Woodturning ….Turn Your First Bowl
Since this is a blog about Woodturning Basics I like to post content that brings us back to our beginnings. That is always relatable because every day someone buys a new lathe and has no idea how to use it. Every day something causes a casual woodworker to buy a lathe, buy some woodturing tools and even buy a new woodturing chuck ……but they have no idea how to use them.
Wood Bowl Finishes
Every day someone turns their first project and then realizes it needs to be finished…..how do I finish my new bowl?
Once again, a subject like woodturning finishes could fill a book easily. You could probably spend your woodturning lifetime trying and learning how to use different woodturning finishes.
One aspect to consider when deciding on what type of finish you want to use for your wood bowls….. you have to ask, is it food safe if you are going to use the bowl for food or drink.
I’ll suggest 2 wood bowl finishes that are food safe and I use them inside my bowls all the time.
I always use a sanding sealer on the outside of my bowls and for this I will either use Deft Lacquer Sanding Sealer or Zinser Shellac Sanding Sealer and then I will usually use a spray on lacquer like Watco or Deft.
There are many, many finishes. You can use plain Shellace, comes in many varietys ….or you could make your own finish like Eddie Castelins OB Shine Juice, a very good (and cheap) utilitarian finish, easily apply multiple coats in a short period of time.
Wood Bowl Repairs
I would be remiss if I did not at least mention some of the tools you need to repair wood bowl repairs. Wood checks, cracks and shrinks. You might turn a beautiful bowl and because the wood wasn’t dry or didn’t get dried properly you get a crack.
To fix a crack you need some glue, sawdust, shavings and maybe coloring dust. CA is the easiest to apply and with an accelerator it will stick quickly, instantly.
The idea is to rub some sawdust, coffee grounds or shavings and push it into the crack or hole. Apply some thin CA glue and then spread more sawdust or coffee over it, push it into the hole or crack and apply more CA. Then you need to sand back to smooth.
There are all types of CA available. I try to keep on hand a
- Thin CA
- Medium Thick CA
- Thick CA
- You’ll also need the acellerator spray
Two companies I purchase CA from are Stick Fast and Starbond.
Stick Fast has a CA kit that contains all you need to get started using CA on your woodturning projects, you can even use it on small projects like pens, and you will find a use for the thicker viscosity CA’s are you began to turn more and more …..I recomment you check it out.
I could go on with the questions but suffice it to say that learning to be a woodturner encompasses many different aspects of working with wood. We learn these methods, processes, equipment and tools one at a time!
So, if you will, allow me to talk a little about how I got started. Then, how you might get started. And finally a couple of good videos on learning how to turn your first wood bowl!
Learning how to turn your first bowl
Warning ….woodturning is a highly addictive habbit. Be prepared to spend mornings, afternoons, days and nights in your shop learning all the different aspects of turning wood!
How to Learn Woodturning
I started out by betting a wood lathe from Harbor Freight and a cheap set of chinese woodturing tools ….again, from Harbor Freight. My only experience prior to that was maybe 40 years or so ago in high school wood shop class.
My lathe came with a 6″ faceplate. This is how you attach to the piece of wood you want to turn to the lathe. It also had a spur drive center with a morse taper and and live tailstock center for the opposite end. Basically this setup was for turning spindles.
My first project was some kind of candle holder for tea candles. All I did was take a branch, put it between centers ….it was about 6″ long. I turned some design into it and then drilled a hole for the tea candle.
I was hooked 🙂
My next project was going to be a cup/mug made from about [4 or 5] 2×6’s glued up.
Even with my dull chinese tools I was able to turn the outside and make it look pretty good…..in fact, it looked awesome, the wood cup
had a construction look which was exactly what I was after.
Woodturning Hollowing
Then I had to hollow out the inside!
If you plan on turning cups, deep bowls or hollow forms you really need to use hollowing tools. The Easy Wood hollowing tool is great for beginner and experienced and you can get one on Amazon
That’s when I got into trouble. I didn’t have the right woodturning tools. 
