Wood Turning the End Grain, Natural Edged Bowl
Page 2 - Inside to the finish

"Naturally designed to give you the edge."

Having turned the outside, it is time to turn the inside.

Moving to the top of the bowl, I establish the center and drill a hole to within a half inch of the bottom. I could drill all the way but I like to leave room for changes as necessary. There is no way to know what splits, cracks or other problems may be waiting.

The inside of the bowl is turned away. Even though I use a hook tool for the task, there are few shavings due to the nature of the spalting of this wood.

The bowl is ready to be sanded but the spalting determines another difficulty to be overcome. The surface is rough and will be hard to sand because of tear out.

I coat the inside and outside with paste wax to ease the sanding. I have no idea why this helps but I know that the wax will speed up the first sanding immensely. The wax I am using is a blend of 2 parts mineral oil, to 2 parts vegetable oil to 1 part bee's wax. In this case I will start with 60 grit and proceed all the way to 2000.
The bowl is sanded and ready for the finish.
The bowl is sanded and ready for the finish.
A good finish demands a good surface.
I have been using double boiled linseed oil lately for a finish and really like it for yellow birch.
Then the parting tool is used to cut away the tenon and the bowl is cut away from the lathe with a saw. The bottom will be sanded later, after the oil is dry.
The finished bowl, about 7 1/2" x 2"
Another one in yellow birch but unspalted; about 7"x3"
One in ash about 5"x3"
And a footed bowl in yellow birch, about 7"x5".