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Materials:
- A "blank" - in this case, a 2" thick block of hardwood (we used
poplar) measuring 12" x 24"
NOTE: Some people have nasty allergic reactions to the sawdust
from different hardwood varieties. Make sure you wear protective
gear - especially a dust mask! It also helps to work outside.
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Tools
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Steps:
Buy a piece of poplar or other hardwood |
Use a jig saw or band saw to cut out the desired shape |
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Draw the rough shape of a leaf (or whatever you prefer) on
the blank.
Cut out the shape with a coping saw, jigsaw or band saw.
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Attach a spindle for a carver's vise to the back |
Attach the spindle to the vise |
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Next, attach a carver's vise to the front of the cut out
piece. The vise will allow the piece to turn in any direction
and hold it firmly in place while you use power carving tools.
If you don't have a carver's vise, clamp the piece of wood
onto your work surface, and reposition it as often as required.
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Draw the base on the blank |
Cut along the base line with the mini grinder |
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On the bottom of the blank, draw a shape that will become
the base of the bowl. It should follow the general lines of
the outside edge of the bowl.
Use the Detail Mini Grinder to score the wood along the line
drawn.
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Be sure to wear dust masks and eye protection |
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| TIP: Always use safety equipment and especially a dust mask
because the grinder will throw a lot of dust into the air. |
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Use the larger wood grinding wheel to round off the edges |
Use the Detail Mini Grinder for the fine work after the bulk
of material has been removed |
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Use the Arbortech Industrial Wood-shaping Cutter to remove
larger amounts of wood. It will take off the corners and carve
out the large central depression in the bowl.
When you need more control for detail, use the Detail Mini
Grinder. Experiment with the angle to determine how to best
remove wood in tight areas. These tools don't readily kick
back and can be used at many different angles. Use them gently
at first, until you are confident in the amount of pressure
required.
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Turn the bowl over and use a drill bit marked for depth and
drill two or three holes |
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When the back of the bowl is close to being finished with
just sanding remaining, turn the bowl over and attach the
carver's vise to the opposite side. Our bowl is in the shape
of a leaf, which has a spine down the center. Draw these details
onto the blank shape before beginning to remove wood.
TIP: To prevent yourself from removing too much wood
and possibly causing a "blowout" (where the wall of the bowl
gets too thin and your tool ends up bursting through it),
figure out the correct depth of the finished bowl. Mark a
drill bit with a piece of tape matching the correct depth
and drill several holes in the deepest section of the bowl.
You'll use the depth of the holes as guides while you carve.
Once you've removed enough material to be equal with the bottom
of the drill holes, STOP!
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Use the Detail Mini Grinder to outline the features on the front
of the bowl |
Use the Mini Grinder to scoop out the inside of the bowl |
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| Cut along any detail lines that have been drawn for guides
and then begin to scoop out the inside of the bowl. Using the
Detail Mini Grinder is probably best at first because it removes
material at a slower rate so you aren't as likely to make a
mistake. |
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Use sanding burrs to continue shaping the finer attributes |
The sanding burrs can be used to curl the edge of the 'leaf'
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Continue working with the burrs until all of the deep ridges
and valleys are smooth |
| As the shape gets closer to completion, use grinding burrs
on a flexible shaft tool like a Dremel or Foredom rotary tool.
Choose burrs that best fit the shape and remove more of the
wood, smoothing out the rough areas made by the larger grinding
tools. Stay aware of the thickness of the areas where you're
working to be sure that the wood isn't getting too thin. It
shouldn't be any thinner than 3/8" anywhere when finished. |
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Begin the first degree of sanding by using sanding disks
on the mini grinder. As with all the power tools, let the
tool cut by itself. Don't force it or use a lot of pressure.
If the tool doesn't want to cut on its own, the sand paper
probably needs changing.
When the majority of the deep valleys and ridges are smoothed
out, start sanding by hand. Begin with 100 grit and work up
to about 220 grit when using poplar. For harder woods, the
grit can be even finer. The finer the grit, the more the grain
patterns will appear in the wood, and the smoother the surface
will become. A bowl this size takes several hours of hand
sanding. Don't falter - it's worth it!
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Use pure tung oil for a non-toxic finish |
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| Apply two or three coats of finish. Pure tung oil is a good
sealant and an excellent non-toxic finish. Between coats, sand
out any raised fibers or imperfections. |
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Artisans'
work featured on this episode:
(click pics for Artist info and larger
images)
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