[Knitter]

So, my question is...well, here's my dad's problem (I'm asking for him :smile.

He's making wood bowls. He cuts a piece off a log maybe about 5-6" thick and sends it through the planer. He want's to get the bottom "perfect"! He get's close, but not "perfect". He's wondering if there is some kind of "Leveling Jig" you can make, with like four corners, place the wood piece in, and send it through the planner like that. Any ideas, thoughts?

Thanks!!

Now, to show you the sweet "Dowel" jig that we made, via Kenbo's awesome idea! I was looking for a way to make some dowels for my knitting needles, I haven't gotten to that part yet, but I needed some for a thread holder my dad made me. We finally put the jig together!

You can see we almost got it, then it went better. I think he said he has the wrong bit. His bit has a dip in the middle. So he said we need a straight bit and so it will cut it right.

Anyways, it's super sweet, and I love it!! Thanks Kenbo for sharing your awesome idea!!!

 

[Dave Paine]

So, my question is...well, here's my dad's problem (I'm asking for him :smile.

He's making wood bowls. He cuts a piece off a log maybe about 5-6" thick and sends it through the planer. He want's to get the bottom "perfect"! He get's close, but not "perfect". He's wondering if there is some kind of "Leveling Jig" you can make, with like four corners, place the wood piece in, and send it through the planner like that. Any ideas, thoughts?

Thanks!!

Wood turners do not attempt to get a bowl blank "perfect" off the lathe. Rough cutting on the bandsaw is common, then mount on the lathe and gets the shape trued up on the lathe, including the top and bottom.

I am not seeing the need for putting a bowl blank though a planer. What is your father trying to achieve?

If the mounting on the lathe was off by a slight amount the "perfect" bottom on the planer would soon be mute.

 

[Knitter]

He doesn't use a lathe, he uses a little chain saw thing? I don't know what it's called, he grinds the bowl out.

Here's a few that he did. These are actually pieces that he's sliced and glued, then ground them out, kinda free form style.

He can't cut it with the ban saw cause the sides are usually round and weird shaped.

 

[Itchytoe]

Those are some pretty awesome bowls. To get the bottoms flat, try using a router on a sled, like you'd use to level a large table top.

 

[Kenbo]

Glad to hear that your jig worked out. It takes a little messing around with it to get the adjustment right, but once you get it, you're in business. Nicely done. By the way, I love those bowls.

 

[BernieL]

Interesting way to make bowels and they look good. Itchytoe is giving you (your dad) good advise... but if he insists on doing it with a palner, the rough stock needs to be secured on a sled with shims to prevent rocking. The sled can be a simple piece of plywood. The rough blank needs to be secured to this sled with shims under it to keep it from rocking and the planer needs to plane flat 1 side only. When that side is flat, it can be turned over to plane the other side.

 

[Knitter]

Cool guys, thanks for the tips and kind words! I'll tell my dad! A sled, yeah, something like that, I think he's just wondering how exactly to build a sled that can be adjustable? But I guess using shims would be a good idea since each piece would be different!

Hum, a router on a sled? I don't know how that works?! Haaaa, but I'm not totally a wood girl...yet! But I will tell him, I'm sure he'd get it.

Thanks again for the ideas!!

 

[Dave Paine]

He doesn't use a lathe, he uses a little chain saw thing? I don't know what it's called, he grinds the bowl out.

Interesting so he may be using an Arbortech.

The rough stock can be flattened using a sled with a router or planer.

This is a thread by Woodnthings on his planer sled. Still need some shiming to support a board if not level.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/planer-sled-rails-14940/

This is an example of a router sled.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f27/router-sled-49858/

 

[Knitter]

Hey cool! Those are GREAT ideas!! Thanks so much guys! I will totally show him. I told him he just needs to join this group, he'd LOVE it!!
Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Adrenolin]

Knitter.. that first bowl is spectacular! I can see it filled full with popcorn, chips, salads, nuts, as well as a marvelous serving bowl for carved turkey, etc. I love it!

As for the base I agree the router sled would likely work great for your father.

 

[Travico]

I have learned something new here today. Great idea and bowl!

 

[Knitter]

Ahhh, thanks Adrenolin! I will let my dad know! He's LOVIN' making these bowls. He likes to make them all different kind of weird shapes not ROM as he says! I do like his new idea about cutting the bowl in slices and gluing it together, from the middle pieces he's cut out, he's made two more bowls, so the waste is very minimal! Pretty cool!

Here is some other stuff I love that I can't believe he made! Antlers!!!

 

[Chaincarver Steve]

Ok, the first bowl is especially cool. The antlers are just awesome! I like it a lot.

 

[vursenbach]

Ahhh, thanks Adrenolin! I will let my dad know! He's LOVIN' making these bowls. He likes to make them all different kind of weird shapes not ROM as he says! I do like his new idea about cutting the bowl in slices and gluing it together, from the middle pieces he's cut out, he's made two more bowls, so the waste is very minimal! Pretty cool!

Here is some other stuff I love that I can't believe he made! Antlers!!!

