Project #2 - Meranti Bowl Completed

It has been quite a while since I finished the lathe work on this project, but I finally got to varnishing the Meranti bowl.

This is what the bowl looked like before final sanding and varnishing

The almost finished Meranti Bowl

After varnishing... the finished product!

Completed and varnished Meranti bowl

 The finger joint that I mentioned in my first post about this bowl has turned out very nicely in the completed bowl.

The finger joint in the completed bowl

Project #5 - Natural Edge Firewood Bowl (Part 2)

After shaping the outside in Part 1, I flipped the bowl around, and started working on hollowing out the inside of the bowl.

Bowl ready for the inside to be hollowed out

I shaped the bottom of the stand of the bowl with a slight upward shape, so that the bowl effectively sits on the rim of the stand.

You can see the slight indentation on the bottom

From the bottom of the bowl, you can see the nice grain of the wood

The bottom of the finished bowl

The bowl is almost finished. Just needs some final sanding and varnishing

The firewood bowl almost finished

You can see the bark from the log around the rim of the bowl. The darker bark provides a nice contrast against the lighter wood of the bowl.

Project #5 - Natural Edge Firewood Bowl (Part 1)

I had seen an interesting style of bowl recently, and I thought I would give it a try. It required that the piece of wood that I use must still have its bark.

I found a piece of wood in our stack of firewood, so I am not sure what type of wood it was. It came from a tree in our garden somewhere that we had trimmed back a while ago.

The piece of firewood that I selected

In the picture above, you can see the patch where I have removed a strip of the bark. I had to trim the wood down in size a little, and then mount it on the lathe.

Piece of wood mounted on the lathe

I turned the outside shape first.

The bowl is starting to take shape

Project #4 - Purple Heart Table Leg (Part 2)

I have now finished turning and sanding the table leg.

Purple Heart table leg

I have let it stand for a while, and you can already see the purple colouring coming through. I am going to let it stand and oxidise for a while longer before I varnish it.

Project #3 - Calabash bowl from Blue Gum log (Part 2)

I have started to hollow out the inside of the calabash.

Hollowed out inside of Blue Gum calabash

Because this came from a branch, it has many interesting cracks and knots.

Big knot from an offshoot branch

Cracks from the wood being dried out

Knot from the other side

Project #4 - Purple Heart Table Leg

There are certain woods that are brightly coloured. Purple Heart is one of these. When you cut the wood and work with it, it is a brown colour, but if left to oxidize, it becomes a brilliant purple colour.

The end of the Purple Heart that has oxidized bright purple

I sanded one side of the block that I was turning, and you can see the differences in colour between the sanded part (the brown), and the un-sanded part (the purple).

Difference in colour between oxidized and non-oxidized

I then turned this block to make it into a fancy looking table leg. I am planning on making a coffee table, and using this piece as the main leg.

Purple Heart table leg almost complete

I still need to do more sanding and cutting, and I need to let it oxidize for a while to get its nice purple colour.

Project #1 - Pine Bowl Completed

This was what the bowl looked like before final sanding and varnishing.

The almost finished Pine Bowl

After varnishing... the finished product!

The completed Pine Bowl!

The completed Pine Bowl - Different Angle

The completed Pine Bowl - Other side of the bowl

Project #3 - Calabash bowl from Blue Gum log (Part 1)

We recently felled a Blue Gum tree that was growing in our garden. After letting the wood dry out for a while, I found a log that I thought I would make a nice Calabash style bowl.

Log of Blue Gum

Once the log was selected, I needed to debark it and cut it level so that it could be turned on the lathe.

The log after being debarked

After some work on the lathe, the outside is taking a nice shape.

Outside shaping of the Calabash

Now comes time to hollow out the inside.

Project #2 - Turning the Meranti Bowl (Part 2)

After some final shaping and sanding, it was time to start carving out the inside of the bowl.

Sanded outside of bowl

After sanding, you can see the beautiful grains of the wood. I have left the little stand at the bottom so that I can attach the bowl to the lathe without ruining the shaping that I have already completed.

Bowl ready to be turned on the inside

I have attached the bottom of the bowl, and now it is time to start carving out the inside.

Inside of bowl carved out

The inside has been carved out, and it is time to remove it from the lathe by cutting off the small stand.

The almost finished Meranti Bowl!

Just needs a little more sanding, and then some varnish to be complete!

Project #2 - Turning the Meranti Bowl (Part 1)

I cut the block of wood into a square, and then used a jigsaw to cut off the corners to make it slightly easier to turn.

Block with corners cut off

Once I had taken off the edges and turned it into a barrel, it was time to begin shaping the bowl.

Barreled block

Shaping the outside of the bowl

You can see the finger joint that I have incorporated in the bowl.

Project #2 - Bowl From a Block

My second project is also made from a block of wood laminate that I found in our garage.

I had no clue what type of wood it was, and with the weathering and aging of the wood, it was almost impossible to tell!

Weathered block of wood

I took the block of wood down to Rare Woods and asked them. They planed the wood for me, and told me that it was Meranti.

Planed block of Meranti wood

The block of wood also had an interesting joint which I want to incorporate into the final bowl. The joint is known as a finger joint.

Finger Joint in block

Project #1 - Pine Bowl

For my first project, I decided to make a bowl.

I found a large beam that used to be in our roof, and chopped off a block of it. This beam was made of pine wood. It was not SA pine, but rather a pine from overseas that would have been imported back in the day when the house was built.

The block of wood from the end

The grain in the wood after cutting it through

After cutting and sanding, this is what the bowl now looks like...

The almost finished Pine Bowl!

Now it is time to add the varnish to give it a nice finish!

Introduction

So, I have been thinking about starting a blog for a while, but just was not sure what to blog about.

My grandfather recently moved, and in clearing out his place, I received some of his old wood work tools, and his lathe. (A lathe is the machine that you use for wood turning).

Box of tools

Block of wood on the lathe

I have been experimenting with wood turning, and have really been enjoying it. So, I have finally decided what to blog about...

I am going to blog about the different woodwork projects that I undertake.

I have been making bowls recently, and have plans to make some coffee tables in the future. Stay tuned to see my future projects!