Bowls for Christmas

[Pappy]

I have a few left, they went really fast this year, but if anyone is looking I will do my best to get you one in time.

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Bowls-and-Wood-Turning/i-jB5VHFK/0/L/LLL1382-L.jpg

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Bowls-and-Wood-Turning/i-CV62nFj/0/L/LLL1313-L.jpg

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Bowls-and-Wood-Turning/i-mb9vjzw/0/L/LLL1268-L.jpg

I know I will be really low on the natural edge stuff, but should have a few candy type and size

Still have bottle stoppers/wine stoppers but after Dec 15th I cant make any promises.

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Bowls-and-Wood-Turning/i-zrbMZ2M/0/L/LLL1252-L.jpg

I have a few game calls but low on them as well. Just post or pm me and I will see if I can hook you up

And I do apologise for not posting a bunch, I have been hammered trying to get firewood sold and keep up with the powder coat work. Its been a very busy fall and hopefully will kick in to high gear now that all the racing and riding is done.

I had to take a break from firewood for deer season. Its been insane and the the temps warmed up and the sales stopped LOL!

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Private-Gallery-2/i-xs2SC2J/0/L/DSC1348-L.jpg

Hope everyone is doing well, and we are working on some huge changes for the site. Its finally at the point where someone is being hired to actually make the roll over happen. I do not have a timeline but it wont be too far off now. Should be pretty cool and interactive for you all !

[honda400ex2003]

wish i needed some more this year pap! The ones i got from you last year were awesome!

One day i will get a cherry game call from you, hopefully in spring ill be able to. i wouldnt even use it, i just want to have one of your kicking calls to have in a glass topped table with a rock display and stuff.

steve

[Pappy]

Thanks! I had a friend tell me yesterday that when he is done with his call, his wife wipes it off and puts it on a shelf as decoration LOL!

They seem to be going over really well with folks, something hand made means alot I reckon. I spent some time today getting more Hickory blanks cut...man that stuff is HARD! Its a ton of fun to do as well.

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Bowls-and-Wood-Turning/i-C7vxdXF/0/L/DSC1444-L.jpg

[Pipeless416]

these bowls are awesome. my brother and i were just talking about christmas for my parents but we already got them an xbox 360 and kinect haha. hope you still have some for sale next year!

[honda400ex2003]

they make great presents, i got my mom and dad a wine cork and a bowl last year.

they loved both! One got the bowl and one got the cork.

steve

[Pappy]

Thats the plan! I am really hoping for some extra cash to buy a much larger lathe and coring system. I can only turn up to a 12 inch diameter piece now and I would like top be able to do atleast a 16 inch, 20would be better for large platters. And teh coring system would allow me to get anywhere from 4 to 6 bowl blanks from one piece of wood instead of just ending up on the shop floor as wood shavings!

I also stopped doing alot of the fancy finishes on them, people tended to want the bowls with a nice oil finish that was easy to keep up on.

They look good all laquered up though!

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Bowls-and-Wood-Turning/CMR3159/1110585221_tzP8b-L.jpg

[Pappy]

This is one I just finished for myself. Its red oak and turned thin at the rim so that it could warp. You take a big gamble on the piece splitting but when they turn out they really look cool. I will be doing more of this type of thing this year for some serious one off items. Its hard waiting almost a year before you can finish the item but thats part of it I geuss!

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Bowls-and-Wood-Turning/i-XF4WNGp/0/L/LLL1397-L.jpg

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Bowls-and-Wood-Turning/i-xdR8LLZ/0/L/LLL1396-L.jpg

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Bowls-and-Wood-Turning/i-WkpQZXH/0/O/LLL1394.jpg

[Pappy]

I will also be doing more lidded boxes as they call them. The ladies like'em...I like them because you stash all your keepsakes in them.

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Bowls-and-Wood-Turning/i-BmQQQrW/0/L/LLL1255-L.jpg

And goblets are next on my list. This one needed a base turned for it but it looks pretty cool.

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Bowls-and-Wood-Turning/i-gWtkwHp/0/L/LLL1294-L.jpg

[honda400ex2003]

not to take away from the thread but do you do boxes? they are a great present too. I did that one year when i was in woods shop in hs. made boxes out of any wood i could. jewelry boxes are cool too.

steve

[Pappy]

Nothing square....but the turned boxes yes.

I cant cut a straight line to save my life so turning seems to suit me haha

[honda400ex2003]

lol def. ive never done any round stuff so it is amazing to me. I never had a chance to run the lathes since i was busy making boxes and a big book shelf.

steve

[Pappy]

99% of the lathe is learning how to use the tools to make the cuts. It literally is an art form to watch someone who is truly good at it make a cut.