I wanted to waterproof the inside of the cup …..that led me to google/youtube to do some research and I discovered the online world of woodturning! I did eventually find a food safe epoxy 
Sharpening Woodturning Tools
I couldn’t end this article without making mention of a couple of things regarding woodturning tools. No, you don’t need an expensive set of turning tools. In fact in my opinion you should buy a cheap set of turning tools and as you began to learn how to use them you will need to learn how to sharpen them.
This may be hard for you to comprehend right now. However, lets say you picked up a cheap set of wood turning tools. You also purchased the sharpening jig and at this point you have practiced for a year and you are ready to move on to bigger and better tools.
Don’t think those old tools are wasted. All you need is a grinder and your sharpening jig and you can reshape your old tools and make them into specialy tools. These tools can perform special tasks and are open to your imagination. Al Furtado is someone who has repurposed a lot of his tools and I have copied some of his favorite tools ……this will give you a lot more flexibility and satisfaction in your abilities and your projects.
Sharpening your bowl gouges and other turning tools will ultimately decrease the size of the tool and shorten the life span of your tools. That’s why it makes sense to invest in a sharpening system 
I invested in the Wolverine Oneway Sharpening Jig, one of the first of its kind and there are many imitators. This system is built from strong steel and made to last ….I have heard that the knock offs (those who copied) are made of stamped steel and just cheaply made. I love my sharpening system and its one of the best purchases I made for turning wood.
Carbide Tipped Woodturning Tools
This may be the first article or blog post on woodturning and you are swamped with questions and ideas. I’m trying to expose you to ideas and concepts ….mostly tools that you will need along the way.
So lets assume you have a piece of wood mounted on your lathe. Next you need to be able to shape that wood with some type of woodturning tool. Again, it takes another book to tell you which one to use but suffice it to say that a bowl gouge is for makeing bowls, spindle gouge is for making spindle type items. Hollowing tools dig out the inside of a cup or bowl. Parting tools act as a slicing tool to remove a turning piece from the chuck or faceplate. Roughing gouges are mainly for turning cylinders when the grain goes with bed of the lathe. And scrapers can be used just about any where. There are many more tools but these are some of the basic traditional tools.
Woodturning Scrapers
Carbide tipped woodturing tools are mainly scrapers. They consist of a handle, square or round bar with a carbide cutter or insert screwed into the end of the bar. The carbide cutter comes in many shapes and sizes. You have square cutters, radiused cutters, diamond cutters, negative rake cutters and round cutters ….all of different sizes.
The benefit with carbide cutters is that you do not have to sharpen them (although you can) you just rotate the cutter to a different face …tighten it back down and start turning again. They are sharp, last a long time and can hog off a lot of wood. You can learn how to make traditional cuts like shear scraping and slicing which help to eliminate endgrain tear out. But they are a modern tool and some dispise them while others will only use carbide tools.
Bottom line is whatever gets you going with turning wood ….is a good thing. Learning all the different aspects of turning wood will take a lifetime and you should have fun doing it and not argue the finer points of traditional vs new.
I made my own carbide tipped turning tools. I’m not a metal guy but after watching a few videos I gave it a try. Now my 15mm round carbide tipped tool is one of my favorite when I am turning something that is a little scarey.
- Check out some of these posts Making Your Own Woodturning Tools
- Build your own tools and Jigs
Of course you can purchase these tools, click here for an assortment of carbide tipped woodturning tools.
Easy Wood Turning Tools has some of the best carbide tipped tools you can get. They make a small size for doing things like pens, mid size and full size Easy Wood Turning Tools.
My Favorite Cannot Do Without
Traditional Woodturning Tool
Before I leave the subject of Scrapers for woodturners I wanted to mention a traditional set of 1-1/2″ by 3/8″+ scrapers from Hurricane woodturning tools.
