"My-ply"

Felt inspired to glue up some scraps as though they were plywood. The result was so interesting that I decided to go with a bowl so the inside would show, rather than a vase.

Coincidentally, I was just given a "gift" of some old plywood bedrails that are just gorgeous. Got things glued up, and should have some results soon. It's a real low-budget, low-effort way to get some really interesting effects, and I can see why it's catching on in the lathe community.

Plywood experiments

One of the scroll saw forum members send me an article about wood turning with plywood, and I decided to adapt the concept for the scroll saw. I selected pieces of 3/4" plywood without gaps and got to work. This is my first project, using teak as the main wood, and although plywood is not my favorite material, it's quick and easy to use, and quite interesting. I'm just starting my experiments, and am looking forward to seeing how they work out.

Swag Bowl completed

Well, I rubbed out the bubbles with 0000 steel wool, touched up the spots that needed it, and it's finally finished. Usually it's the swags that give me trouble, not the finish, but at least it's done!

A Cautionary Tale

I just finished a lovely swag bowl--the shellac had dried just enough to bring it back from the shop--and left it on the back seat of the car while I ran some errands. When I got home, I discovered that the shellac had blistered on one side. Near as I can figure, it must have been in the sun, since the rest of the bowl was fine. I'll rub it down and fix it up--shellac is very forgiving that way--but I never imagined that this could happen. Thought I'd pass this on, and maybe save some else some grief. And I'll post a picture AFTER it's fixed!

Sanding Tips #2

To get a continuous effect with swags and straight lines, you need to anticipate where the rings will meet once the bowl is sanded smooth. This picture shows two rings about to be glued, and illustrates how you can follow the line of the swag from one ring to the next. If you do this at each point that must be matched, the insides will take care of themselves.

My favorite sander

I demonstrated the use of this inflatable sanding ball at the LI Woodworkers show last weekend. It is absolutely invaluable for curved pieces. I'm trying to convince the owner of the company to come out with a smaller version, as well. The tool's not cheap, but I've sanded well over 100 bowls with it, and the rubber is still in good condition.

Pictures from the LI Woodworkers show

I spent an exciting weekend doing demos at the LI Woodworkers Show, meeting people, and looking at wonderful examples of fine woodworking. Here are some pictures we took--it was an event that was well-worth attending.

Long Island Woodworker's Show

I'll be doing demos on how to make wooden bowls using the scroll saw at the Long Island Woodworker's Show. The show is being held on Nov. 14th and 15th at Old Bethpage Restoration in Old Bethpage, LI. It should be well worth attending, and I'm looking forward to sharing my techniques with other woodworkers.

Amazon Author Page

I've just created an author page on the Amazon website. On this page you can find out more about me, my interests, and view other books I've written. Please check it out when you get a chance. Thanks!

Sanding Tips #1

This is the first of a series of sanding tips that you may find helpful as you make your bowls.

Today's tip: to keep your 2" sanding discs in order, use a 3 x 5 card file and a set of dividers. Label each divider with the grit stored in that space, and you'll never have a problem figuring out which grit you're using.