ROUGH SHAPING A WOODEN BOWL FROM A BURL

A piece of the burl is cut out with the chainsaw. In this case the burl is English Elm and approximately 16 inch in diameter. It still has the bark on it. It is a very fresh chunk of wood and will turn nicely. I love the smell of turning green wood especially Elm.
It is shaped with the chainsaw into a very crude circle so as not to create to much vibration when it turns on the lathe. Needles to say, the lathe will turn slow.
A hole is drilled to mount it on the screw chuck.
The piece mounted on the lathe.

Slowly the outside shape will be turned.











































The outside has been rough shaped.

Now it is time to attack the inside. The piece is turned around and remounted on the lathe.



The rough turning is done, the piece is ready for the next step. It will be coated with anchorseal, a water based wax sealer, to slow drying process. This will prevent the piece from checking and cracking. The drying will take one to two years for this piece. Obviously, smaller pieces with a thinner wall will dry faster.

Bowls coated with anchorseal,

and drying.




Some bowls in the finishing stage.