The Wood Turning Process

There are multiple steps in creating a wood object by hand. Each step is there for a reason, no shortcuts allowed.
Please note, wood turning can be very dangerous and the steps below are illustrative of the process and cannot be considered instructional. If you are interested in learning this craft, find proper instruction and the required safety equipment.

  • 1. Select the wood and cut out the blank

    Once you have selected the wood you would like to use, draw a circle of where it needs to be cut on a bandsaw. Once cut, this is called a “bowl blank”.

  • 2. Mount the blank on the lathe

    In preparation for turning, the bowl is held on the lathe initially by two points, one on each side of the blank. At this stage, the turner makes a tenon on what will be the bottom for the “chuck” (wood holder) to grip.

  • 3. Turn the outside of bowl

    Next step is to turn or shape the outside of the bowl. This shape can be refined as the process proceeds, This stage establishes the overall shape of the bowl. Following wood removal, sanding begins for final smoothing of the bowl.

  • 4. Shape and complete the inside

    After the wood has been removed from the outside, next is to shape the inside. After wood removal, sanding begins to smooth the surface of the wood.

  • 5. Sign the bottom then apply finish

    After removing and shaping both the exterior and interior of the bowl, it’s time finally sign your name, identify what type of wood has been used and apply the important finish to protect the bowl for year to come.

  • 6. The completed bowl

    After about 15 hours of hand work on the bowl, it’s time to call it complete and pass it along to new owners who can use and enjoy it everyday!

  • Bowls from the same Pine log

    Three various shaped bowls were created from the same pine log demonstrating that the design is up to the individual woodturner/artist.