Bowls on the Lathe

With square corners and a wavy rim, this bowl will have admirers thinking you are a woodturning wizard, and for good reason. Only you will know that adding some waste material when gluing up the blank makes it as easy (and safe) to turn as a round plate.

Whether you are turning several 6 inch salad bowls for everyday use, as demonstrated here, or a unique highly figured bowl that is strictly for display, you will find this method guarantees success.

With just a few basic tools and these easy-to-follow steps, you will be turning out dazzling bowls in no time. To help you along the way, we have included 34 how-to images of this bowl from start to finish.

You would be hard-pressed to find a more elegant bowl for serving fruit or candy. And this one offers some sweet bonuses, too: It is quick, easy, and fun to turn. Serve nuts, candy, or other tasty treats in this attractive woodturning. We made ours from three separate pieces that glue-assemble into the glowingly handsome raised dish.

The broad, sweeping curves of these bowls allow plenty of room to see what you are doing as you turn, making this an ideal project for even beginners.

We have long admired Ray Allens stunning segmented bowls. So we asked the Yuma, Arizona, turner to show us (and you) how to make one. While watching Ray build a segmented bowl blank, we quickly uncove...

Created with ordinary turning techniques, a trip to the bandsaw makes it extraordinary.