If you are into traditional bowl turning, this is about the only TH-cam channel that you need to follow. Decades of wisdom passed on to the rest of us amateurs. Thank you Richard.
I have watched this video a few times now. I keep coming back because I feel there are a lot of nuances, too many for me to absorb at one time. It is a great complement to the books. Thank you, Richard!
Dear Richard, I started turning as I turned 70! I did not have the chance to learn and progress with an instructor and had to do it on my own. I’ve spent hundreds of hours on internet to develop new skills and techniques. When I discovered your channel and videos like this one it really compensates for the lack of a mentor in my learning process. I do have your book on the art of turned bowls but it’s not like « being shown or told ». The four ways series is also an extraordinary way to learn like all your videos on wood cutting out of logs. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and skills 😊
Terrific study. In modern circles I hear the terms "boring" "round and brown" "basic" kicked around when discussing bowls. The more I turn the more I appreciate the intricacies that make turning a good bowl the work of many years of learning and mastery. Although utilitarian they are often understated works of art. Shape, feel, weight, wood species, color, figure when they all come together it's a beautiful thing.
When I started turning a couple of years ago, the thought of cutting a bowl in half made me cringe. Now I do it almost eagerly, just to see what I do right and what needs improvement. I'm glad I'm not the only one who still has his first bowl. I still use, and recently re-turned, the crude nut bowl I made in junior high school wood shop in 1957.
You comment that you no longer have a large lathe or large jaw set... would like to hear how and why you came to this adjustment in your turning. Since the 80's, you've taught me more than any other turner... many thanks to you my friend.
I've been downsizing since 2003 when I ceased turning full-time and moved to a smaller house. I was 60 and had other things to do in retirement. It's only by chance that making videos has become my current retirement hobby. Now in my 80s, downsizing somewhat seems sensible when the prospect of agedcare looms.
1988 retired from police work to build custom furniture... ended up building about 100 homes in my neck of the woods (I live in the mountains outside of Albuquerque, NM, USA)... Had my own cabinet shop and did all of the millwork/ stair parts, an occasional piece of furniture for the homes I built... retired from building career at 70 and have dusted off my lathe and enjoy bowl turning and the like these days... I understand the aging thing; what a great hobby/ new skillset you've helped me to develop and enjoy. Still making sawdust at 72. Gary B.@@RichardRaffanwoodturning
A lot to learn here. Looking at the Sections, makes me realise there is more than just the look of the wood, but the 'Feel' also. I will adjust my turnings accordingly. Big thank you Richard.
I make and use my plates and bowls, one , because Richard Raffan said so , and two, because the that’s what people did for hundreds of years. My dinner plate is made from chinkapin and it gives off a wonderful aroma when hot food it placed on it, highly recommended
I usually just watch and not comment because I don't have much to add. But I just finished your updated Art of Bowl Turning and this was the perfect follow up. Richard, you are very good at conveying the right attitude about this craft and the materials. Thank you for the best instruction.
Your love of the medium (wood) and grasp of the method (design) is an inspiration to woodturners, giving us a second chance to produce something useful. Thank you.
Fantastic Video Richard. This is something every turner needs to do more, and I will admit that I don't do this enough. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, I will make a few bowl to cut in half to show myself where I need to improve if nothing else.
So glad you picked up making videos for a hobby! So great you are able to share so much valuable information that would otherwise be lost. I see that Amazon in the US still has new copies of The Art of Turned Bowls. You signed my copy back in 2011 at your all day demo in Chattanooga. I wish my wife had more interest in using bowls in the kitchen but alas the only bowl that is used is my cereal bowl, but only by me.
Excellent advice and information. I definitely am still making “beginner” bowls after three years of turning. I especially appreciate the advice near the end of the video to not be afraid to rework something if you aren’t satisfied and even cut it in half and start over. Thanks for sharing!
What a great lesson. Thank you for posting this. Both as a kick in the butt to actually USE our bowls as well as the ideas and examples found in the half bowls. You're 110% right that many of us, myself included, can overthink and not walk away and come back with a fresh outlook.
