October 2025 Turning Challenge: Natural Edge Bowl!

[Michael Anderson]

Hi everyone,

This month sort of got away from me—apologies! That said, I think there is still enough time for a turning challenge. This one will go back to the “simple” project of turning a natural edge bowl. I put simple in quotes because turning a high quality natural edge bowl can be deceptively challenging. Although just one piece of wood, you need to consider multiple things:

1. Balancing the grain and wings
2. Creating a pleasant form with an irregular and truncated rim
3. The technical aspects of interrupted turning (at the rim, where wood is interrupted by air)
4. What to do with the base—round, flat foot, multiple feet (and how many)?
5. How to keep the bark intact, or what to do if removing the bark
6. Etc…

The timeline should work here, as you can complete one of these in a relatively short amount of time of time. Of course, then what do you do with sanding/finishing if the wood is green? I’ll let you figure that out for yourself. Likewise, I’m not including inspirational photos—proceed with a blank slate. You’ll have about two weeks to complete this challenge, if you choose to participate.

Here are the challenge rules, as determined by AAW Forum legal counsel Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe:

• Entries must be posted in this thread by 12 AM Coordinated Universal Time on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
• Feel free to post up to two photos of your piece in this thread. Please don't crop your images tightly(meaning, leave a bit of room in the image so I can add your name later).
• Your turning can be any size, as long as the rim is a natural edge. There are some opportunities to get creative here, so feel free. Include the dimensions in your entry post.
• 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 October 16, 2025.
• 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 October 30, 2025, through 3:59 am Coordinated Universal Time on November 1.
• Solicitation of votes will result in disqualification.

The winner might have to pass a lie detector test before collecting the grand prize: this month is a Shopsmith lathe, but only the tubes and stand (I couldn’t actually find the lathe attachment…).

Good luck, have fun, make shavings, and let the chips fall where they may!!