Making a wooden bowl

[wildWoman]

Does anyone know how to make a bowl out of a log? How limited can you be toolwise and still make it work?

[crashdive123]

I've tried my hand at it. Didn't produce anything worth taking a picture of, but was functional. Here's a thread from a while back that may contain some info that is useful. http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2221&highlight=wooden+bowl

[VampireRanger676]

cut a coconut in half volia

[crashdive123]

cut a coconut in half volia

While they make great cups and bowls, unfortunately not everybody has em growing in their area. I don't think that they'd do too well up where Wild Woman lives.

[rebel]

WW. How 'bout the spring pole lathe? I bet if you look up spring pole / treadle lathe and bowl you would find some info to get you started.

[Chris]

cut a turtle in half?

Grow a gourd, dry gourd, cut gourd in half?

Kill critter, skin critter, put skin in boiling water briefly, tie skin around round form (like a rock). let skin dry.

[Cleankill47]

The best way is a technique called 'coal burning'. It is done by sawing a section of a log or tree that is as wide as the container you want, and saw it just a little longer than the depth you want. Then, you place hot coals in the center of the log (stood up longways, or however you want it to stand when finished) and blow gently on the coals through a tube until they burn out. Then, using a tool called a crooked knife, you carve out the burned wood, and repeat the process until the bowl is the shape and depth you want.

Pine would be the easiest thing to start with, a small pine cup will take you about an hour to make.

I don't recommend using green wood, as it tends to crack, making the bowl hard to use. (duh)

Softwoods are easier to work, but don't last as long before cracking.

The harder the wood, the longer it takes, and the more time you take to make any of it, the better your finished product.

Try to use wood the same hardness or just slightly harder for the burning coals, since they will burn at the same rate as the wood you are working on and lessen the chances of them burning so hot that the item being made cracks apart. (example: don't use osage orange coals to burn a pine bowl, etc.)

Large containers made in this way are usually used for rock boiling..

This technique can be used to make bowls, cups, spoons, ladles, and any other type of container of that type.


Oh, and toolwise, you need at least a crooked knife made of antler, beaver/rat/mouse teeth, glass, or even metal, and a hollow tube (bone, reed, plastic, metal, animal intestine/esophagus, etc)

[Rick]

Psssssst. It's described in the thread Crash posted up above. Yeah, that one up there.

http://aeoe.org/conference/resources/2007/pete_devine.jpg

[trax]

While they make great cups and bowls, unfortunately not everybody has em growing in their area. I don't think that they'd do too well up where Wild Woman lives.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure WW's spending her days lollygaggin' around under the gently swaying coconut palms just soaking up that tropical sun.

[trax]

cut a turtle in half?

Grow a gourd, dry gourd, cut gourd in half?

Kill critter, skin critter, put skin in boiling water briefly, tie skin around round form (like a rock). let skin dry.

Also, shape skin into two circles,( a figure 8, the two circles joined) tie or sew edges, fill with sand and hang, dump out sand, nice and round bowl.

[wildWoman]

Thanks boys! Looking for a few winter projects already since the end of summer is finally in sight. Think I'll try the burning out method, as Cleankill described, there is indeed a lack of palm trees and turtles here. Although it was 78F yesterday, truly tropical.

[Gray Wolf]

WW, you could always pick up a set of wood chisels. You can even use them in conjunction with the coals or small torch.

[trax]

dammit GW, the Neanderthals didn't have propane torches and neither should we! (Was just trying to weigh in for the minimalists among us there, ahem...:o)

[crashdive123]

Also, shape skin into two circles,( a figure 8, the two circles joined) tie or sew edges, fill with sand and hang, dump out sand, nice and round bowl.

...or leave the sand in, sew it up.....hackey sack!

[Rick]

Find any log cabin in the area that has burned. You'll have a head start on making a bowl.