How a bowl "comes to the hand" has always crucial for me, especially since the ones I make are meant to be used/eaten from. Thank you for sharing all of your work and thoughts.
One of my first turning videos I watched, was you doing a little cherry bowl. Then you cut it half. I was shocked, but we could then see what you were talking about.
Thank you Richard! Fantastic! I have been "following" you since the early 80's... I have all the books! Some bought twice after they were "lost" in a divorce! But now your life's experience and knowledge on these videos is priceless. They have improved my turning considerably both in terms of skill level and most importantly, design.
Thank you for that Richard. Getting the inside and outside curves to work in harmony is not trivial and is why your bowls are both deceptively simple and difficult to match.
Very fruitful discussion indeed. The dance between appearance, balance, feel and functionality is endlessly fascinating. I too am puzzled by so many people's discomfort with using wooden bowls for food service, especially since they will happily use wooden spoons etc constantly during cooking, and wooden cutting boards for ingredient prep. It's invaluable to explore developing shapes with the fingers as work progresses. I often pause in the turning process to do so with my eyes deliberately closed (lathe not rotating, obviously), which I find helps me to focus my attention enormously. The sound a bowl makes when set down on a table is something I like to consider too. Too thin anywhere and it's a somewhat disagreeable "tinny" kind of sound. Too thick, or poorly balanced, and there's a "clunky" or "dead" kind of sound. Get things pretty much right though, and there can be a kind of marimba-like tonality that's just lovely. I add on an extra 20 or 30 bucks for those ... lol. Richard has been a profound guiding influence on my bowl work over the years, as he has been with so many turners, especially via his book on design, which is superb. This series of videos he's now producing on TH-cam is delightful, and an extraordinary act of generosity.
A very interesting video. The problem at the moment in UK is the price of bowl blanks. At £15 to £20 plus for a 9 or 10 inch blank 2 inches deep plus vat & carriage cutting bowls in half is a no no. There's not many hobby turners including myself that have access to or the facilities for processing green wood.
Thank you for sharing your experience and design ideas. This is such great informtion that we all can use. Also a wonderful video aid to your book on turning bowls. Your expertise in wood turning is helping us all be better turners. Thank you! Now if I could just find a copy of your book on turning boxes I would be set.
Thank you. Very instructive, in how to think about both form and function. Will bear re-watching as I learn more; I have turned 4 bowls so far, including one that I think is good. Your videos have been my main inspiration.
Wow, this was really helpful; so many considerations to get something esthetically pleasing both in shape and in feel. Do you think one can gain design insight and improved results by designing a profile either by sketching or modeling and then attempting to achieve that profile during turning or is this something one really needs to develop by assessment while turning the bowl? Your final sketches on the cross-section at 25:53 raised that question in my mind.
It is not an easy matter to turn a bowl to accurately match a profile you have drawn on paper. The more efficient way to gain design experience, as Richard suggests, is to turn a bowl that feels good, and then cut it apart to see its essential features and compare with the bowls shown in this video. I know, this is stating the obvious, but . . . oh well.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on bowl design! It's awesome hearing directly from you! What finish would you use for a soup bowl? I generally don't use anything for utilitarian bowls, but how do you keep the soup from seeping through the pores and onto the table??
Love it all thanks for your inspiration.. question all the bowls you show seamed to have been stable. How has the drying process changed since the 70s and 80s did you twice turn or use dry blanks and what not? Thank you
Wonderful informative video again. May I ask, do you mix your own finish of boiled Linseed oil and Beeswax; if so, would you be free to share the proportions?
Hi Richard. I'm just learning about woodturning at the Merseyside Wood Turners' Association. This was a fascinating watch. But how, when you're in "mid-turn" so to speak, can you discern the various cross sectional thicknesses? Do you use callipers or is it simply the feel of the wood?
If you turn hundreds of bowls annually as I did for 40 years, you develop caliper fingers. I've not turned much for around 15 years, so these days I tend to use calipers as well. As an exercise it pays to turn what you think is a good bowl, then cut in half to see if you've got near what you think you've felt. If the bowl wall is fairly thick you can then make two wall bowls and be much the wiser.
