The Abomination

[Kent Reisdorph]

I hesitated to post this because this is just... well, weird. This is cherry with a quickie finish of shellac just to see what I had.

I had set a finished mulberry HF inside a finished mulberry bowl. I walked past that for a few days and finally though, "Hmmm... what would happen if you made a bowl with a hollow form in the middle?" Well, it's pretty ugly. I think the choice of natural edge blank wasn't a good one. I faced a lot of challenges on this concoction.

• Two familiar forms in an unfamiliar combination, made this a real challenge. I whacked my fingers more than once on the wings, while trying to get to the bottom of the HF.
• I didn't have a gouge that could get to the bottom of the bowl/HF so the form of the HF is lacking.
• I broke my thumb due to a catch. Not a bowl gouge catch, a sandpaper catch. The sandpaper caught where to two forms meet, and the wing of the bowl caught my thumb. I wish I could say that happened just once.

It was an experience.

 

[Kevin Jenness]

That's a cool idea. Sorry about your thumb. Forceps are safer for sanding down in there (but don't put your fingers on the loops). A curved hollowing bar on the right side of the piece turning ccw might be the thing for undercutting the hollow form.

 

[Bernie Kopfer]

Not being sarcastic or disparaging. I see that as a beautiful candle holder! Or perhaps you could make a matching vase to fit the hole. But then no one would know it was a hollow form.

 

[Dave Landers]

this is just... well, weird.

"Hmmm... what would happen if you made a bowl with a hollow form in the middle?" Well, it's pretty ugly.

I'm going to agree with you that it just doesn't work. But you did the right thing - you took a chance and tried something. If you let it, I expect this idea will morph into something someday. Where you end up may not look like it started with this piece. But these sort of experiments are how we develop. I look forward to seeing where it takes you.

Also, I hope you've learned on which side of the tool rest your hands belong.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Not being sarcastic or disparaging. I see that as a beautiful candle holder! Or perhaps you could make a matching vase to fit the hole. But then no one would know it was a hollow form.

LOL, no worries. I am critical and disparaging of the piece myself. ;-)

 

[Alan Weinberg]

I hesitated to post this because this is just... well, weird. This is cherry with a quickie finish of shellac just to see what I had.

I had set a finished mulberry HF inside a finished mulberry bowl. I walked past that for a few days and finally though, "Hmmm... what would happen if you made a bowl with a hollow form in the middle?" Well, it's pretty ugly. I think the choice of natural edge blank wasn't a good one. I faced a lot of challenges on this concoction.

• Two familiar forms in an unfamiliar combination, made this a real challenge. I whacked my fingers more than once on the wings, while trying to get to the bottom of the HF.
• I didn't have a gouge that could get to the bottom of the bowl/HF so the form of the HF is lacking.
• I broke my thumb due to a catch. Not a bowl gouge catch, a sandpaper catch. The sandpaper caught where to two forms meet, and the wing of the bowl caught my thumb. I wish I could say that happened just once.

It was an experience.

View attachment 66615View attachment 66616

Make the HF opening larger, fit a glass bowl in it and it makes an interesting salsa and chips bowl.

 

[hockenbery]

Well, it's pretty ugly. I think the choice of natural edge blank wasn't a good one.

Hope your thumb heals quickly

a grand experiment. Thanks for sharing.
I look forward to seeing the next iteration after you have time to consider technique and changes to the visual appearance you don’t like.

IMHO it’s visual shortcoming is the where the HF comes out of the bowl.
That is a difficult area to work as you pointed out.
When two elements of a turning are joined without a hard line or a shadow from an undercut our eyes tend to wonder.
When we can’t find the connection we get confused at a subconscious level and don’t like the form.

A lot of folks do bowls and HFs on flat bases or gently curved ones. This gives the working room to shape the bottom of the HF or Bowl.
Rudy Lopez often does these in demos.

 

[Lou Jacobs]

I’m so sorry about your thumb! That smarts. If I started listing my scars from turning and flat work, we’d be here for a while.
I think your piece is neat! As others have said, it’s the first step in a progression that may take you to really interesting places. While your thumb is healing, try sketching out a few versions til you come up with something that makes you say “aha! That works!”

 

[Luc Grauwels]

I think is a pretty neat idea; the hollow form in the bowl. Imagine the hollow form would mirror the bowl?
Sorry for your thumb.

 

[Mark Fairchild]

I think the idea may have potential Kent. Those wings on live edge pieces take no prisoners. Hope you heal up quick.

 

[William Rogers]

Sorry about your thumb. Something I do is put masking tape on the wings as sort of a warning when doing natural edge bowls.

As far as your turning, it is one of a kind.

Heal quick

 

[Jerry Bennett]

Combining two distinct shapes is an interesting challenge. One approach is like blending two personalities. Show enough of each plus showing what is in common to both. Another is creating a new shape by borrowing from each.
Don’t give up!

