Grain Direction of Bowls

[Pete]

First Thansk for the help regarding sharpening of gouges I got a video last night from taunton press on working the lathe it was very helpful. My question is wich way do you mount or cut a blank to make a bowl? Does the grain run across the bowl or perpendicular to the bowl? I think it should run across just for strength. Thanks in advance.

[Roman]

most folks run it across but this fella thinks its best to run the grain to take advantage of the best grain

I turn the odd burl and the grain goes all over the place

Cheers

[Bill Howatt]

Either is acceptable but the grain across is more common even though most non-turners would say you cut off a cylinder of tree trunk and hollow it to make a bowl. In this orientation you do have to deal with end-grain twice per revolution. End grain often does not cut nicely.

Mounting the wood on the end and cutting out the centre eliminates end-grain around the bowl but you have to cut out end-grain to hollow it. This can be difficult sometimes. One thing you have to watch out for is having the centre of the tree in the bowl. This is called the pith and it is very prone to cracking causing the cracks to radiate out over the bottom of the bowl.

Bill

[Jamie in Brantford]

In my limited turning, I've done it both ways. It gives a different look each way.

[Garrett in Victoria]

Grain direction makes no difference to structural integrity and all the difference to artisitc merit. There are many ways to mount and each produces a different "look".

Do yourself a BIG favour and spend $28 to buy "Turning Green Wood" by Michael O'Donnell (ISBN 1-86108-089-1). In addition to the primary subject of green wood turning - which it deals with excellently - it covers the effects of different grain orientation extensively, including the impact of various parts of the tree, and will serve you as a refernce work for many years.

Cheers, Garrett

[J.P.Rap(Hamilton)]

...Only guide lines.
It's breaking the rules(that there are none of) that set one turner above the rest.

That said...
I must disagree with Bill.However you choose to orient the grain you will ultamatly be turning the same amount of end grain. Mounting the blank with the grain parallel to the lathe bed means you are cutting end grain when hollowing and when shaping the bottom of the bowl.
To turn a bowl that way, you would need a mighty big tree to turn a bowl of any significant size and not have the pith.
Again, Im not saying he's wrong. I just disagree with his reasoning.

I like to turn bowls with the grain running perpendicular to the axis. I hollow it so that the bark side is at the bottom of the bowl and follow the circumferance of the anual rings to form the outside. (does that make sence?)
This configuration gives a very striking , wide grain pattern.
Thats the way I like to do it but I don't always turn that way.
As I said, there are no rules.
Mess around a bit. Try new things. Make something up. Have some fun.
Youd be surprized at what you can come up with.
Have fun.
play safe.
J.P.

[Pete]

Thanks Guys!

[Bill Howatt]

Hi JP

I wasn't promoting turning with the grain running parallel to the bed just a comment that in the perpendicular orientation you do encounter endgrain which often is a source of frustration for new (and not so new) turners like Pete. One could argue it is a bit more obvious if it is unruly since it is sandwiched by smooth edge-grain.

I turn very little with the grain parallel to the bed.

Bill