I've grown alot in watching your videos, so thank you! Are there kinds of woods that you do not turn for regular use, due to their known toxicity? I have a pile of camphor, black walnut, and live oak and I've heard some inconsistent things on these (among other) species. Is there a source that you trust and consult for information of this kind?
I use bowls and plates made of the woods you mention day to day along with yew and cocobolo. The dust might not be good for lungs, but I've survived using the plates and bowls. All wood dust is bad for you but I've never heard of problems using items made of even the very toxic woods.
Great advice. I’m halfway through a set of three bowls - I should have seen your video first, as my design is wrong! Also, what finish do you use on the plates and bowls you use for food?
I'm using boiled linseed oil and beeswax on most bowls, occasionally just beeswax, and occasionally cooking oils. Once the bowls and plates are in use they are washed using hot water and detergent and set to dry. They are never oiled once in use. If in the US I'd be using Mahoneys Walnut oil.
I'm using boiled linseed oil and beeswax on most bowls, occasionally just beeswax, and occasionally cooking oils. Once the bowls and plates are in use they are washed using hot water and detergent and set to dry. They are never oiled once in use.
You suggested to use "Salad Oil" to freshen up the Tasmanian Blackwood bowl interior. Will that spoil or go rancid? Or do you use it often enough with light washing that it isn't an issue?
The point I tried to make is that every time you use a bowl for salad, soup, breakfast cereal, or whatever, the oil or liquid or damp involved brings out the colour in the wood as a finish does when when the bowl is made. When that blackwood bowl is washed there's nothing gentle about it. It's scrubbed using a Scotchbrite pad or washing up brush using detergent, the aim being to get it cleansed in preperation for its next use. This bowl can be used for cereal in the morning, salad midday, and something else in the evening so it needs cleaning. I"ve never had oil go rancid.
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning thank you for the reply. The bowl is used often enough that whatever food safe oil is used to brighten the grain is not going to be on the bowl long enough to spoil. 👍
First my mother, then myself, have enjoyed using this bowl since January 1970, but that doesn't alter the fact that it's a rather clumpy bowl as most first bowls are and that it could have been a better bowl. And still could be if I chose to refine the profile.
What I struggle with is all your and other great woodturners' clear examples of what a good bowl should look and feel like. But then woodturners get on their lathe, take a beautiful piece of timber, and turn it into a dog bowl with straight sides andsquare corners inside. Making an exceptional bowl might be difficult, but at least head in the right direction. 🤯😭
If you are into traditional bowl turning, this is about the only TH-cam channel that you need to follow. Decades of wisdom passed on to the rest of us amateurs. Thank you Richard.
I have watched this video a few times now. I keep coming back because I feel there are a lot of nuances, too many for me to absorb at one time. It is a great complement to the books. Thank you, Richard!
Same here, I’m on round 5 or 6. Lots of wisdom in here and it’s helped me improve my forms drastically.
You now have woodturners around the world feeling their bowls and critiquing their form like never before. So important.
And that IS a good thing! I feel like I don’t do it enough.
I have that book, I recommend it to all woodturners, along wth RR's other books & video's. There's a lot of good sense, with no hype.
Dear Richard,
I started turning as I turned 70! I did not have the chance to learn and progress with an instructor and had to do it on my own. I’ve spent hundreds of hours on internet to develop new skills and techniques. When I discovered your channel and videos like this one it really compensates for the lack of a mentor in my learning process. I do have your book on the art of turned bowls but it’s not like « being shown or told ». The four ways series is also an extraordinary way to learn like all your videos on wood cutting out of logs. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and skills 😊
Terrific study. In modern circles I hear the terms "boring" "round and brown" "basic" kicked around when discussing bowls. The more I turn the more I appreciate the intricacies that make turning a good bowl the work of many years of learning and mastery. Although utilitarian they are often understated works of art. Shape, feel, weight, wood species, color, figure when they all come together it's a beautiful thing.
