Carved Rim Bowl

A little bit of carving and gilding on the rim of this bowl transforms it from a nice piece to an extraordinary one.

- Jimmy Clewes

A step away from your ordinary bowl, this cherry bowl with a carved rim is subtle yet powerful. The simple ogee curve on the bottom of the bowl makes it lovely to hold, and the carved and gilded rim not only catches the light, but it also catches your eye. The best part of all, however, is that it's a simple bowl to make.

First, find a good piece of cherry for your blank that is approximately a 12" diameter x 4" thick square. Cherry is a good choice of wood for this project, as it is often favored by carvers throughout history for its closed, even grain. Kiln dried is the best here. After finding the center and using a compass to scribe a circle, move to the bandsaw to cut the circle out. This removes a lot of waste wood initially. I like to save the corner pieces which could be used to turn small projects like bottle stoppers.

Prepare to Turn

To begin turning, mount the blank on a screw chuck or a faceplate if you prefer. When using a screw chuck, make sure that the chuck is tight against the face of the blank. If it’s not, you may experience some vibration in the blank, which would reflect in and give a less smooth quality of cut. Begin with a 1/2" long grind bowl gouge to true up the outside of the blank. This will help to balance and true up the piece. If the surface is not smooth after the cut, the bevel is not “floating” behind the cutting edge and is not in contact with the wood. You would be effectively cutting with the point or tip of the tool, a common mistake that practice will improve!