how to turn a simple bowl from a log on your lathe
In this video I show step by step how I took a pear wood log and turned a simple bowl. I have now turned a number of these and they generally can be made in under an hour. This should be a useful video for those just getting started with lathe or wanting to make their own blanks. In the first steps I show how to re-saw and use a circle cutting jig. The next steps show how to prepare and load the turning blank onto the lathe. In the last steps I show how to use the worm, chuck, and basic shaping/finishing. This wood is dry and hasn't deformed but turning green wood (just cut from a tree) the bowls may warp some. There are steps to minimize this described in many forums. If you are new to turning it might not matter as much as logs represent a cheap and fast way to learn turning. The chuck I use is the Nova 3, my lath is a jet 1221s, and the chisels are psi. The pear wood turned here is relatively soft and therefore pretty easy to turn. I think the grain while not high contrast is very pleasant. Also if you are new to turning be sure and keep your chisels sharp. I hope to have a video up soon on the lathe tool sharpener that we built to sharpen our chisels.
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