Bowls Larger than 12 Inches

[Kent Reisdorph]

I recently read a post where someone referred to a "small 12 inch bowl." Seriously? What's small about a 12" bowl? The largest bowl I have made to date is 11.5" and it looks gigantic to me. Who is buying bowls that are 16, 18, 20 inches? What's the market? I just don't get it. I can see some specialty uses, like commercial interior decoration, but I don't see the average person wanting a huge bowl.

 

[odie]

Many turners shop for lathes thinking they would like to produce very large bowls.....some look for swing up to 24", or more. I believe it was John Jordan who spoke of a very large bowl he had and referred to it as his "albatross"......because he hauled it to showings many times before someone bought it.

I have made bowls close to the maximum capacity of my lathe.....around 15"+....and, consider the ideal swing on a lathe to be about 18" to 20".

IMHO, @Kent Reisdorph is correct. Most woodturners would be much better served without thinking gigantic bowls are desireable to most, but the very specialized thinking prospective customer. Gigantic bowls will definitely impress other turners, but practically speaking, are not generally what the average person wants.....or, can afford.

-o-

 

[Darryl Fective]

A 23" fruit bowl could hold a mix that includes melons and grapefruits. Typical fruit looks sort of lost in it.

 

[Isaac Davis]

I make and sell a fair amount of bowls that are 16-20". Almost all of the bowls I make are over 12" People use them as salad or fruit bowls, or just as display.

 

[Richard Coers]

I don't sell to the average person. They have no idea what any wood bowl could be used for, since it can't go in the dishwasher. I sold 24, 18" diameter bowls to one patron. He gave one to each of his family members and extended family members. I delivered them in batches, paid for my Oneway 2436. Just making a blanket statement that large bowls are undesirable is ignoring a great niche high profit product.

 

[John Ames]

I don't know if you sell your bowls, or not...

If you do, don't underestimate the allure of a large bowl to bring people into your booth. I can't tell you how many times people have come up to me in my booth and said
"I saw this bowl from across the show and I just had to come over here and see it..."
and then they frequently bring their friends over to see it. They might not buy the big bowl, but someone will. And they might just buy a smaller bowl.

Ive also had a customer ask while holding a 24" bowl... "Do you have anything bigger?" That turned into a custom 30" bowl order.

It's not going to be the bulk of your business, but don't underestimate the power of having a big one (or 2 or 3) to drive smaller sales.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Good comments, everyone. Thank you.

I don't have a dog in this fight, honestly. I was genuinely curious who the large bowls go to. I will turn a 24" bowl someday. Most of my trees/logs aren't that big. I have a cherry and a walnut that will probably make 20" bowls, though. I'll try to knock one of those out soon.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

I don't know if you sell your bowls, or not...

If you do, don't underestimate the allure of a large bowl to bring people into your booth. I can't tell you how many times people have come up to me in my booth and said
"I saw this bowl from across the show and I just had to come over here and see it..."

Great perspective. I have only sold a couple of bowls, mostly because I haven't tried yet. I'm about at the point where I think my stuff can hold up under scrutiny. I doubt I'll do shows until I'm fully retired but I'll get there eventually.

 

[Randy Anderson]

The 9-12" range for natural edge pieces is the sweet spot for what sells for me. I've seen it countless times at markets when someone picks up a bowl that size and decides to buy it based on wood, shape, color, etc. There's no debate or decision to be made on where to put it when they get home. They can find a place for a nice bowl that size somewhere in their house. Once you get over the 12" or so size they go through a debate or discussion with themselves or their shopping partner on where it might fit, is it too big, etc. They need to know "where" it's going to fit before they buy it and often they're not sure. I do make a few in the 12"-15" range, especially if it's a crotch piece or unique wood. They are great eye candy at markets to put out front to draw people in. They can see it from far away and want to come over and take a look. Often my 15" or large pieces are simple traditional shallow bowls intended for fruit or coffee table pieces.

