I'm back, and how did he do this?

Frank Fusco

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Mountain Home, Arkansas
Returned from our Hawaii trip just a little while ago. Will post a more complete report on CC later, maybe Monday.
But, did find a puzzler for turners while on the islands. Two bowls like this shown were on sale in the gift shop.
Howdeedoit?
I have my guess but will hold for a while.
 

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The Menehunes did it! It's a Hawaiian thing:D Welcome back Frank, what rock did you visit? Hope the weather was good while you were here. This has been one of the coldest and wettest I've seen. Some of the Oldtimers tell me that this has been the coldest they can remember too but it was probably still warmer here than Arkansas:thumb: Can't imagine how that bowl was turned. Is it for sure a single piece of wood? :huh: The wood looks like milo or mango.
 
Welcome back, Frank. Looking forward to the trip report.

My guess for the bowl is along the same lines as Doug's. The inner bowl could be turned easily enough. The outside would also be turned, but with a ring of thick wood left on the outside to be carved into the legs (and blended into the rest of the bowl in the spaces between the legs). It might also be possible that the legs are turned instead of carved. It'd have to be a pretty substantial offset chuck, but once you had things balanced it'd be pretty straightforward to turn the legs one at a time, repositioning it in the chuck for each leg. It'd only leave a bit of carving cleanup to do.
 
Welcome back Frank.
I was starting to wonder where were you.

Nice legged bowl. I think I agree with what Vaughn says, it is a mixed technique one.:)
 
Very possibly the inside is turned as well as the outside leaving some meat for a CNC router? Not to besmirch a talented carver. :D I have seen some awesome irregular bowls that were entirely hand carved. I don't know that I have that kind of patience. I suppose if I ever have to spend some years in a cell I might like to have a carving knife and some chunks of wood. :rofl:
 
Yep, a couple nailed it.
This bowl was in the gift shop of a museum in Honolulu. It is a replica of an ancient (?? I have my doubts) bowl on display in the museum.
Close inspection will reveal some carving marks between the legs. Methinks the bowl was turned, inside and out but leaving a sorta 'wall' where the legs would end up. Then the spaces in between were carved away. Very cleanly, I might say. The legs are very, almost perfectly, round as well. Good craftsmanship. But, still, at first glance it was a puzzler.
As for the questionable ancient one, it just looks too perfectly round, inside and out to me to be hand carved with sharp rocks and shells. It looks turned. Maybe the Polynesians had lathes, I dunno. :dunno: Who am I to say they did or didn't???
 
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