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Log to bowl dimensions

C

Cody Litster

Joined
Oct 8, 2023
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Petersburg, AK
I have been asked to turn a 19 inch salad bowl. I turn from locally sourced woods. This bowl will start as a log that I break down myself. I am looking for suggestions on two things. 1) How deep should a 19 inch diameter salad bowl be? 2) what diameter of log would I need to comfortably twice turn a nice shaped bowl of that size?

This will be my biggest creation to date and a little intimidated on where to start.

Thanks,
Cody
 
Following the 10% rule for rough turn, it needs to be ~ 21” rough out dia. Will lose a little dia allowing for the pith, so inside bark min dim ~23. It will be a good size tree. If a utility bowl, look up some similar sized salad mix bowls for depth. This one on amz is 9-1/2”


Heavy wet blank - how will you get it on the spindle?
 
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Everyone has their favorite dimension for depth to width for salad bowls. I like something in the 3:1 range. 19" bowl would be around 6-7" deep.

You may be able to find dimensions on-line with some of the major production bowl turners. Holland Bowl Mill Company has a 20" Maple bowl that's 6.5" deep.
 
In my years of making and selling bowls, one person will come in and pick up a shallower bowl and say I like these because it is easier to toss a salad in. The next person comes in and picks up a deeper bowl and says the same thing. I don't toss my salads because all of the good stuff goes to the bottom. Since I once turn my bowls and let them warp, I would want a 20 inch log, minimum to turn a 19 inch bowl. Generally a bowl that large will have to sit out on the table between uses since most cabinets won't hold them. Ask the person who the bowl is going to be for to show you what they now use.

robo hippy
 
I sell a lot of large salad type bowls and my largest was 18” but most average 15” to 17-1/2”. I can turn larger but really don’t see the need. Average depth ranges from 4-1/2” to 6-1/2”. When people pick up the largest bowl I tell them to think about where they are going to put it and you don’t realize how large the bowl is until you sit it on a table. I tell them if you are putting this on a coffee table it will take up the entire table and usual the entir center of a dinning room table. I want people to use the bowl and display it not get home and realize it’s too big. I’ve had people then choose a smaller bowl and some go with the larger size.
I agree with Robo, ask them to show you what they are using now. You could cut a 19” circle out of cardboard and see how much room it takes up.
I found this on line about salad bowl size, so you could ask them how many they want to serve from the bowl.

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In determining the diameter of the log, you also have to factor in the bark and cambium, and whether you'll be taking off the sapwood. As an example, with doug fir the bark can be 2" thick on a tree of that size, which would add 4" to the diameter. With walnut, you'd want to turn away all the white/gray sapwood.

Any way you slice it, you're gonna need a big saw. Good thing you're in the rain forest with maybe some old growth trees.

BTW, with something of that size, I'd use a face plate. And I'd suggest turning a large practice piece first, if you haven't turned big before. With good speed control, it's really not any different than turning smaller blanks, but the pucker factor will be at play and you'll do a better job when you're past the white knuckle phase.
 
Wow, that is a big bowl. I looked around mine here and one of my largest that I still have is 19" diameter. WE've used it a few times when we've had lots of people here, but mostly it sits in the corner near our woodstove.
 
Sure enough, I asked for them to look at what they already had and to give me an honest idea of how big they wanted. Just like RoboHippie and David said, 19 inches is really big. They came back and said 16 inches would be just about right. I had already cut three 19 inches would blanks and one 17.5 inch blank. I guess I am more than prepared. Roughed out the 17.5 inch blank and cored it out.

Thank you all for the ideas and the guidance.
 
Odds are that if you take them several bowls, in various sizes, they will choose a smaller one than 16. I think the reason bowls over about 14 inches don't sell well is that people would only use a bowl that size for entertaining or if they have a very large family.

robo hippy
 
robo hippy said:
... I think the reason bowls over about 14 inches don't sell well is that people would only use a bowl that size for entertaining or if they have a very large family.
Click to expand...

I think another reason might be the space to put a large bowl. Large platters can be leaned up against something - I keep some leaning against the wall behind the microwave oven.

But I wouldn't have a space to put/display/store a large bowl. The only space I might use, above a tall cabinet, is already full of things my potter friend made.

JKJ
 
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