and then cut in a recess on finishing or did you use the recess to chuck into? I haven't tried using a chuck into a recess yet.

John

Jeff4woodturning · 11-07-2009, 11:09 AM

Awesome bowl Mike very clean and crisp look to it and as I commented before on your turnings the bottoms, very nicely done.

slatron25 · 11-07-2009, 08:37 PM

That's very nice work Mike. I really like the recessed bottom on the bowl. Do you have a square edged scraper to clean up the bottom of the box?

firehawkmph · 11-07-2009, 11:36 PM

John D,
I am trying to remember what I did on the bowl. I normally turn a tenon to fit my dovetail jaws on my chuck. I have a set of bowl jaws that I use after finishing the inside of the bowl in order to get rid of the tenon. That's probably what I did. I have turned bowls using the recess, but that's a little chancy when you have a lot of wood to remove.

Tim,
I don't have a straight scraper. I was using a bowl gouge to cut the sides. They follow the outside contours. I used it on the bottom also. It has a fingernail grind which lets me get in the corners on a box like this that has pretty open access.
Mike Hawkins