Antlers? I don't get it. I'm sorry but I'm from Wyoming where it seams that every other home has real antlers mounted on the wall. Many people just leave antlers from old hunts piled in a corner of their yard, getting weathered. The piles are large and normally have at least 20 rack in it. Some piles are close to 200 rack. Fence posts are also decorated by old antlers. I don't know why someone would make something where the real thing is so common. It's like making a fence out of paper to protect wood or because is too expensive. It's cool, but I just don't get it. You know, it's more like an 5 - 8 year old boy making a pretend antler rack out of a tree branch because he's not old enough to go hunting with dad. The same boy would make a bow and arrow out of sticks he finds on the ground while camping and old kite string that he brought on the camping trip because he thought there might be a chance to rappel from a cliff with it. The boy now runs around the camping site pretending to be an Indian while making stereotypical and cliché noises with his hand and mouth, making everyone at the camp smile for the first minute and then cringe after five. Okay, back on topic, being redundant for emphasis, I just don't get it.

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[sawdustfactory]

Maybe he doesn't hunt. Maybe he doesn't believe in hunting. Maybe he did it just because. Maybe he lives in an area where there aren't that many deer or hunters. No reason to rip on it just because you "don't get it".

 

[Dave Paine]

I agree with Sawdustfactory. We woodworkers make things which are frequently available in big box stores. The non-woodworkers may see something which we spent hours to make, only to their eyes, why did we not just go out any buy one.

We make our projects because we have the tools and skills and we get enjoyment from the creative process.

I do not expect I will make any antlers, but I can appreciate the pictures of the home made antlers.

 

[vursenbach]

I agree with Sawdustfactory. We woodworkers make things which are frequently available in big box stores. The non-woodworkers may see something which we spent hours to make, only to their eyes, why did we not just go out any buy one.

We make our projects because we have the tools and skills and we get enjoyment from the creative process.

I do not expect I will make any antlers, but I can appreciate the pictures of the home made antlers.

I can also appreciate the quality of workmanship. I do. I also knew I would be ripped on for my comment. There are many different opinions on the issue of hunting. I didn't want my post to be political. With that said, I knew, my comments might not sit well with some; however, my comments were not to offend, just a head scratcher. It was about the subject, not the skill. If there are anti hunting people out there that took offense to my previous comments, I am truly sorry.

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[Chaincarver Steve]

Antlers? I don't get it. ...

Psshhh, and you call yourself a woodworker. :huh: What's not to get? A woodworker making cool stuff out of wood? He made freakin' wooden antlers! That's cool sh!t!

How do you not get that? If you really want something to "not get", try this stupid hat on for size:

 

[vursenbach]

Psshhh, and you call yourself a woodworker.

Yea, a woodworker for relaxation.

:huh: What's not to get?

It's the subject, not skill

A woodworker making cool stuff out wood?

That's an opinion based on the word "cool."

He made freakin' wooden antlers!

That's cool sh!t!

That's an opinion, again, based on the word "cool."

How do you not get that? If you really want something to "not get", try this stupid hat on for size:

Again, the word "stupid" refers to an opinion.

I can keep defending myself. I already said that I knew others would not like my comments, i.e. people that are anti hunting, people that are anti guns, or people that feel that I was disrespecting another person." I had already explained that my first comment was not intended to disrespect and I already apologized if it had. If people are anti hunting or guns and they want to continue to be upset with me, we can take it off thread because that would become political and I would not like to get political. If you want to flame me until I'm nothing but ash even after I've apologized, go ahead. I'm in for it; however, I will not reply to this thread again after this post.

Again, I'm sorry. I never intended to offend.

If I'm going to get flamed, FLAME ON! If you are going to flame me please at least read the entire thread first.

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[Chaincarver Steve]

Yea, a woodworker for relaxation.



It's the subject, not skill



That's an opinion based on the word "cool."



That's an opinion, again, based on the word "cool."



Again, the word "stupid" refers to an opinion.

I can keep defending myself. I already said that I knew others would not like my comments, i.e. people that are anti hunting, people that are anti guns, or people that feel that I was disrespecting another person." I had already explained that my first comment was not intended to disrespect and I already apologized if it had. If people are anti hunting or guns and they want to continue to be upset with me, we can take it off thread because that would become political and I would not like to get political. If you want to flame me until I'm nothing but ash even after I've apologized, go ahead. I'm in for it; however, I will not reply to this thread again after this post.

Again, I'm sorry. I never intended to offend.

If I'm going to get flamed, FLAME ON! If you are going to flame me please at least read the entire thread first.

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Oh Lord, so we're going to bicker over opinionated adjectives now? Yes, "cool" is being used to describe my opinion. But "stupid" was used objectively to describe that hat. It is not my opinion that that hat is stupid. It's fact! :shifty:

But to the point: how the heck did you go from pictures of really cool (yeah, I said it... and meant it) wooden antlers - which are probably above your skill level - to a pro-hunting/anti-hunting debate. The wooden antlers don't have squat to do with hunting or not hunting. It's simply wooden art. You got a splinter up your hind side and decided to rail against wooden antlers because, well, most people have real antlers. How does one discredit the other?