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 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!!

 

[Ron Solfest]

The nice thing about being retired is that it’s easy to change plans. I had no plans of turning this morning when I got up, but reading this months challenge intrigued me. As we’re about to take off soon in our 5th wheel this is my last opportunity for a challenge for a few months.

I have no illusions about winning this month, but at least I can be first in

My entry is a soft maple natural edge bowl. 3.75” high by 7.75” wide (6.25” across), walls ~3/16”. Finish is DO that’s still drying, the buff and wax will have to wait until next year when we get back.

 

[Tom Gall]

Finish is DO that’s still drying

Won't the oil leave a ring(s) on your back drop paper? Very nicely done, BTW.

 

[Ron Solfest]

Won't the oil leave a ring(s) on your back drop paper? Very nicely done, BTW.

Not a problem. I oiled it a couple of hours ago and wiped it again just before taking the pic. I use a cheap draped roller window blind for the picture that didn’t pick anything up.

 

[Monte Richard]

My first try at a footed, natural edge bowl. The wood is Mulberry, turned green, then dried in a Microwave. Shine juice to seal the wood then Acrylic Lacquer. 4 1/4" L x 3 1/8" W x 1 3/4" tall.

 

[Craig Morton]

Siberian Elm burl 5 1/4" wide, 3" tall

 

[WH Seelinger]

The wood is Cherry, microwave dried. started with a 40 lb. chunk, ended up 1 lb. 6 oz. 12" in Diameter, 7" tall. Finished with Parfex 3408 (thin slow drying superglue) and buffed with Yorkshire regular and fine grit, then Renaissance wax.

 

[pat miller]

One of the few pieces of bark-on, natural edge material I could find was this small piece of cherry. Some nice grain pattern and a pleasant heartwood sapwood transition but a deep long crack that was going to stay. Almost another piece of pretty firewood. I decided to break out some Koa pewas and resin and see if a salvage was possible. 4"h x 5"d. Multiple coats of gloss lacquer sanded back with green, red then gray Scotch-brite and polished. Finished off with Renaissance wax. I stuck pretty close to the rules with the exception of one of the photos.
Thanks for looking!

 

[Steve Nix]

18”x14”x 8” H at the ends Mesquite natural edge. Finished with Danish Oil. Bowl was turned green then kiln dried. Mesquite is one of my favorite woods to turn.

 

[Ron Solfest]

18”x14”x 8” H at the ends Mesquite natural edge. Finished with Danish Oil. Bowl was turned green then kiln dried. Mesquite is one of my favorite woods to turn.View attachment 80783View attachment 80782

Beautiful. I agree with you about turning mesquite! We’ll be in TX this Christmas, any advice on how I could bring some mesquite back with me to TN?

 

[Webb Willmott]

Best thing about mesquite is you can repurpose your failures in the smoker.

 

[Alan Weinberg]

I stuck pretty close to the rules

Nope! 2 photos max!

 

[Doug Freeman]

Sweet gum whole log bowl. 12" long. 9-10" dia log, 8" tall, 3/16" wall. Made from a branch with the pith moving ~3" down right to left

 

[Steve Nix]

Beautiful. I agree with you about turning mesquite! We’ll be in TX this Christmas, any advice on how I could b re I g some mesquite back with me to TN?

Depends on where in Texas you are going, I have a log at my lease in Junction I’ll share and I’ll be there after Christmas Day.

 

[Ron Solfest]

Depends on where in Texas you are going, I have a log at my lease in Junction I’ll share and I’ll be there after Christmas Day.

Thanks, that’s very generous. But I was wondering if you knew of other type sources for mesquite, not looking to steal from you. We’ll be down in Brownsville from mid-Dec to mid-Jan and then planning on slowly making way back to TN depending on weather. We love Hill Country and might swing through there provided the weather is cooperating . If I can’t find another source I might contact you, it’s not like I *need* more wood, I just like mesquite a lot.

 

[Michael Anderson]

@Ron Solfest Rising3B Woodworks was at SWAT, and they brought along a bunch of Mesquite and reasonable prices. Nice folks. I bought a couple pieces. They’re located in Devine, TX, and it would be worth stopping by.

 

[pat miller]

Nope! 2 photos max!

But, but, bu....!

 

[Phil Hamel]

10 x 5 cherry burl. I got the edges down to 1/8 to 1/4 depending on where you measure. One coat of walnut oil so far.

 

[Steve Nix]

Thanks, that’s very generous. But I was wondering if you knew of other type sources for mesquite, not looking to steal from you. We’ll be down in Brownsville from mid-Dec to mid-Jan and then planning on slowly making way back to TN depending on weather. We love Hill Country and might swing through there provided the weather is cooperating . If I can’t find another source I might contact you, it’s not like I *need* more wood, I just like mesquite a lot.

Home - Hill Country Woods

A WebsiteBuilder Website

hcwtexas.com

You may want to check these guys out. They have a booth at SWAT every year with nice Mesquite as well as other woods. They are just North of San Antonio

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

Here is mine, Bradford pear.

 

[Odie]

This was turned in 2024, so is disqualified....but this is an example of a natural edge bowl that I seldom see from other turners. There is more than one way to skin a cat!

=o=


I have another bowl that isn't finished yet and there are no pics. It's similar, but the NE is fully incorporated into the rim about half the circumference, while the bottom is a standard bowl and foot shape......extremely difficult to turn, but the results are pretty spectacular! Red Mallee burl.

edited to add a pic of the Red Mallee burl bowl I described above....still needs a foot, but the difficult part has been done:

 

[David Wyke]

Well I was planning on a large maple but life got in the way and I’ve had some kind of virus for a week. Remembered I had a small crotch walnut log in the shop I was saving for a hollow form. Felt good enough today to bandsaw and turn it. Went a little thinner than usual, sanded extra to try and dry out more, and applied one coat on DO. Size 10-1/2” x 9-1/4” x 4-1/2”.

 

[Alan Weinberg]

Well I was planning on a large maple but life got in the way and I’ve had some kind of virus for a week. Remembered I had a small crotch walnut log in the shop I was saving for a hollow form. Felt good enough today to bandsaw and turn it. Went a little thinner than usual, sanded extra to try and dry out more, and applied one coat on DO. Size 10-1/2” x 9-1/4” x 4-1/2”.

View attachment 80891

View attachment 80890

You are so good at these.

 

[Alan Weinberg]

This was turned in 2024, so is disqualified....but this is an example of a natural edge bowl that I seldom see from other turners. There is more than one way to skin a cat!

=o=
View attachment 80862

I have another bowl that isn't finished yet and there are no pics. It's similar, but the NE is fully incorporated into the rim about half the circumference, while the bottom is a standard bowl and foot shape......extremely difficult to turn, but the results are pretty spectacular! Red Mallee burl.

edited to add a pic of the Red Mallee burl....still needs a foot, but the difficult part has been done:
View attachment 80870

My natural edge manzanita burl bowl doesn’t count either! Oh well!

 

[David Anliker]

some more mesquite firewood, truly from the bag of firewood. 3" x 1.5
Fellow was coming my way from Texas and said mesquite was trash there. I asked for a 10- or 12-inch piece.
He brought a bag of little limbs 12" long. Got what I Asked for.
Thanks for putting on the challenge.

 

[Vincent Vogel]

No time to put finish on, off the tool. Walnut bowl, American wormy chestnut lid, walnut finial, blackened rim. The moss underneath is to cover the glue block. I'm going to carve three feet on it.

This natural edge with a lid is a new design for me.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Thanks for the submissions everyone. It will get the voting thread up ASAP!