 

[Steve Tiedman]

I turn for enjoyment only. I give away what I make, I don't take money. I did that for one season, selling turnings at a farmer's market. "Can you make...? Can you redesign...?" No, I won't! This is my hobby, I turn for my reasons, and none are to make money. Honestly, turning for money sucked the fun out of my hobby. Anyway, to me, anything bigger than a cereal bowl is too much work, for several reasons. I don't even own my 24" lathe anymore. I keep my turnings small, no bigger than about one hand in size. The few 15-18" bowls I made, I didn't enjoy the process. But that's me, my perspective. To anyone new(er) to this craft, don't let yourself feel that you *need* to buy big machinery and obtain big wood to make big turnings. If you find contentment and satisfaction making pieces that fit in one hand, then you've probably gotten to where you should be with your work. Great things come in small packages.

 

[Hugh]

I think that bowls 12-14" diameter are about perfect. For most people.
The problem is that when one gets a big log, one has a tendency to make large bowls. Turn a 20" diameter bowl and then core out a 16-17" bowl and then a nice 12-14" bowl. Covered all the bases.
I do a sale two weekends of the year. One year I had a bunch of larger bowls 16-19" diameter bowls. People actually bought a nice number of them. I made more the for the next years sale. Never sold a one. People wanted the 12-14" bowls.
The problem with making large diameter bowls is that the blank weighs so much. A pain in the neck and back getting it on the lathe. I am getting too old for that.
On to smaller bowls.

 

[Richard Coers]

I think that bowls 12-14" diameter are about perfect. For most people.
The problem is that when one gets a big log, one has a tendency to make large bowls. Turn a 20" diameter bowl and then core out a 16-17" bowl and then a nice 12-14" bowl. Covered all the bases.
I do a sale two weekends of the year. One year I had a bunch of larger bowls 16-19" diameter bowls. People actually bought a nice number of them. I made more the for the next years sale. Never sold a one. People wanted the 12-14" bowls.
The problem with making large diameter bowls is that the blank weighs so much. A pain in the neck and back getting it on the lathe. I am getting too old for that.
On to smaller bowls.

It's not a problem loading a big blank, it's simply a matter of having the right equipment. A hydraulic lift table or winch mounted over the lathe makes it simple and easy. I choose the lift table. It also makes unloading something from the truck quite easy. It wasn't a problem when I got this log, I just made a few extra pieces from it. 18" bowls in the back row.

 

[Paul May]

I have a lathe with a 12" swing. I feel that is the sweet spot for my segmented turnings but sometimes wish I had a 16" swing. Why? Because when I max out my lathe, I can't get the banjo from the top to the bottom of the turning without removing the piece from the lathe. That is an annoyance but for now will have to do. My largest bowl to date on my JET 1221EVS measures 11.75" diameter. That was pushing it a bit.

 

[DON FRANK]

I think there is certainly a market for bigger bowls and hollow forms. A fella in south missouri has a monster lathe and 36" diameter is small for his hollow forms and bowls. He has had chunks of wood on that machine that were 3k to start off with. On a visit I asked him what his market was. He simply said "people with large houses and lots of money have large spaces in those houses to fill." I'm sure 90% of the market in the US is for bowls 12" and smaller but there is certainly a market for large stuff too.
With that said, it's amazing how much more work it is so do a 20" bowl than a 12". I just finished a nested set of 5 live edge cherry bowls with the largest one 21". The piece of wood I started with was 120-150lbs. It produced 4 large wheel barrow loads of shavings by the time it was done. No question the big stuff is a workout.

 

[JeffSmith]

I don't sell at fairs/markets, but three or four times a year I participate in the open studio tours here where I live. Big bowls sell pretty well most of the time - people like them as dough bowls (bread making was a thing over covid...) fruit bowls and people with larger homes have places to display them. That said, most people just don't have the counter or cabinet space to accommodqte a 20" bowl. I've come up with a few options that allow larger bowls to be mounted out of the way on the wall or freestanding on a counter while taking up less space. They're fun to make, take advantage of lumber milled from the quarter sawn pieces when removing the pith and add to the value of the piece.

Here's a few photos from early examples - they allow you to easily attach or detach the bowl with one hand. Apologies for the 'work in progress' shots...hope they get the idea across. The newest version holds the bowl with the rim towards the wall to show off any carving/embellishment on the outside - they're still a WIP.