 

[Bob Brown]

Usually learn from the challenge that you don't like. That's the beginning of your next challenge, undercut the bottom of the hollow form to make it more spherical. Carve the blossom and add color. Spend a couple hours, it might give you ideas for your next experiment.

 

[Darryl Fective]

Trying a hollow form inside a bowl is a better choice than a bowl inside a hollowform.

 

[Russell Nugent]

It's unique for sure. Pretty creative. Good workmanship. I think the choice of a natural edge was actualy good. Except the thumb part. I'm sure there's some use for it. Toss your change in the center and store stuff on the outside. flowers in the middle, glass beads on the outside. I'm sure you'll come up with some use.

 

[Chris Hoehle]

Kent, I'd say it has some potential. The first try/prototype of a new thing often doesn't come out the way we want, but I could see this idea being successful if combined with some square wings like a Jimmy Clewes style pagoda box, or if you turn two sets of square wings and grind a couple of each away to give you some up/down wings. (I can't think of who did a lot of similar work a few years back, maybe someone will help me out. Terry from Australia is all I'm remembering). Maybe the opening of the hollow form on the other side and arcs cut out of the top of the bowl wings to give it four feet to sit on.

 

[Dave Landers]

or if you turn two sets of square wings and grind a couple of each away to give you some up/down wings. (I can't think of who did a lot of similar work a few years back, maybe someone will help me out. Terry from Australia is all I'm remembering).

Manta Ray bowl... Terry Scott?

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Yes, from New Zealand.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Jimmy Clewes:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DVmz5BKXBGLA&ved=2ahUKEwiL8onR2sKIAxVulIkEHfPZLGMQwqsBegQIExAF&usg=AOvVaw2ZeBNwp0TQIPJ5dcAkdne3

Or:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DKkexHuGJNuc&ved=2ahUKEwiL8onR2sKIAxVulIkEHfPZLGMQwqsBegQIFhAF&usg=AOvVaw01ESC28sC5fp9b0VdDBIMx

 

[John Tisdale]

A good strategy is to position a small table in front of the throne - good time to assess both good and bad ideas.
John Maynard Keynes said: "It's astonishing the folly one holds true when one thinks too long alone" - only the idiots in Washington acted on his other ideas.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Ouch! Sorry about your thumb. Who needs two anyway? 😉

I appreciate the experimentation though. Nothing gets the gears going better than trying something new to you. I’ve seen some variations of your concept, though none quite the same with the classic natural edge shape. Dan Tilden has a series of forms he calls Crater Vessels that might provide you some inspiration: https://www.tildenwoodturning.com/crater-vessels.html#/

 

[Dave Hulett]

I think it's...uh....er... interesting! being creative means thinking outside the box and trying new things. Congrats for trying something totally new. ... Just thinking, what if you dyed the HF a different color?

 

[Bob Slocum]

It’s a fun piece. Think about turning it over… it already has a hole drilled for a stand. Might lead to something unexpected!

 

[Chris Hoehle]

Manta Ray bowl... Terry Scott?

Yes! Couldn't think of his full name, got the first name and the general part of the world, figured someone would fill in the rest for me!

 

[Michael Anderson]

Yes! Couldn't think of his full name, got the first name and the general part of the world, figured someone would fill in the rest for me!

Chris, you should hop on World of Woodturners. Terry is a regular contributor and on the cover team there.

 

[Chris Hoehle]

Chris, you should hop on World of Woodturners. Terry is a regular contributor and on the cover team there.

I'll think about it, though I don't know if I need yet another place to waste time online haha!

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Sorry bout your thumb . You have given me an idea. Square bowl with hollowform and carve leaves into the hollowform.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Sorry bout your thumb . You have given me an idea. Square bowl with hollowform and carve leaves into the hollowform.

Good idea. A square bowl would both be easier to work and more appealing, I think.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Well, on the good news front, I decided my thumb isn't broken. It's still a bit swollen, but I have movement. I can't pinch or grip hard, but it's improving. For those of you wondering, I didn't go to the ER. Our local ER is pretty much a guaranteed 8 hour ordeal. I'm of the "rub a little dirt on it" mindset for most minor injuries.

 

[hockenbery]

Good idea. A square bowl would both be easier to work and more appealing, I think.

Glad the thumb is healing
Check out Rudy Lopez’s galleries. You might get some ideas. He has both bowls and hollow forms on flat and curved bases.

Homepage - Rudolph Lopez

rudolphlopez.com

 

[Dennis Weiner]

Next time around, perhaps you can reverse chuck it and turn a bowl in the bottom first(instead of hollowing from the front) and glue a large plug making it blend with a few v cuts. Sanding would be easier and no one would know the difference that you cheated.

 

[Tom McDonnell]

I'm probably in the minority but I like it! Unusual and different and maybe even useful.

 

[Vincent Vogel]

I think there's a lot of different things you could do with that design. Start looking through past issues of American Woodturner magazine and the photo gallery above. Look at December 2022 issue page 55. There's a good example similar to yours with a lot of features you could try. I don't know how to copy a link or I would.