# Should I Try a Segmented Bowl Build Thread?Also?



## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

Inspired by others on this forum, I was thinking about doing a segmented bowl build thread myself. I was thinking I'd wait until a do a few more turnings and have gained more experience. I've done several coopered cylinder turnings that became humidors, urns, cove molding, curved drawer fronts, etc. But these twobowls that I did the last couple of days are my first using the stacked segmented ring method.

I've got a lot of experience with different aesthetic laminating techniques that I want to incorporate into this genre..

I built a really nifty strap ring clamp that allows me to quickly glue up individual rings and press them flat simultaneously. With Titebond II I found thhat I can get the ring out of the clamp in about fifteen minutes which allowed me to build the bowl with the diamond pattern from rough lumber to finished bowl within an eight hour day. I was a litle worried about the cure time an was ready for the thing to blow up on the lathe but it held togehter. 

I turned a burl lid for the one but I don't like it on that bowl. I'll save it and use it on something else. 

Let me know if you want to see more.

Bret.


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## MastersHand (Nov 28, 2010)

Your Ready even if it doesn't go as planned the first time the experience you gain out ways a failure. There are no Problems or Mistakes only Situations you overcome. The biggest Mistake you can make is not trying

Sent from my iPhone using Wood Forum


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Dude, that's just not fair. Those are awesome, but I do agree the top belongs on something else.


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

It might depend on the size and shape of the item, but how thin can you go on these segmented turnings before they fly apart?

Bret


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## dmh (Sep 18, 2010)

Lola Ranch said:


> Should I Try a Segmented Bowl Build Thread?Also?


Definitely yes! Your build threads are great. I'd love to see what you come up with.


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

those bowls are awesome:thumbsup:
yea i think you should do it


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

That is some great work and I would love to see a build thread from you. There are more than one way to accomplish something and I would love to see your method.
:thumbsup:


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

I'm game. I always enjoy your builds. 
Although it makes my stuff look like junk, but still enjoy.


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## cabomhn (Jan 14, 2012)

I say go for it! It's cool to see how others do things to learn new/different ways to accomplish tasks.


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

cabomhn said:


> I say go for it! It's cool to see how others do things to learn new/different ways to accomplish tasks.


What got me thinking about this was watching your build thread. I am no expert on the subject of segmented turned bowls. I've started another bowl and I am taking a lot of pics. We'll see how it goes.

Bret


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

Yes, most definately do it. I love these build threads. I want to start trying some segmented stuff here in the near future and I love seeing how these come together. If 10 people started a build thread on the same project, I bet no two would be the same. Everyone has thier own tricks or way they go about something and its cool to see how you guys do these.


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

OK, I'm caving to peer pressure. I going to do a Highlights build tread. No sense rehashing everything Cabomhn has covered so well already.

I'm going to make a 12" diameter shallow bowl similar in design to the last bowl I made with the little diamonds between two bands of walnut. First thing is to make the little diamond pieces. Start with material that is 3/4" x 1-3/4" and cut a "V" groove in each edge with the table saw set at a 45 degree bevel as in the photo. Then rip the piece into two equal halves, cut a square piece for the diamond out of contrasting wood. Then glue the two halves together sandwiching the contrasting square piece in the middle. Then carefully trim the twos sides to get the diamond perfectly centered once the glue has set. Should end up as a square stock exactly the same thickness as the material you will build the rings out of.

With a high tech compass (pencil and a stick with holes drilled in it) make a cheater board to measure the length of the ring segments depending on the diameter. I also did a little transection drawing on Sketchup to roughly work out the rings stacking profile. Remembering to compensate for the little diamond blocks where you have them, cut the ring sections. I decided on eight sides. The number of sides is up to the maker. I chose eight because it's easy for me. Cabomhn's 16 sided vase looks very cool, but eight would have worked too.

I use the crosscut sled on the table saw with an auxiallry fence set at 22.5 degrees and use 3/4" x 2" stock for the segments. The first ring has pretty short segments so I just mark a pencil line on the sled and slide the end of the workpiece up to the line and just let it fall away when it's cut rather than trying to hold such a small piece. Worked fine. I use a stop block clamped to the fence for the longer pieces that I can hold on to.

Next post


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

Oh, now that I think about it, the rings with the diamond blocks have sixteen pieces but the diamond blocks are not beveled so the angle is still 22.5.

Now her is my strap clamp gadget for quickly pulling the rings together then flattening then out with a clamp in the other direction. It's all made from lacquered plywood so the glue won't stick to it. There are two ferrule rollers set at 1/4" apart where the strap feeds through so the strap slides easily. I set all the segments for one ring in a neat row and quickly glue all the edges then throw them in the clamp and "zip" tight as a drum. Then I use a deep f clamp and a plywood disk to flatten it all out. I leave it clamped for 15 - 20 minutes then repeat. They aren't all perfectly flat and I still working on that problem. I've been touch sanding the faces of the rings on a horizontal edge sander prior to gluing the stack together.

Until the next post, bonus notches. Bret:smile:


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## txpaulie (Jul 21, 2010)

You'd think that with the type of furniture that you build, there'd be NO time for turning stuff...:no:

I could be wrong!:yes:

Thanks Bret!:thumbsup:

p


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

txpaulie said:


> You'd think that with the type of furniture that you build, there'd be NO time for turning stuff...:no:
> 
> I could be wrong!:yes:
> 
> ...


No paying work right now. I was building some chairs and got bored and set them aside. Then I got into this segmented bowl thing. As soon as I have a paying customer it all goes to the back burner. I call it semi-retirement. 

Bret


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

I had a chance to finish the bowl today and I came up with some innovations, most notably using my Lancelot chain saw carver to carve the bowl. I mounted the angle grinder to the tool rest and roughed out both the inside and outside by moving the Lancelot into the wood in small increments and then turning the bowl with my hand. This is the first time I've tried this and I have to say that it worked great.

I'll add more comment later after I get back from playing racquetball.

Bret


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## mijunkin (Jan 22, 2012)

Extreme turning!


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

mijunkin said:


> Extreme turning!


Actually just the opposite. I was looking for a low impact way of shaping the bowl on a very short glue up turn around time of about an hour. Spinning it violently on the lathe and hitting it with a big gouge didn't seem low impact at all. The Lancelot was a very gentle way to shape out the bowl.

The biggest problem for me was getting the ring assemblies so they would stack evenly. My free handed touch sanding method left something to be desired and I had a couple of gaps between the rings that I had to fill with glue and sawdust. I don't have a drum sander. Maybe I'll try to make one.

Any ideas there?

Bret


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