load of bowls

[crazylegs]

picked up three old lawn bowls. ones a lighter colour than the others . I would have expected them all to be very dark?
Any way it seems a shame to just turn them into bowls/dishes so any suggestions? Any examples of things you have made?
New boy so any advice most welcome

[GBF]

If you plan to cut these in half on a Bandsaw make a jig to hold them I diddent and nearly had one in my face it shot over my shoulder.
I was very lucky

Regards George

[bodrighywood]

I cut mine in half on the lathe. You can knock the centre pieces out and put between centres then turn in half with a sharp parting tool. Might need to resharpen it a few times. Also check that they are lignum not lignite which is 'plastic' used for the more modern ones.

Pete

[Derek]

Having just been given another 8 balls I am going to make some clocks out of a couple and even some salt and pepper shakers. I don't need anymore mallets so will not be making any of those but the one I did make from a ball is still going strong

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

I used to make sugar bowls out of them, cut off just below the decorated ring and use that as the lid. Polished up they used to look pretty good.

[seventhdevil]

if they are large enough i've used some that don't have the big inserts to make skittle balls.

[seventhdevil]

picked up three old lawn bowls. ones a lighter colour than the others . I would have expected them all to be very dark?
Any way it seems a shame to just turn them into bowls/dishes so any suggestions? Any examples of things you have made?
New boy so any advice most welcome

the genuine lignum from the genus guaiacum comes in various shades of olive greeny brown to almost black or all the way up to pale brown.

[burywoodturners]

I split mine with a brickies bolster chisel, the I had a reasonably flat surface to work on. The tree seems to grow to the right diameter for a bowl and the pith is central to the bowl. the wood is hard and oily and take a great shine. I got mine by being between the bowls and a skip!

We had some brought to the club for reuse, but were the modern Bakelite one's, One member tried to turn one and every one else headed for a handy skip!
Ron

[crazylegs]

I was thinking of a clock made with one end. Using the markings on the bowl to make a bowling themed clock. This would then give me the rest to do something else with. I like the idea of using a parting tool but am not sure how I am going to attach it to the lathe. I dont want to put a hole in the base so what does everyone suggest?

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Make a cage to hold it in, a couple of MDF rings with bolts running back through an MDF faceplate.

[bodrighywood]

I took the plugs out of each end and used a small set of jaws in the recess on one end and made a sort of jam chuck for the tailstock end. No good doing it with a normal centre as the wood is so hard it doesn't hold safely.

Pete

[crazylegs]

great thanks. I like the ring idea I can make several diferent rings and use them for other stuff. I had seen this elsewhere but it never crossed my mind for this.

[seventhdevil]

I took the plugs out of each end and used a small set of jaws in the recess on one end and made a sort of jam chuck for the tailstock end. No good doing it with a normal centre as the wood is so hard it doesn't hold safely.

Pete

that's a tiny set of jaws you must have there?

i found a steb center to work very well actually i was turning a mini tenon to hold it whilst drilling holes for making mallets.

[bodrighywood]

I took the plugs out of each end and used a small set of jaws in the recess on one end and made a sort of jam chuck for the tailstock end. No good doing it with a normal centre as the wood is so hard it doesn't hold safely.

Pete

that's a tiny set of jaws you must have there?

I use them for making bobbins etc and have two sets, one for compression on a tenon and one for expansion into a recess. Wouldn't try it with the weight of the bowl without bringing the tailstock up though.

Pete

[seventhdevil]

agreed, a tiny bit of imbalance and it's now a flying bowl....

i only have a 7/8" chuck mounted stebcenter that i've used to start them off and a ring center in the tailstock but they have been fine for me.


when i make my skittle balls i use a 5/8" morse tapered stebcenter in an extension sleeve which you can see in my youtube video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L8gVf9UjV4