GREEN WOODWORK & WOODLAND CRAFTS
CARVING A BOWL
FROM A TREE
This project is usually made by 6th or 7th graders: a simple log bowl.
We were lucky enough to find a tree that needed to be thinned out, our first task was to cut the tree down. The best trunk diameter for this type of bowl is about 8-9". In this case we chose a coppiced elm about twelve years old, 50' tall.
We used a small two person, cross-cut saw, and started by taking out a notch or wedge about 12" above the ground. After much hard work sawing, the wedge dropped out, and we started on the final felling cut on the other side. We listening carefully for the first cracking sounds and watching for movement in the leaves and branches. Pausing frequently, to stand back and re-evaluate. Eventually, the tree trunk started to crackle, and then with a great cheer "TIMBER..RRRR!"
We then started bucking the tree: cutting it up into more manageable pieces, using bow saws and loppers. We will use the trunk for our bowls and the branches for spoons, or other small carving projects.
We cut the main trunk into about 12" lengths. Then using an axe and club, we split the log sections into half.
Next we marked out our inner outline using a pencil. This is the hollowing out line.
With the bowl firmly clamped to a bench, and using a 1/2" spoon gouge and mallet, we started taking out a chip of bark all the way round our bowl on the inside of the line. Working towards the inside of the bowl, all the bark is slowly removed in this fashion. Some pices come off in big chunks. The lighter sapwood is now exposed. Going back to the inside rim of the bowl we go deeper now, ensuring we keep our original form. The inside sweep of the bowl is starting to be revealed. With the Elm we are using the sap is a light yellow, and the heartwood a tan color. We will be removing enough sapwood to see the deeper color heartwood. When we get to the first signs of heartwood there is a great sense of achievement. We smooth out as best we can using the 1/2" gouge, and then move to a 1" gouge to remove the higher ridges.
The inside form is complete. We need to smooth the rouge surface using a gooseneck scraper. This is a laborious task, particularly if our gouge work has been rough. The scraping will save us many hours of sanding, and also helps keeping the orginal form. When the surface of the bowl is smooth and even, we start on the outside.
Marking a line all round the bowl about 1/2" away from the inside edge, we then make a series of saw cuts on the outside of the line, so that the saw cuts leave about 3/4" of wood uncut on the bottom (split)side of the log. The cut portions of the "waste" wood are now split off using a side axe and club..
Remember: cut across the grain and split with the grain. We are left with a bowl shape with a "clamping tongue".
Our next stage is perhaps the most tricky. Using a Chisel and mallet, we "clean-up" the outside edge of the bowl, all around the bowl taking care not to stray over the pencil line we made earlier. We are largely going across the grain at this point, which puts the most stress on the wood. Sharp tools and a light touch go along way here.
We are now going to undercut the bowl, again using chisel and mallet, and saw when necessary. This is going into the grain (which is breaking the rules)! So we need to take it easy, and gently. Too much a we can easily tear the fibers so deeply that even the sanding process will not remove the damage. This will eventually result in chiselling straight into the endgrain which could split the bowl. We stop before this occurs!
We now remove more of the "clamping tongue" to give us more access to the undeside of the bowl. A little more chisel and saw work will see our bowl to the next stage: axing the final shape on the outside.
For this we use a side axe or carvers axe if available. We now cradle our "clamping tongue" in one hand while the other wields the axe. The axe always cuts straight down into the chopping block.This keeps our passive hand out of the way of arc of the axe, and also allows us to make slight adjustments in positioning the bowl using our passive hand. Despite the size and weight of the axe, with a little practice we can achieve very light cuts. We leave the "clamping tongues" on as long as possible, but eventually we have shaped the outside sufficiently, and they start to get in the way. We carefully remove them with axe or saw.