When I started turning a couple of years ago, the thought of cutting a bowl in half made me cringe. Now I do it almost eagerly, just to see what I do right and what needs improvement.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who still has his first bowl. I still use, and recently re-turned, the crude nut bowl I made in junior high school wood shop in 1957.
You comment that you no longer have a large lathe or large jaw set... would like to hear how and why you came to this adjustment in your turning. Since the 80's, you've taught me more than any other turner... many thanks to you my friend.
I've been downsizing since 2003 when I ceased turning full-time and moved to a smaller house. I was 60 and had other things to do in retirement. It's only by chance that making videos has become my current retirement hobby. Now in my 80s, downsizing somewhat seems sensible when the prospect of agedcare looms.
1988 retired from police work to build custom furniture... ended up building about 100 homes in my neck of the woods (I live in the mountains outside of Albuquerque, NM, USA)... Had my own cabinet shop and did all of the millwork/ stair parts, an occasional piece of furniture for the homes I built... retired from building career at 70 and have dusted off my lathe and enjoy bowl turning and the like these days... I understand the aging thing; what a great hobby/ new skillset you've helped me to develop and enjoy. Still making sawdust at 72.
Gary B.@@RichardRaffanwoodturning
A lot to learn here. Looking at the Sections, makes me realise there is more than just the look of the wood, but the 'Feel' also. I will adjust my turnings accordingly. Big thank you Richard.
Richard, you are an international treasure!!
Thank you for this video.
I make and use my plates and bowls, one , because Richard Raffan said so , and two, because the that’s what people did for hundreds of years. My dinner plate is made from chinkapin and it gives off a wonderful aroma when hot food it placed on it, highly recommended
And wooden plates keep hot food warm for longer than any ceramic plate.
I usually just watch and not comment because I don't have much to add. But I just finished your updated Art of Bowl Turning and this was the perfect follow up.
Richard, you are very good at conveying the right attitude about this craft and the materials. Thank you for the best instruction.
Wonderful tutorial to get off on the right foot in proper bowl design! Thanks.
Your love of the medium (wood) and grasp of the method (design) is an inspiration to woodturners, giving us a second chance to produce something useful. Thank you.
Fantastic Video Richard. This is something every turner needs to do more, and I will admit that I don't do this enough. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, I will make a few bowl to cut in half to show myself where I need to improve if nothing else.
So glad you picked up making videos for a hobby! So great you are able to share so much valuable information that would otherwise be lost. I see that Amazon in the US still has new copies of The Art of Turned Bowls. You signed my copy back in 2011 at your all day demo in Chattanooga. I wish my wife had more interest in using bowls in the kitchen but alas the only bowl that is used is my cereal bowl, but only by me.
It's quite the hobby now - as you know. And thanks, again, for help in getting me started.
Excellent advice and information. I definitely am still making “beginner” bowls after three years of turning. I especially appreciate the advice near the end of the video to not be afraid to rework something if you aren’t satisfied and even cut it in half and start over. Thanks for sharing!
Some of the bowls cut in half would make very decorative and unusual wall light up lighters. A very interesting video. Thank you.😀🇬🇧
Yes, wall lights and hanging wall bowls. I have two hanging behind my lathe, one for wax, the other for spacers.
Thank you, Mr. Raffan. Great lesson!
That's a really helpful explanation. Thank you, Richard
Best video out there on design, curves and ecpecially on recces vs.foot.... awsome job Richard
What a great lesson. Thank you for posting this. Both as a kick in the butt to actually USE our bowls as well as the ideas and examples found in the half bowls. You're 110% right that many of us, myself included, can overthink and not walk away and come back with a fresh outlook.
A master class in bowl design. Very informative. Thank you, Richard.
Thank you dear teacher! This lesson is a treasure!
How a bowl "comes to the hand" has always crucial for me, especially since the ones I make are meant to be used/eaten from.
Thank you for sharing all of your work and thoughts.
One of my first turning videos I watched, was you doing a little cherry bowl. Then you cut it half. I was shocked, but we could then see what you were talking about.
Thanks Richard good information.
Great lesson.
Thank You for sharing , I have a few bowl I can use to put cucumbers and other thing in .
