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August 2023 Turning Challenge: turn a Calabash!

Emiliano Achaval

Emiliano Achaval

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hawaiiankoaturner.com
For this month's turning challenge, we are going to do something easy, A low-sided, side-grain Hawaiian Calabash. I'm saying easy because I will let you use your lathe and high-speed steel bowl gouges, NRS, and whatever else you think you need. The ancient Hawaiians made them with stone adzes and fire, sitting by the beach for months, perhaps years, carefully making timeless pieces for the King and his family.
The main characteristic of a Calabash is the round bottom. No matter the type and or size, they had a thick round bottom. They are so round that they resemble a bowling ball. No tenons or anything added for decoration, just a small dimple, perhaps that wasn't even there from the beginning; it was worn out by the generations of use. I will add below a diagram. It is just about the perfect calabash. It is a copy of a drawing made by a club member on one of the other Islands, Big Island, I believe, for one of their meetings. If you take a look at the Calabash exhibit at the Bishop Museum in Oahu, you will see that there are lots of different styles and sizes of them. Not 2 were exactly alike.
And finally, the fine print from the official AAW Forum legal consultants -- Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe:
  • Only one entry per person and one main photo of your calabash. A departure from the past -- you may also include one close-up detail photo.
  • Entries must be posted in this thread.
  • The deadline for posting entries is midnight Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on August 24, 2023.
  • As always, this is a turning contest, not a "moldy oldie" photo contest, so in fairness to everybody, make sure your work is something you have made since this challenge was issued on August 3 2023.
  • You may not post any photos of your entry in this month’s challenge in any other thread or in the gallery until the voting has ended and a winner has been declared.
  • Voting will take place from August 28, 2023, through midnight UTC on September 1, 2023.
  • Solicitation of votes will result in disqualification.
  • The winner might have to pass a lie detector test before collecting the prizes. :rolleyes: Good luck, have fun, make shavings, and let the chips fall where they may!!
 

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Emiliano Achaval said:
For this month's turning challenge, we are going to do something easy, A low-sided, side-grain Hawaiian Calabash. I'm saying easy because I will let you use your lathe and high-speed steel bowl gouges, NRS, and whatever else you think you need. The ancient Hawaiians made them with stone adzes and fire, sitting by the beach for months, perhaps years, carefully making timeless pieces for the King and his family.
The main characteristic of a Calabash is the round bottom. No matter the type and or size, they had a thick round bottom. They are so round that they resemble a bowling ball. No tenons or anything added for decoration, just a small dimple, perhaps that wasn't even there from the beginning; it was worn out by the generations of use. I will add below a diagram. It is just about the perfect calabash. It is a copy of a drawing made by a club member on one of the other Islands, Big Island, I believe, for one of their meetings. If you take a look at the Calabash exhibit at the Bishop Museum in Oahu, you will see that there are lots of different styles and sizes of them. Not 2 were exactly alike.
And finally, the fine print from the official AAW Forum legal consultants -- Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe:
  • Only one entry per person and one main photo of your emerging bowl. A departure from the past -- you may also include one close-up detail photo.
  • Entries must be posted in this thread.
  • The deadline for posting entries is midnight Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on August 24, 2023.
  • As always, this is a turning contest, not a "moldy oldie" photo contest, so in fairness to everybody, make sure your work is something you have made since this challenge was issued on August 3 2023.
  • You may not post any photos of your entry in this month’s challenge in any other thread or in the gallery until the voting has ended and a winner has been declared.
  • Voting will take place from August 28, 2023, through midnight UTC on September 1, 2023.
  • Solicitation of votes will result in disqualification.
  • The winner might have to pass a lie detector test before collecting the prizes. :rolleyes: Good luck, have fun, make shavings, and let the chips fall where they may!!
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Why the side grain limitation?
 
Don Wattenhofer said:
Why the side grain limitation?
Click to expand...
I'll answer--forgive the intrusion. Traditional low-sided calabashes (ex. palewa) were almost exclusively side grain, as they were specifically crafted to avoid the pith. I suspect, for the sake of the challenge, this is a way to standardize the forms everyone submits.
 
Emiliano Achaval said:
For this month's turning challenge, we are going to do something easy, A low-sided, side-grain Hawaiian Calabash. I'm saying easy because I will let you use your lathe and high-speed steel bowl gouges, NRS, and whatever else you think you need. The ancient Hawaiians made them with stone adzes and fire, sitting by the beach for months, perhaps years, carefully making timeless pieces for the King and his family.
Click to expand...
OK, now. Let's consider this horrible task the pre-European Hawaiian's had. "Sitting by the beach for months..." doesn't exactly sound like awful, onerous duty, Emiliano.:cool: Maybe you need to spend some time in Phoenix in the summer or Ohlahoma during tornado season to get your perspective adjusted. Aloha, amigo.
 
"The ancient Hawaiians made them with stone adzes and fire, sitting by the beach for months, perhaps years, carefully making timeless pieces for the King and his family."

Thought they were originally a gourd that was grown?
 
Out of curiosity, as I've never previously entered a monthly contest. In the spirit of current work, would a twice turned calabash be ok? Or are these supposed to be only once turned vessels? Have a couple of roughed blanks which were turned a year or more ago, and are now dry and ready for the second turning. They might form the right shape, if that is within the rules or even appropriate for the style..
 
Sam Fleisher said:
Thought they were originally a gourd that was grown?
Click to expand...
Calabash gourd vessels were crafted alongside the wooden calabash shaped vessels. (as an aside, the dye/embellishment techniques of the gourds is a fascinating subject in its own right). Gourds were used by commoners, whereas wooden bowls (umeke) were reserved for royalty or other high power positions. If you want a comprehensive overview/history, check out The Hawaiian Calabash by Irving Jenkins. It’s an incredible resource and has a bunch of cool photos of ancient calabashes.

