How about you?

peter blair

Member
Messages
42
Location
Ladner BC
How many of you bowl turners plan or lay-out a bowl prior to turning?
I turn mostly from local wood and can never seem to do the 'thinking ahead' that is required.
When I do plan a particular shape or size the wood generally leads me somewhere else.
The first turing course I took the instructor insisted that we all do a detail drawing of what we were going to turn. I along with the rest of the class did as we were told but then found myself forcing the wood into the shape I had decided on.
I guess I can see that if I was turning from pre cut square blocks it would be sensible but for me I like to go with the flow.
How about you?

Pete
http://www.woodbowlsandthings.com
 
Since my artistic talent ranges between slim and none...I usually have to draw inspiration from elsewhere...photo, someone’s suggestion...so on. I can draw stick figures evidenced by some of my turnings :rofl: but it's usually whatever pops out of my head.
 
Probably a good idea to plan ahead, but with all my catches, gouges, fly-aparts I usually end up with what ever is left of the wood. It does end up round, well mostly...
 
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How many of you bowl turners plan or lay-out a bowl prior to turning?
I turn mostly from local wood and can never seem to do the 'thinking ahead' that is required.
When I do plan a particular shape or size the wood generally leads me somewhere else.
The first turing course I took the instructor insisted that we all do a detail drawing of what we were going to turn. I along with the rest of the class did as we were told but then found myself forcing the wood into the shape I had decided on.
I guess I can see that if I was turning from pre cut square blocks it would be sensible but for me I like to go with the flow.
How about you?

Pete
http://www.woodbowlsandthings.com

I posted this on your other post also....I turn from local woods also... I cut a log, chip it more or less near round and balanced with the chain saw and then mount in on a face plate...sometimes I'll use the bandsaw... especially more so now that I have a riser and can get bigger pieces under the blade.... the basic shape I use generally will follow the basic shape that already exists in the blank.... if it's a blank that allows for or leans toward a "calabash" style bowl, that's what I turn... if it's a bowl that more triangular, i.e. has a larger top and narrower base, then that is the shape I'll wind up with... I just follow the general shape of the blank..... I don't draw or plan anything when I start a bowl... when I get into segmented turnings, which I will soon, then I suspect I'll have to plan a little more.

I don't even "plan" a pepper mill... I put the blank on the lathe, turn it round, then drill the blank for the holes and put it back on the jam chucks for turning to shape and then just start turning... I may have a picture in my mind or a copy of a mill on the wall, of what I plan to do, but it rarely ever looks like the one I start out to do.

I don't like forcing wood into shapes or patterns.
 
I might start out with a rough idea of what I intend to make based on the shape of the blank, but I'd never spend the time drawing up a plan. For one, my drawing skills are non-existent and for two, a lot of the appeal of woodturning to me is the improvisational aspect of it.

For experimenting with different shape ideas, I've used Bill Ooms' free BowlShape software. It's very cool to play around with.
 
I don't plan much but do most times have a idea of what I want to do and it to look like. If I do maybe 2 out of 12 will come out great. Most of the time I just grab a piece of wood and let it tell me what it wants to be.
 
I guess I am like most of the people on the forum. Other than a general idea of what I want to do nothing is planned.
Dennis
 
Plan, No Plan, Re-Plan

All of the above. There's so many factors to consider. Do I have an available chuck is a big decision factor or do I have unfinished projects using them all up. I guess I do plan most pieces. The nature of the wood dictates much of the decision of : platter, bowl, HF, object d'art, etc. Re-planning is for those times of catches, mal-formed shapes, cracks, etc. Since I make a mistake in every piece, I would say Re-planning is the true outcome.
 
If for a specific project I do plan it out, but do not draw it out since I'm not a drawer. If it is not a specific project I kind of let the wood decide. Funny how often it comes out in one of four basic designs though. Guess I kind of lean to those four when turning.
 
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