Turning a Bowl from a Chunk of Sequoia

Woodworking

In addition to being an online editor for MAKE Magazine, Michael Colombo works in fabrication, electronics, sound design, music production and performance (Yes. All that.) In the past he has also been a childrens' educator and entertainer, and holds a Masters degree from NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program.

View more articles by Michael Colombo

July 24th, 2013

Frank Howarth makes great build videos on his YouTube page. In this case, he had milled some big slabs of Sequoia with a friend, but had some odd pieces leftover. He decided to take one and turn quite a large bowl from it.

Featuring a workshop with one of the largest band saws I’ve ever seen, Frank made a circular jig to cut the piece to size. After some initial turning on the lathe, he let it dry for a year.

After hollowing it out, he had to fabricate a large chuck so he could work on the bottom. He did this by cutting a circular piece of MDF, then attaching small cleats that matched the curvature of the bowl.

After some intense sanding and a finish of linseed oil and beeswax, the bowl was completed. Take a look at his video to get even more detail on the build.