Hurricane Turning Tools, Woodturning Three Piece 1 1/2" Curved Scraper Set: 1 1/2" Right Side Scraper, 1 1/2" Left Side Scraper, 1 1/2" Round Nose Scraper, High Speed Steel
This set comes with a full round front and if that’s all you can afford…..get that one. The other 2 are a left and right bowl scraper.
These tools take a beating. Once you learn how to use them you can refine the shape of your bowl or turning object with confidence. You do not have to be afraid to stick this tool into a rotating piece of wood…… hold on and approach slowly and your shape will began to be difined. You can define shape, you can hollow and you can shear cut and slice with these tools.
Sharpening is a breeze, determine what angle works best for you and lay it on the sharpening platform and run it over the grinding wheel once or twice.
Learn how to introduce the tool into the spinning piece and you will build your confidence and do things you never thought you could do before. Approach at less than 90° off of the tool rest and you will almost always be able to automatically spill a catch.
I use these scrapers when I am in a scarey situation but do not want to quit. I start with the carbide tipped tool…. if that doesn’t work I will try the big tradional scrapers. Do youself a favor and get a set of these……they will last a long, long time! Add to your tool collection with these 3 Large woodturning scrapers from Hurricane!
I use these all the time and consider them to be a must have for any woodturner!
How I Learned to Turn Wood or
My Woodturning Start!
I’ve had some health problems that prevent me from going out much. So, joining a woodturning club was out of the question. Going to wooddturning conferences was out of the question. And since I couldn’t find anyone near me that would be willing to come over and give me a few tips I had to learn how to turn wood on my own.
I read books. I read magazines. I used Google and probably learned the most from youtube. Learning from Youtube gives you the good and bad. You can learn from others videoing their mistakes and you can learn watching others turn outstanding projects.
If you are a complete newbie to woodturning the problem you will have is knowing what questions to ask and where to ask them. I have this blog and I also run a Facebook Group called Wood Turning Bascis at https://www.Facebook.com/groups/woodturningbasics. You can ask any question there and find someone to help you. I delete any member that makes fun of newbies or makes newbies feel uncomfortable. But I learn something new almost every day, certainly every week about woodturning.
Learning Woodturning On Youtube
Youtube can be your woodturning coach and friend. As you start to learn the different aspects of turning wood you will began to learn the parts, pieces and procedures used in woodturning. Now you can use those keywords to search for specific problems you might have. For instance, you might have 
I found that the Nova Chucks had an excellent reputation and many woodturners recommended it. All parts are interchangeable and they come in a variety of packages. They are unique in that they have spindle adapters that make the chuck able to be used on a variety of wood lathes. So if you upgrade your lathe and the spindle size is different you can just buy the probably spindle shaft adapter. A fact that isn’t easily understood or learned quickly by the newbie woodturner. I purchased the SuperNova 2 with a couple sets of jaws and worm screw and couldn’t be happier 🙂
Maybe you just got started and you have no idea which tool to use. Again, search youtube for best woodturning tools or go to our Facebook woodturning group and ask what tools other members bought and would suggest to buy .
How Do I Turn My First Woodturning Bowl
OK ….I have some tools and want to get started …..what do I do first. I’ll give you 2 videos to watch. These videos will help you get started in your woodturning asperations.
Turn Your First Bowl ….A Video Class on Woodturning
Shawn Graham has a youtube channel called “wortheffort” ….he’s a good ole boy from Texas and loves to teach about woodturning and woodworking. I suggest you follow him and learn from him …..I’ve picked up all kinds of good tips and methods for turning wood and working with wood.
This video is a basics type video on how to turn a bowl. Good information and you will be a better turner after watching and applying what he teaches. His approach is understandable and the photography will be very helpful to anyone wanting to learn how to turn wood.
Here’s the index for this video in case you are looking for a specific aspect of woodturing:
In-depth video class for those interested in turning their first wood bowl on a lathe. Taken from the perspective of a new wood turner or someone interested in this side of the craft.