 

[DON FRANK]

I don't sell at fairs/markets, but three or four times a year I participate in the open studio tours here where I live. Big bowls sell pretty well most of the time - people like them as dough bowls (bread making was a thing over covid...) fruit bowls and people with larger homes have places to display them. That said, most people just don't have the counter or cabinet space to accommodqte a 20" bowl. I've come up with a few options that allow larger bowls to be mounted out of the way on the wall or freestanding on a counter while taking up less space. They're fun to make, take advantage of lumber milled from the quarter sawn pieces when removing the pith and add to the value of the piece.

Here's a few photos from early examples - they allow you to easily attach or detach the bowl with one hand. Apologies for the 'work in progress' shots...hope they get the idea across. The newest version holds the bowl with the rim towards the wall to show off any carving/embellishment on the outside - they're still a WIP.

Jeff that is a great idea

 

[Isaac Litster]

I'm a high schooler, and the largest bowl I have ever turned is about 15-6 inches. Last week I sold products for the first time, and the previous largest, a 12-14 inch bowl sold first. I think this could show that the larger bowls may not be what everyone buys, but they attract people definitely, and depending on your market, they can be very profitable.

 

[Paul May]

I'm a high schooler, and the largest bowl I have ever turned is about 15-6 inches. Last week I sold products for the first time, and the previous largest, a 12-14 inch bowl sold first. I think this could show that the larger bowls may not be what everyone buys, but they attract people definitely, and depending on your market, they can be very profitable.

Nice Isaac...I would love to see some of your stuff...c'mon...don't be shy

 

[Vincent Vogel]

I read somewhere that a 12" diameter x 3 to 4" deep bowl is recommended size for a salad serving bowl for four people. I have been making them from about 7" to 14" diameter. I made one 18" diameter for my wife to use as a decoration holding piece for different seasons.

 

[Kevin Weir]

I will market a 12 inch bowl as either for fruit or salad. But in my experience, a larger 14 to 16 inch bowl will inevitably be sold to someone who wants a large salad bowl. Customers who buy those larger bowls are fewer in number, but the joy they express at having bought such a large bowl is priceless. That’s why I make them.

 

[Neil S]

They might not buy the big bowl, but someone will. And they might just buy a smaller bowl.

That's also my experience.

I always have at least one larger speccy piece in my display at the gallery. They are slower to sell, but they earn their keep by drawing the attention of potential buyers to my work, who are then more likely to buy one of my smaller pieces.

Large platters up to 20" are good because they can be put upright on a plate stand at the back of my display and don't take up too much shelf space. Bowls of that size rarely move and take up too much shelf space, but I have had a few of up to that size sell.

Occasionally I will make and give a larger bowl to a friend as a bit of fun. They are too big to have inside most peoples' houses, so I call them 'boot bowls' to be left outside the back door for dirty outside boots...

​

 

[Richard Coers]

Past time for a new door Neil.

 

[David Wyke]

That could have possibly been me😁 as I remember referring to a 12” bowl as a little 12” bowl.. With me it’s just a figure of speech, doesn’t matter if it’s 9” or 19” I am prone to refer to them as a “ little bowl”. I also have said I bush hogged a little 4 acre field😁.
However I do make bowls between the size of 13”-18” and they sell very well. Most I sell are between 10”-12”. I did my first show in December ‘23 and sold several 16-18” bowls. The big bowls brought them into the booth and they would usually buy a smaller bowl. I think it depends on the market you sell in. I’m close to tourist type towns and a lot of people have second homes here and don’t mind spending money.

 

[Dave Hulett]

I recently read a post where someone referred to a "small 12 inch bowl." Seriously? What's small about a 12" bowl? The largest bowl I have made to date is 11.5" and it looks gigantic to me. Who is buying bowls that are 16, 18, 20 inches? What's the market? I just don't get it. I can see some specialty uses, like commercial interior decoration, but I don't see the average person wanting a huge bowl.

View attachment 63629

One of our club members decided to use the full capacity of his Powermatic and brought a 20" bowl to show and tell introducing it as a "fruit bowl" led someone to shout out "what fruit are you putting in there? Watermelons?" Still makes me laugh.

 

[Russell Nugent]

I've turned a couple of 15 inch bowls for my mother in law for use as dough bowls, other that that a 12 or 13 inch bow is about the max I've ever used