Here is a lidded bowl from start to finish from this afternoon. I apologize in advance for the number of pics.
The bowl part can be screwed right onto a faceplate, as it will be hollowed out anyway:
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The bottom and outside are then shaped. You will notice a recess in the bottom. That is for the chuck jaws to ‘grab’ from the inside. It also enables the bowls to be stacked, even with a rounded top. I sand the bottom as well at this point, as you can’t do it with the chuck in place:
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Next, the faceplate is unscrewed, and the bowl is turned around and held with the chuck. If you don’t have a chuck, you can reattach a blank and screw the faceplate into it and then cut it off afterwards. The process of hollowing out the bowl now begins:
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One note- with a lidded bowl, don’t sand the top edge too much, if it is too rounded it looks like there is a gap, even when there isn’t.
Next it is time for the lid. The faceplate is screwed into a waste backing piece, so that the screws don’t go into the wood. With a wood like this that has a prominent grain pattern, I try to take the lid from right beside the bottom on the same board so they’ll match pretty closely as well.
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Similar to the bottom of the bowl part, a recess for the chuck is shaped, as is the edge of the lid to fit the inside edge of the bowl. This is so that it doesn’t slide off easily, and so that soaps can be stored better within. Again, don’t sand the edge a ton, or it will not look as clean:
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Use the bottom to check for diameter and edge fit:
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Turn the lid around, use a chuck (or a 2nd waste blank) and cut off the waste blank. I don’t worry about marking it up, as I am turning it anyway. If I was to use a blank where needed to finish it off the lathe, I would take more care:
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Now I turn the top of the lid. I try to match the style of the bottom, obviously:
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About 1 1/2 hours start to finish.
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And the bowl is now ready for its coats of finish. I use a Urethane finish off the lathe, with light sanding in between. I’ll post a final pic in a few days when the finish is complete.
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