September 2023 Meeting

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The September meeting of the CraobhEo 2022/24 year took place on the 14th September in the CraobhEo Centre in Aghamore.

Our demonstrator for the evening was Kevin Geaney, Cork Chapter. 

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Kevin’s demo was a wave bowl inspired by John Beaver. He explained the wave bowl in detail, taking us through the entire process from beginning to end.

First you choose and cut your block being mindful of the grain orientation, end grain must be on the bandsaw table when cutting. A bandsaw sled is used to cut the end grain side so it is flat on the table when cutting the arcs later. Get the centre of your block, 85 mm off base and transfer this centre to the other side of the block measuring from the end grain side up. Mark on end of block so you won’t lose it. Using centre of block draw an arc to represent the circumference of the bowl. Draw another arc half way in and drill three holes using drill press on this arc, equally spaced along the arc for your dowels.

Kevin uses a jig to cut the arcs on the bandsaw. See photos. An arc about 300 mm from the saw blade gives a nice wave for your bowl. Lineup the block on the jig and attach with double sided tape. Use a 3/8″ 3 tpi blade in the bandsaw.  Make your first wave cut through the block using the jig, being careful not to cut entirely through the jig. Do not stop and do not back out. Readjust jig and make second cut.

Reassemble the block using the three dowels, mount on lathe and turn the outside of the bowl. Sand.

Disassemble the block and chamfer inside edges of top and bottom pieces. Shape the wave ring to your preferred design. Decorate and finish by hand. Reassemble, glue it this time and leave overnight to cure. Hollow out and finish. Reverse and remove tenon.

Kevin explained other ways of turning variations on the wave bowl.

This was an impressive demo. He covered a huge amount and left us with plenty tips on how to vary the design. Thank you Kevin for making the long journey from Cork. We were delighted to have you.