How to Carve Wooden Bowls
Wooden bowls have many purposes ranging from salad bowls to centerpieces for fine dining. Carving wooden bowls is a traditional woodworking skill that has been passed on through the ages. A few basic tools and a working knowledge of the craft is all that is required to complete a bowl, although it may take some practice to perfect. Maple is a good wood for making bowls because it has a tight and distinct grain that takes a finish well.
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Things You'll Need
- Maple bowl blank
- Compass
- Pencil
- Eye protection
- Band saw
- Woodworking vise
- Straight chisel
- Mallet
- Gouge chisels, assorted sizes
- Carving knife
- Medium- and fine-grit sandpaper
- Food-safe wood finish
- Clean rag
Instructions
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1
Use a compass to draw the outside lip of the bowl around one face of the bowl blank. Draw the inside lip, leaving 1/4 inch of thickness for the lip. Turn the bowl blank over and draw another circle for the bottom of the bowl. A bowl blank is a cut-off section of a log that can be purchased from woodworking supply stores or possibly from a local logging company. The blank should be the approximate size of the bowl you are creating and also free of any large knots.
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2
Draw the curve of the sides on the bowl blank using a pencil.
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3
Cut out the outline of the bowl using a band saw. Cut the basic shape of the outside lip of the bowl along with a rough outline of the curve of the bowl.
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4
Place the bowl blank into a woodworking vise so that the outside of the bowl is facing up. Shape the outside of the bowl starting from the bottom of the bowl and working your way toward the lip. Use a straight chisel and mallet to tap away small shavings of the wood at a time until you are satisfied with the overall outline of the outside of the bowl.
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5
Remove the bowl blank from the woodworking vise. Reposition it in the vise so that the inside of the bowl can be worked on. Secure the bowl blank in place.
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6
Use assorted sized gouge chisels to hollow out the inside of the bowl. Start at the inside edge of the lip and work toward the center. Tap the chisels with a mallet to make accurate and smooth cuts as you shape the inside of the bowl. Take away small shavings until you are satisfied with the curve of the inside. The thickness of the bowl's sides should be approximately 1/4 inch.
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7
Use a carving knife to smooth the lip of the bowl. Carve in a smooth and continuous motion around the inside and outside edge of the bowl lip to create a rounded edge.
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8
Sand the entire bowl using medium-grit sandpaper. Refine the finish of the bowl using fine-grit sandpaper to lightly sand the bowl. Always sand with the grain.
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9
Apply a food-safe wood finish to the bowl with a clean rag. Rub the finish in to achieve a high sheen. Allow the finish to dry before handling.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a clear finish to allow the natural beauty of the bowl come through.
Wear eye protection when working with wood and operating woodworking tools.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit A Wooden Bowl of Honeycomb. image by daseaford from Fotolia.com
