What to do with finished but flawed functional items

[Rip Littig]

Just over two years into my turning journey I still create some finished bowls and platters I feel aren't good enough to gift or sell. They may have end grain or heat checking, noticeable scratches from sanding, or other flaws. I research and evaluate why the imperfections occurred so they happen less in the future. That said, I'm still left with a bowl I feel isn't right. I don't want to insult anyone by gifting such an item yet I'm sure many folks would be happy to receive it. Non-turners are far less critical than we are. What do you do in this situation? Even flawed hand turned, sanded and finished bowls deserve loving homes! Thanks in advance for any solutions.

 

[Roger Wiegand]

Empty Bowls is a good charity that will gladly accept and make good use of your less-than-perfect bowls (they're probably much nicer than most of what is donated to them from the amateur potters). I'd be drowning in bowls if not for them!

 

[Dave Landers]

I have a few bowls with checks and cracks on the kitchen counter. They get used for keys, dog stuff, and to collect other misc stuff. Others get used around the shop. They get sorta rough service that way, and I get a chance to see how cracks in various woods hold up over time.
Things with sanding or tool marks that I didn't catch initially might get redone - if they're worth the effort of removing the finish and re-sanding.
When I don't like the form / shape / etc (i.e. didn't turn out as planned, or just a bad plan) - these might sit on a shelf or bench in the shop to remind me and maybe inspire a different approach.
And then with some things, it's like a friend of mine said: "It's just wood, it'll still burn"

 

[Richard Coers]

There's no shame to send them to a Viking's funeral. But sending them to that kind of treatment under a whole pork can be a treat! I recently found a great recipe for smoked pork belly as well. I've been turning for 37 years now. Even after some very nice success with selling to a patron a number of years ago, I have 5 Rubbermaid tubs and 3 boxes of completed turnings in my den. In my region the economy isn't great and patrons are aging out of collecting, so you almost have to give away even a great bowl. It's too depressing to have to sell a 10" curly maple bowl for $45. So keeping any bad ones would be silly.

 

[Ron Solfest]

Similar to Dave Landers I have a few of them in “rough service” use around the shop. Recently I started using some for “accelerated life” experiments too. One 3hr dishwasher cycle (including heat, but no soap) seems to take care of my typical Watco & wax finish. 10 of these cycles pretty much trashes thin glue joints on my laminated bowls but surprisingly Titebond2E (and T3) hold up pretty well on glue joints of 3/16” and greater wall thicknesses.
…kind of like donating bodies to science

 

[robo hippy]

I used to take a big box of 'rejects' to a show I did, 'nothing over $5. They would be gone in a couple of hours. Good for dog food, cat food, bird food, going out to the garden to bring in produce. People can find all sorts of stuff to do with them.

robo hippy

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

I agree with Robo; you would be surprised by how fast they will go!

 

[Odie]

Over the years, I've given hundreds of bowls to the ladies at my church. They've always been happy to get them.

-----odie-----

 

[John Hicks]

My "horror" bowls go to relatives! Just kidding, I trash most of them.

 

[Michael Nathal]

In addition to the Empty Bowls project, that I also support, I recommend using these for experimenting with new techniques such as texturing, woodburning, coloring, etc

 

[henry dalton]

I keep less than perfect bowls for my home use. Sometimes experiment to see how they hold up over time.

 

[hughie]

An interesting question, they tend to go on a shelf for later consideration and the really bad ones end up as highfalutin firewood. But by and large most go to whoever wants them

 

[Monty Ivy]

I took 4-5 rejects off the shelf in the shop and put them on the fire pit. Later that day, the lawn service came by. One of the workers saw the bowls and asked if she could take them home with her. Of course says I.

 

[Randy Anderson]

Some things I've done to get rid of in a productive way for early turned items or things I know won't sell: dog food bowl, bowl by the back door for all the screws, washers and misc stuff that gets shoved into my pockets during the day, stack up at a local market and sell cheap or give a small one with each purchase, find someone at a local market that enhances wood items (paints, burns designs, etc) and sell or give away. I gave two big stacks of basic small to med sized traditional bowls to other sellers at craft shows to enhance as they saw fit. They loved it. One guy burned Elvis images into the bottom of them.

 

[John Hicks]

The older I get; The less clutter I like laying around me.....except for tools of course....and huge chunks of wood that I let crack and warp because I took too much.

 

[Jerry Bennett]

Sell the best, burn the rest.

 

[Gary Beasley]

Some of these rejects can be a good target for pyrography and other forms of physical texturing. After such practice is done then you can decide if it should be given a Viking funeral.

 

[John Walls]

I'm lucky, I don't get or have any flawed pieces. You will not find a bad one in my shop/house (I keep the ashes cleaned out in my fireplace.... hehehe) I don't consider warping/cracks as bad flaws, I just do my best to work with them. I do have what I call a *reject* cabinet. It seems to get emptied alot when friends drop by. What I think is a problem bowl is usually cherished by others so I tend to keep all but the worst. I use them alot around my garage/shop for screws/bolts, keys, change or just about anything I don't take the time to place back into boxes.

 

[Tom Gall]

Some of these rejects can be a good target for pyrography and other forms of physical texturing. After such practice is done then you can decide if it should be given a Viking funeral.

I also use them for painting/coloring experiments and color combinations on differing textures.

 

[Rip Littig]

As a follow up, I brought six "b" grade bowls to work today. They were gone within 10 minutes. Must have been better than I thought or people just like free things!