———————————————-
Table of Contents:
00:50 – 1st Lathe
03:45 – Lathe and Tools
05:55 – Chucks
08:24 – Lathe Gears
09:40 – Initial Lathe Upgrades
11:45 – Tune Up Tool Rest
12:40 – Additional Tools
14:08 – Band Saw
15:20 – Free Wood
19:50 – Mounting Wood to Lathe
22:21 – Grain Direction
25:55 – Bowl Gouge
26:40 – Spindle Roughing Gouge
28:50 – The Supported Cut
31:30 – Tool Rest Placement
34:16 – Gliding on the Bevel
36:00 – Front Hand
37:45 – Big Muscles
40:10 – 1st Cut, Rough to Round
47:20 – The Corners
53:00 – Mount in Chuck, Tenon
57:15 – Shape Outside, Shear Scrape
1:01:00 – Surface Rim
1:04:30 – Bowl Thickness
1:07:45 – Bowl Scraper
1:09:30 – Remove Tenon
1:13:08 – Conclusion
—————————–
“How to Turn a Basic Bowl-Part I“
The Youtube Channel “FineWoodworking” has a video called “How to Turn a Basic Bowl-Part I” by Richard RAffan ….an awesome teacher and woodturner. Not only will you learn about turning a bowl you will learn what woodturning questions to ask. He makes everything so easy, pay attention to all the details he discusses and watch how each tool is presented to the bowl.
Part II
The youtube channel “Carl Jacobson” has a ton of followers and although this video is not a basic video on how to turn a bowl, it does take you back to the basics, the title being
“Woodturning Back-to-Basics #3
Turn a bowl without a chuck”
Back in the day there was no scroll chuck, or woodturning chuck. You turned between centers or you used a faceplate. Carl talks about and shows how to turn a bowl without a chuck.
FUNdamentals of woodturning: #1 The faceplate
Youtube channel “Wyomingwoodturner” …..watch his stuff. Sam DeAngelo is someone I have learned so much from. In this video Sam talks about “The faceplate is at the core of woodturning. Sam covers techniques for utilizing this simple tool:
There are many other woodturners that I have learned from, some should be household names for any wood turner like Eddie Castelin, Mike Peace,RoboHippy,Brian Havens,As Wood Turns, Cindy Drozda, Mike Waldt, Kim Tippin, Al Furtado, Larry “The Wood Whirler”, Andy Phillip ….I know I missed a bunch of excellent woodturners …..I had hoped to give you guys a place to get started when it comes to turning wood. Again, I encourage you to join our Facebook Group at https://facebook.com/groups/woodturningbasics for help in all your woodturning needs.
Where Do I Purchase Woodturning Supplies
Google Searches
How Can I Forget Sanding Before Finishing
Every now and again you will read or meet up with someone who likes sanding 🙂
I can almost say I hate sanding, however, it is the key to developing a flawless finish on your wood bowl. I’m not going to say much here except that fact that you need to get used to it and you need to follow the progression from low grit to high grit.
The better you are with your tools the higher grit you can start with.
I usually apply a couple coats of sanding sealer. I then try to get a better finish by using my woodturning tools to smooth out the wood as best I can.
I then apply another couple coats of sanding sealer and will start about 120 to 150 grit if my original finsh is in pretty good shape. Then I move on to 220 and 320 grit.
Now I am ready to apply the finish of my choice. Usually Lacquer on the outside and one of the foodsafe finishes on the inside. I will use scotch pads or steel wool to rough it up and smooth it further before applying more coats.
Sometimes my finishes will look like glass and just beautiful ….other times I still have failures and have to go back and start from the beginning …..or toss the bowl in t he fireplace 🙂
I read someplace that shiney, high gloss sells. So if you are trying to sell your woodturnings you need to perfect your high gloss finishes.