Here are a couple of PDFs about traditional Hawaiian vessels (the first by our own calabash master Emiliano):
 
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Ha! That joke went over my head—woosh. :p

Well, maybe someone else will benefit from the links. They’re solid.
 
Kirk Amidon said:
Out of curiosity, as I've never previously entered a monthly contest. In the spirit of current work, would a twice turned calabash be ok? Or are these supposed to be only once turned vessels? Have a couple of roughed blanks which were turned a year or more ago, and are now dry and ready for the second turning. They might form the right shape, if that is within the rules or even appropriate for the style..
Click to expand...
That would be OK. All of my calabashes are twice turned, an oval calabash does not look good.
 
Michael Anderson said:
I'll answer--forgive the intrusion. Traditional low-sided calabashes (ex. palewa) were almost exclusively side grain, as they were specifically crafted to avoid the pith. I suspect, for the sake of the challenge, this is a way to standardize the forms everyone submits.
Click to expand...
Yes, you are correct. We can have another monthly challenge and turn an end-grain tall puahala calabash.
 
@Emiliano Achaval - could you post a higher resolution of the drawing? I can’t read the dimensions.

Also, many of us don’t necessarily have access to pre-dried blanks that size ready to turn. What are your thoughts on smaller scale (following proportions) and/or laminated glue-ups (recognizing this alters appearance)?

Thanks
 
Ron Solfest said:
@Emiliano Achaval - could you post a higher resolution of the drawing? I can’t read the dimensions.

Also, many of us don’t necessarily have access to pre-dried blanks that size ready to turn. What are your thoughts on smaller scale (following proportions) and/or laminated glue-ups (recognizing this alters appearance)?

Thanks
Click to expand...
Pretty sure the drawing was just an illustration to help with proportions... so divide every value by 10 to get a 1/10 scale of the drawing?
 
Michael Anderson said:
Calabash gourd vessels were crafted alongside the wooden calabash shaped vessels. (as an aside, the dye/embellishment techniques of the gourds is a fascinating subject in its own right). Gourds were used by commoners, whereas wooden bowls (umeke) were reserved for royalty or other high power positions. If you want a comprehensive overview/history, check out The Hawaiian Calabash by Irving Jenkins. It’s an incredible resource and has a bunch of cool photos of ancient calabashes.

Here are a couple of PDFs about traditional Hawaiian vessels (the first by our own calabash master Emiliano):
Click to expand...
Just a note relative to my question about end grain Emiliano's PDF has diagrams and finished calabash in end grain with the pith included.
 
Don Wattenhofer said:
Just a note relative to my question about end grain Emiliano's PDF has diagrams and finished calabash in end grain with the pith included.
Click to expand...
Oh, for sure. I just meant that specifically the low calabash is made from side grain. Other types are more commonly made with end grain orientation.
 
Michael Anderson said:
Oh, for sure. I just meant that specifically the low calabash is made from side grain. Other types are more commonly made with end grain orientation.
Click to expand...
Michael, how are you now on the Turning of the Week Team!!?? Is there a special system I'm missing... Just kidding:D
 
Michael Anderson said:
Beautiful mini, Gabriel. I had never heard of Flamewood, so looked it up. A true rosewood, and exquisite. Do you know how the color holds up over time?
Click to expand...
I have no clue!! I made a lidded box out of another piece I had and it is really a bright red color so I hope it does not fade. I keep my work in a cabinet so the UV rays don't damage any of the colors or finishes.
 
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I turned this walnut calabash yesterday for the challenge. It’s 7 3/4” x 3 1/2”. When I first turned this blank a couple of years ago I didn’t envision it becoming a calabash so there wasn’t much extra wood to work with for the shape I wanted, certainly not enough for a calabash with a rolled-in closed form so I elected to make it more of the subtle ‘hurricane lamp’ shape where the top moves in slightly and up. Still, the constraints of the bowl blank forced me to 1/8” walls, which makes for a very light calabash (138 grams). Finished with Watco, it will be buffed and waxed in a couple of weeks

IMG_1332.jpeg

IMG_1333.jpeg
 
Ron Solfest said:
I turned this walnut calabash yesterday for the challenge. It’s 7 3/4” x 3 1/2”. When I first-turned this blank a couple years ago I didn’t envision it becoming a calabash so there wasn’t much extra wood to work with for the shape I wanted, certainly not enough for a calabash with a rolled-in closed form so I elected to make it more of the subtle ‘hurricane lamp’ shape where the top moves in slightly and up. Still, the constraints of the bowl blank forced me to 1/8” walls, which makes for a very light calabash (138grams). Finished with Watco, it will be buffed and waxed in a couple weeks View attachment 55062
Click to expand...
Beautiful
 
I turned this Black Oak calabash several days ago, but was only now able to get a good photo. It's completely round on the bottom aside from a nickel-sized dimple. 7.5"d x 3.25"h. 1/8" walls that thicken at the lower third of the bowl to ~1/4" at the bottom for the sake of stability. Finished with hemp oil. I really like orienting oaks in this form with pith toward the rim, as the rays accentuate the continuous curve.

_DSC6331.jpg
 
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My Sweetgum entry.
16 x 6”. It’s 3/8” at the rim. Slightly less throughout
Bottom is round/round. Spins and wobbles.
tried & true, blo, turpentine and India ink
First turned 4/2021

The spalted sections of this Sweetgum are bleached, a look that doesn’t suit me. I reasoned that the ink would set into the softer, spalted wood. It worked well, might have used less ink, though.
4E2B85CE-E544-4FF5-8D35-A99EF5366AD0.jpeg
 
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