Top notch stuff Richard
Thank you Richard! Fantastic! I have been "following" you since the early 80's... I have all the books! Some bought twice after they were "lost" in a divorce! But now your life's experience and knowledge on these videos is priceless. They have improved my turning considerably both in terms of skill level and most importantly, design.
Thank you for that Richard. Getting the inside and outside curves to work in harmony is not trivial and is why your bowls are both deceptively simple and difficult to match.
Wonderful video.
Very fruitful discussion indeed. The dance between appearance, balance, feel and functionality is endlessly fascinating. I too am puzzled by so many people's discomfort with using wooden bowls for food service, especially since they will happily use wooden spoons etc constantly during cooking, and wooden cutting boards for ingredient prep.
It's invaluable to explore developing shapes with the fingers as work progresses. I often pause in the turning process to do so with my eyes deliberately closed (lathe not rotating, obviously), which I find helps me to focus my attention enormously.
The sound a bowl makes when set down on a table is something I like to consider too. Too thin anywhere and it's a somewhat disagreeable "tinny" kind of sound. Too thick, or poorly balanced, and there's a "clunky" or "dead" kind of sound.
Get things pretty much right though, and there can be a kind of marimba-like tonality that's just lovely. I add on an extra 20 or 30 bucks for those ... lol.
Richard has been a profound guiding influence on my bowl work over the years, as he has been with so many turners, especially via his book on design, which is superb. This series of videos he's now producing on TH-cam is delightful, and an extraordinary act of generosity.
very educational. thanks much.
A very interesting video. The problem at the moment in UK is the price of bowl blanks. At £15 to £20 plus for a 9 or 10 inch blank 2 inches deep plus vat & carriage cutting bowls in half is a no no. There's not many hobby turners including myself that have access to or the facilities for processing green wood.
This seems a very sensible balance of form and function. Thanks for sharing😀
Excellent video Richard, really enjoyed your thought process, thank you.
Thank you for sharing your experience and design ideas. This is such great informtion that we all can use. Also a wonderful video aid to your book on turning bowls. Your expertise in wood turning is helping us all be better turners. Thank you! Now if I could just find a copy of your book on turning boxes I would be set.
Thank you very much for your generosity, for sharing your knowledge with us
Gorgeous!!
Thank you. Very instructive, in how to think about both form and function. Will bear re-watching as I learn more; I have turned 4 bowls so far, including one that I think is good. Your videos have been my main inspiration.
Once again, invaluable information thanks Richard
Great video! Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge!
Looking forward to making some little shelves out of the bowls I cut in half. Really good lesson here.
Another super informative class . Wealth of knowledge. Thanks again.
Thank you so much for sharing your great knowledge. ❤
Thanks for the explanation on why a recess causes problems. I've made that bowl 😅 ... and a few of the others.
Wow, this was really helpful; so many considerations to get something esthetically pleasing both in shape and in feel. Do you think one can gain design insight and improved results by designing a profile either by sketching or modeling and then attempting to achieve that profile during turning or is this something one really needs to develop by assessment while turning the bowl? Your final sketches on the cross-section at 25:53 raised that question in my mind.
It is not an easy matter to turn a bowl to accurately match a profile you have drawn on paper. The more efficient way to gain design experience, as Richard suggests, is to turn a bowl that feels good, and then cut it apart to see its essential features and compare with the bowls shown in this video. I know, this is stating the obvious, but . . . oh well.
Great lessons Richard.
I have noticed in several materials the difference between fair and a great piece is refinement.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on bowl design! It's awesome hearing directly from you!
What finish would you use for a soup bowl? I generally don't use anything for utilitarian bowls, but how do you keep the soup from seeping through the pores and onto the table??
How do I find your web site? Love your videos, I try to never miss one!
richardraffan.com.au
Love it all thanks for your inspiration.. question all the bowls you show seamed to have been stable. How has the drying process changed since the 70s and 80s did you twice turn or use dry blanks and what not? Thank you
I've rough turned bowls since 1973 when seasoned boards suitable for bowls became unavailable and always had several hundred air seasoning.