For me I can get a depth of luster from a Satin or Matte finish. It takes more coats but it can be buffed and polished or waxed for a beautiful finsh with the high gloss.
Do yourself a favor and turn a bowl and finish it with the most basic of finishes. Try mineral oil. Try mineral oil with beeswax and some diatomaceous earth. Try some of the Howard’s finishes. Give Acks a try or Triple eee a try. There are many finishes out there, all work differently on wood of other species ……but remember…..sanding is the secret to a perfect finish.
After watching Capn’ Eddies videos I realized that he preached the perfect finish comes from sanding. Skip a grit and your project will look like shit ……I don’t think he said that but I just did 🙂 However, the Capn’ always preached that you need to go through the progressions and not skip a step to get that mirror/flawless finsh.
I’m not going to go through the types of sandpaper here. But it seems as though each month there is a new sanding medium. Pay attention to these and if your budget allows ……get some and try them out.
I’ll do a special post on sanding and sandpaper soon.
Conclusion on Turning A Wood Bowl
Assuming you are new to woodturnig it might seem like there is just too much to learn, too much to buy and too dangerous to try to turn a wood bowl on your own wood lathe.
Yes there is a lot to learn.
But no, the negatives do not outweight the positives. It sounds more difficult that it really is and from a very basic standpoint …..you can get started very cheaply.
Our facebook group has young boys and girls turning wood ….of course with some guidance. Having a mentor, joining a group or watching youtube and reading articles is a wise decision when getting started.
You’ll find other woodturners all too willing to help you get started in your new hobby.
Every hobby, sport or pasttime has costs. As far as woodturning is concerned you can start for a small investment and build your collection of tools and equipment as time rolls on. I started for less than $300 and then found out that I could build a lot of my own tools and jigs to increase the size and quality of the projects I wanted to turn.
You might want a small lathe just for turning pens. Once set up, you only have to buy the turning supplies and your initial investment would be one of the smallest lathes made.
Maybe you want to turn larger bowls or spindle shaped items. You can search Facebook Marketplace, Craigslists and Ebay for used equipment. There are auctions where you can get awesome deals on used woodturning equipment.
You can start for next to nothing if you are willing to do the work…that is looking for deals.
Just the same, if money isn’t an issue you can get the best of the best and let’s say something comes up or you just do not want to pursure the hobby anymore. You can almost get your original investment in any tools or other woodturning equipment you buy.
I did not talk about what you might want to do with your woodturning projects. I think most woodturners give away their work ….or collect it for themselves 🙂 However, once you get good at turning different projects like:
-pens
-bowls
-cups
-spindles
-bats
-pizza cutters
-sinks
-boxes
-bird houses
-snowmen
-ornaments
-vases
-turning a root ball into a work of art
-woodturning business cards
-Legacy turnings
-YOU NAME It
You can sell these items at markets, shows, or online. You can make a profit to use as you see fit or reinvest in your woodturning tools and equipment.
For me, it started with turning bowls. I wasn’t that good but I kept trying. I worked the problem, found out I needed to sharpen my tools, I needed some new tools and I needed to perfect my techniques for each project I considered.
But it all started from wanting to learn how to turn a wood bowl! There is something that is very satisfying from turing a piece of firewood into a bowl or learning how to slice a log, mount it on to your lathe and turn a functional bowl or piece of art. In either case it is a one of a kind piece, never to be duplicated!
I genuinely hope you get something from this article/post. I hope you get some encouragement and direction. All the products that I mentioned I have used. Some of the links will result in me getting a small commission or affiliate payout. It is a very small amount but it helps me to pay for my hosting and other website costs so I very much appreciate if you buy these suggestions through my links 🙂
Hope that helps ….I say this for you or anyone getting started. Rmember you need to learn how to sharpen your tools, dull tools are dangerous. So… why not get a set of cheap tools, get a sharpening jig, practice sharpening until you know you can put an edge on your tools and then buy the good stuff.
