Turning your initial open segmented bowl
We remember the very first time We saw an open segmented bowl sitting on the display table in a local craft fair. It looked like a miracle trick made of wood and negative space. Unlike the traditional solid bowl or even a standard closed segmented piece, this issue had tiny, intentional gaps between every single block associated with wood. It appeared delicate, just like a weaved basket, but it was rock solid. I spent a good 10 minutes just looking at it, trying to figure out how someone could possibly glue those tiny items together without shedding their mind.
If you're a woodturner, or actually just someone who appreciates the craft, the transition from solid wood to segmented work is a big leap. But moving from closed segments to a good open segmented bowl ? That's a whole various ballgame. It's the test of endurance, precision, and your capability to stay calm when you're "turning air. "
Why bother with the gaps?
You might become wondering why anyone would go via the extra problems. A closed segmented bowl is already lots of work. You have to cut the angles flawlessly so the ring closes without any visible glue ranges. It's satisfying, certain, but the open style adds the layer of level and lightness you can't get any other way.
When you build an open segmented bowl , you're playing with lighting. You can view through the walls of the ship. It's less approximately the mass from the wood and more in regards to the silhouette and the patterns produced by the voids. It turns a heavy piece of timber into something that will feels architectural. In addition, honestly, it's the bit of a flex. It shows you've mastered your jigs and your lathe technique to a point where you aren't scared of a small "interrupted cut. "
Getting the mathematics right (without the headache)
I'm not a math guy. If a person start talking in order to me about complex trigonometry, my own eyes generally glaze over. Nevertheless, you can't actually wing it when you're making a good open segmented bowl . Everything has to be calculated since if your spaces aren't uniform, the whole piece looks "off" once it begins spinning.
A lot of people use a "Wedgie Sled" or several kind of accuracy miter fence. The main element is the number of segments per band. Let's say you're doing 18 sections. In a closed bowl, those 18 parts would touch and form a strong circle. In an open bowl, you're basically cutting those same pieces but leaving behind a space—usually regarding half the width of a segment—between them.
The key is using a specialized indexing plate on your own lathe or even a dedicated gluing jig. You aren't just gluing a ring together upon the bench and after that stacking it. You're often gluing the particular segments one by one onto the previous layer. It sounds tedious because this is, but it's the only method to ensure those top to bottom columns of wooden fall into line perfectly.
Deciding on the best wood
Not all wood is created equal for this kind of work. Because the particular contact points in between the segments are incredibly small, you require wood that glues well and doesn't splinter easily. I usually tell people to start with something stable like Maple, Walnut, or Cherry .
Maple is great because it's shiny and showcases the gaps really well. Pine provides that traditional, rich look. In case you want in order to get fancy, a person can mix them. A dark Walnut segment followed by a bright Yellowheart or Bloodwood section can create some stunning geometric patterns. Just be careful with oily exotic timber like Cocobolo or even Teak; in case you don't wipe the joints with acetone very first, those tiny glue surfaces might fail. And in an open segmented bowl , a failed glue joint is the recipe for the very bad day at the lathe.
The "Sticking" point: Gluing it up
This will be where the real function happens. Most turners use a "segment stomper" or a specialized press. You start using a solid base (the "feature ring" or simply a solid puck associated with wood) and then you start building up.
A person apply a tiny bit of stuff to the bottom of a section, put it down, plus use a spacer in order to make sure the particular gap is precisely exactly like the last one. Some guys use little plastic blocks; others use metal shims. It's a slow procedure. You're basically creating a brick walls in a circle, but the bricks don't touch on the sides.
I've found that using a fast-setting wood glue or even a high-quality thick CALIFORNIA glue for positioning can save a person hours. But if you're using PVA glue (the standard yellowish stuff), you've got to give it time for you to tack upward. In case you rush this as well as the segments shift, your open segmented bowl can look like the leaning tower associated with Pisa once you start turning this down.
Turning air: The frightening part
Once the glue will be dry and you've got this "wooden cage" mounted on the lathe, it's period for the moment of truth. Switching an open segmented bowl will be nothing like switching a solid bowl. When you turn the solid piece, the tool is often in touch with the wooden. Here, the tool is hitting wooden, then air, after that wood, then air—maybe 24 or thirty six times per rotation.
It makes a distinct whirr-whirr-whirr sound. It's intimidating. If you're not careful, the particular tool can capture in one associated with those gaps plus blow the whole thing aside. The secret? Sharp equipment and high acceleration. A person want your bowl gouge or scraper to be razor-sharp so it pieces through the wood materials instead of grabbing all of them. You also want the particular lathe spinning fast enough that the particular tool "floats" across the gaps instead of dropping into them.
I always wear a complete face shield. Not really just safety glasses—a full shield. Every time a segment flies away at 1, 500 RPM, it doesn't just fall; it becomes a projectile. But don't let that will scare you. If your glue joints are solid and your cuts are light, it's surprisingly smooth.
Sanding and the finish line
Sanding a good open segmented bowl is, honestly, a bit associated with a nightmare. You can't just keep a piece of sandpaper against the spinning bowl such as you normally might. If you perform, the edges of the segments will certainly round over, or worse, the sandpaper will catch within a gap and yank your hand toward the spinning piece.
Most of the time, I finish up doing the lot of strength sanding with the small 2-inch disk as the lathe is usually off or re-writing very slowly. You have to become meticulous. You also have to offer with the "inside" of the gaps. Some turners use small files and even strips of sandpaper glued to popsicle sticks to get inside those little windows. It's the "final 10%" associated with the work that takes 50% associated with the time.
For that finish, We usually opt for a spray-on lacquer or even a wipe-on poly. Trying to use a friction shine or perhaps a heavy wax is tough since the gunk gets trapped within the opportunities. A few light coats of squirt give it the nice, even sheen without filling in those beautiful gaps a person worked so hard in order to create.
The payoff
When you finally take that open segmented bowl off the particular chuck and keep it up to the light, everything that aggravation disappears. There's some thing so satisfying about the way the particular shadows fall with the piece. It's lighting, it's intricate, plus it's a conversation starter. People will certainly pick it up and turn this over in their own hands, asking, "How did you get the holes in there? "
You may inform them it's almost all about the mathematics and the patience, but mostly, it's just about the love of the craft. It's not really the fastest method to make the bowl, but this might just end up being probably the most rewarding. In case you've been adhering to wood, maybe it's time to give the open style a shot. Just remember: keep the equipment sharp as well as your stuff joints clean. You'll do just fine.