My first attemt at a bowl (don't laugh)

[Charley Davidson]

This is my first attempt using a beater bag and my bowling pin hammer. I thought everything was going great at first but soon found out differently.

I wanted to do this on a stump but couldn't get all the components together to make one. I used my hammer and dolly to try and work the tucks but must have went about it all wrong. I'm getting more of a taco shell rather than a bowl

bowl first attempt.jpg

[Joe Hartson]

Charlie, we all had to start somewhere, I you never start you will never learn. Thanks for posting your first try.

[Jacob]

I agree. We all started knowing nothing. Did you do that with a leather bag only? I see you do not have a stump yet, I use a stump and it is a cheap and easy tool to use. Without something that will create and crush tucks, it will be difficult to get the edges to shrink. You will have to get the entire bowl shape through stretching. I posted a short video (less than two minutes) on YouTube, that shows how to use a stump. I hope it helps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-cIDfe0FfE
Kerry's son, Kris, did a video showing how to shrink using a tucking fork.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkaCJ5gC3jI

[jhnarial]

Make your stump first and truthfully I don't know about the bowling pin hammer. Check out the baseball bat hammerer.

He is a thread were I tried to explain how to shape a bowl.

http://allmetalshaping.com/showthrea...t=Shaping+bowl

[Charley Davidson]

Just the bag. I think I could do better with a stump. I seen a couple down the road I'll try and get one tomorrow or try and find a large maple block.

I also couldn't find one of those chainsaw looking blades for my grinder to make the stump with. Anybody know where I can get them?

[87hdrush]

Charley those chainsaw blades ain't cheap and you might only use it once!try this thread
http://www.allmetalshaping.com/showt...ighlight=stump
chris does his with a drill

[Jacob]

When I made my stump, I started with an ordinary circular saw and made a series of cuts.



Then I cleaned is up with a chisel.



Then I finished up with some rotary rasps that fit into my drill.



You don't really need the rasps, you could use an angle grinder, or sander. anything that will give you a fairly even surface. It does not need to be perfect.

[87hdrush]

hey Charley where did you see the bowling pin mallet? I've seen it before it makes a good mallet I just don't remember where i saw it.

[Charley Davidson]

I don't have much wood working equipment anymore or I could make a perfect one on a table saw in about 10 minutes. Think I'll rig up my circular saw or my sliding miter saw and give it a shot.

I was trying to use my hammer and dolly for crushing the tucks but all I was doing was flattening the steel out into that oblong shape.

[Charley Davidson]

I watched that video earlier today (7am) and that looked very easy. I'll make my stump tomorrow. Do I need to flatten that metal back out or wil I be able to just continue from where I am?