Revised and Expanded Edition of Wooden Bowls from the Scroll Saw coming soon!

The materials are due to go to the printer by the end of the week, and the book should be available about mid-May.  I've completely rewritten the first chapter to bring it up to date with new tools and techniques.  Some of the original projects were removed to make room for nine new ones, which include three that have never been published.

I was pleased to have been given the opportunity to share my new projects and techniques in an organized and systematic manner, and hope the material in this new edition gives readers many hours of pleasure at their scroll saws.

Checking for spaces

Anyone who makes scrolled bowls knows that rings that don't lie flat create unattractive lines when glued up.  I usually include a caution in any of my bowl projects to check for and correct any spaces, since omission of this step can lead to disappointing results.

There are two ways to check for spaces.  The one that's usually sufficient is to stack the rings, hold them up to eye level, and look for any light coming through.  Occasionally a bulb or flashlight is needed, but that's no big deal.

The second method, which is easier and may actually be more reliable, is to see if a sheet of paper can be pushed through the rings at any point.  The rings in the photo passed the light test, and it was only a matter of luck that I decided to use the paper, as well.  What a surprise!  It was actually a quick fix using the old reliable sanding tile, and will result in a much more uniform effect once the interior is sanded.

When you've already put a lot of effort into a bowl, don't cut corners just as the end is in sight!

First project from the new shop

It seemed fitting that my first project would reflect my intention to continue work on more advanced bowls.  These are bowls that typically use two or three blanks, have curved sides, and are more time-consuming to make.  They may also have to be glued up in stages to allow access for sanding the interiors.

I included a picture of the completed bowl, as well as a picture before any exterior sanding was done.  For sanding the interior, I used both the regular and mini sized round inflatable, as well as the long inflatable drum.  For sanding the exterior, I used the regular round inflatable for the "valleys" and the 2" flexible pad sander for the rest.

I brought the bowl to the NWA show at Saratoga Springs this past weekend, and had fun teasing the turners, many of whom had no idea you could do this with the scroll saw.