Wonderful informative video again. May I ask, do you mix your own finish of boiled Linseed oil and Beeswax; if so, would you be free to share the proportions?
Hi Richard. I'm just learning about woodturning at the Merseyside Wood Turners' Association. This was a fascinating watch. But how, when you're in "mid-turn" so to speak, can you discern the various cross sectional thicknesses? Do you use callipers or is it simply the feel of the wood?
If you turn hundreds of bowls annually as I did for 40 years, you develop caliper fingers. I've not turned much for around 15 years, so these days I tend to use calipers as well. As an exercise it pays to turn what you think is a good bowl, then cut in half to see if you've got near what you think you've felt. If the bowl wall is fairly thick you can then make two wall bowls and be much the wiser.
Nice video👏👏
I've grown alot in watching your videos, so thank you! Are there kinds of woods that you do not turn for regular use, due to their known toxicity? I have a pile of camphor, black walnut, and live oak and I've heard some inconsistent things on these (among other) species. Is there a source that you trust and consult for information of this kind?
I use bowls and plates made of the woods you mention day to day along with yew and cocobolo. The dust might not be good for lungs, but I've survived using the plates and bowls. All wood dust is bad for you but I've never heard of problems using items made of even the very toxic woods.
So much common sense, thank you. Question - do you turn your 'green turned bowls' just once to a finish or are they twice turned?
Master class on bowl design.
Thank you, sir.
Do you have a bowl or cozy for storing your finishing socks? That would make a good video.
It's a hanging bowl, Ken. Just behind the headstock. You see it in the Workshop Mini Tour. th-cam.com/video/kHBqja9GXEs/w-d-xo.html
Great advice. I’m halfway through a set of three bowls - I should have seen your video first, as my design is wrong! Also, what finish do you use on the plates and bowls you use for food?
I'm using boiled linseed oil and beeswax on most bowls, occasionally just beeswax, and occasionally cooking oils. Once the bowls and plates are in use they are washed using hot water and detergent and set to dry. They are never oiled once in use. If in the US I'd be using Mahoneys Walnut oil.
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning Thanks Richard (I’m also in Australia, so boiled linseed and beeswax sounds OK
What oil do you use to finish bowls and plates?
I'm using boiled linseed oil and beeswax on most bowls, occasionally just beeswax, and occasionally cooking oils. Once the bowls and plates are in use they are washed using hot water and detergent and set to dry. They are never oiled once in use.
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning Thank you very much for the answer!
You suggested to use "Salad Oil" to freshen up the Tasmanian Blackwood bowl interior. Will that spoil or go rancid? Or do you use it often enough with light washing that it isn't an issue?
The point I tried to make is that every time you use a bowl for salad, soup, breakfast cereal, or whatever, the oil or liquid or damp involved brings out the colour in the wood as a finish does when when the bowl is made. When that blackwood bowl is washed there's nothing gentle about it. It's scrubbed using a Scotchbrite pad or washing up brush using detergent, the aim being to get it cleansed in preperation for its next use. This bowl can be used for cereal in the morning, salad midday, and something else in the evening so it needs cleaning. I"ve never had oil go rancid.
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning thank you for the reply. The bowl is used often enough that whatever food safe oil is used to brighten the grain is not going to be on the bowl long enough to spoil. 👍
I couldn’t disagree more on your decrial of your mother’s mulberry bowl. The bowl gave me great joy. Just saying. Thank you. Beth
First my mother, then myself, have enjoyed using this bowl since January 1970, but that doesn't alter the fact that it's a rather clumpy bowl as most first bowls are and that it could have been a better bowl. And still could be if I chose to refine the profile.
What I struggle with is all your and other great woodturners' clear examples of what a good bowl should look and feel like.
But then woodturners get on their lathe, take a beautiful piece of timber, and turn it into a dog bowl with straight sides andsquare corners inside.
Making an exceptional bowl might be difficult, but at least head in the right direction. 🤯😭
I suppose a lot of people are put off using them by having to hand wash them
How very sad.
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning you have inspired me to do one for food at least. The ones I have lying around aren't the right shape