The turning has helped me a ton with the issues I have from being sick in 2005. The damage done to my fine dexterity needed to be excersized as the doc put it. I still wont use a saw where my fingers get remotley close etc. The turning forces me to use my hands and concentrate. There is a risk ofcourse, a 30 pound block of wood spinning can do damage, but isnt as likely to happen as much as it would if I was running saws LOL! I even have to be careful with the chainsaw, but thats a given.

I can remember back in 05, the 1st fall after being sick, I had to re-learn how to use my wood splitter. Crazy how something like that can destroy things youve done all your life!

[honda400ex2003]

thats no good man! glad you are coming along for sure.

steve

[CJM]

Didnt know you had been sick Ken, thats a real shame you lost some dexterity b/c of the whole ordeal.

I love the natural edge bowl you made me last year and so does my mom. Its currently on our coffee table and people always ask about it. My grandfather swore up and down that it had to be made by a machine lol till I convinced him otherwise.

As for lathes, I have quite a bit of experience with them. I once made a bowl in woodshop where you took a flat board you glued multiple 1" wide slats together of different woods. Then you cut them at a 45 degree angle in concentric circles on the bandsaw and glue them back together then turned them. Makes for a really cool sloped type bowl.

I also made 2 tables in HS woodshop with turned legs. Lemme tell you what, making the first ones easy-its making the other 3 match it lol. I didnt do anything insanely fancy, but they look like furniture store quality.

Using a lathe is an artform, but once you get the hang of it, its quite fun.

[Pappy]

LOL, people cant grasp how they are made with a natural edge, they are pretty cool. I had a large chunk of bark sail off and smack me in the face the other day. The faceshield saved my head but scared me LOL!

[CJM]

Originally posted by Pappy
LOL, people cant grasp how they are made with a natural edge, they are pretty cool. I had a large chunk of bark sail off and smack me in the face the other day. The faceshield saved my head but scared me LOL!

You carved the inside and left the edge alone to make them-least thats my guess.

Poo Poo on wearing a face shield, you coulda got hit and had a gnarly scar! Or more likely knocked yourself out...kidding lol. Thank god you had the shield on!

[slightlybent47]

Them some nice bowls there pappy! I have been cutting into some chunks I had set aside some time back. Cut and sealed some real nice cedar stumps today and sawed some blanks out for some boxes I plane to make. Just getting some of the better stuff from making firewood cut and labeled and put away. One of these days I’ll give turning a try.lol

Found a nice cedar tree with a large cluster of big limbs all converging in a small spot on the trunk. I cut some slabs out today and found some sweet looking stuff.
I would like to see you do a vid on turning.

One question? How do you get the bark to stay on? Once my wood is dry all the bark falls off.

[OldGuyonaQuad]

Hey Ken my wife fell in love with these wooden salad bowls my sister had. They look pretty similar to the one you posted in pic #2. Pm me some info I would be glad to contibute to your cause and save a trip to Walmart ;)

Sorry to hear about the loss of dexterity I have some issues there myself but the doctor said it was from excessive use of my right forearm and wrist. You sure you got sick? :D

[Pappy]

Usually, if you can cut the tree up in the winter the bark tends to stay on much better. Light cuts, some luck and super glue LOL. Once you get the bowl near its thicknes, you oil it so the CA glue wont stan the wood, then floos the area between the bark and sap wood. It isnt a garuntee, but when it comes off you just make it into a naked natural edge which are popular in their own right.

The bigger bowls seem to be a must have for the ladies. I just sold the last big bowl I have and it will be 6 months of drying on these hickory (atleast) before I will have more. They will run around $75 once completed. Ive been selling the smaller bowls for $40 to $50

At some point I hope to have some actual dry blanks to be able to turn a bowl and be done that day and no waiting, but green is easier to turn and cheaper LOL

[OldGuyonaQuad]

I pm'd you what I am looking for, let me know how much and how long. I showed the Mrs and she gave a big thumbs up.

[Pappy]

I replied to your pm, cant thank you enough!

[OldGuyonaQuad]

^^^likewise

[slightlybent47]

Well pappy I finally got a wood lathe! I have a guy that comes by every now and then looking for wood to turn and he calls me up out of the blue and asked if I wanted his old lathe in exchange for some more wood.
So I took him some wood and picked up the lathe the other day. It’s a Toolkraft lathe 42”. It’s old and has an old washing machine motor on it that is veritable speed. Not much power but it does work pretty well. It came with 3 face plates and mandrels and a pin turning kit with pin mandrel and 5 wood tools.

I turned a bowl out of mesquite last night and it came out pretty good considering it was my first attempt.

So the turning fun begins!lol

[Pappy]

Be warned, its addictive lol