Turning bowls is scaaarry...

I was turning a small walnut bowl the other day, when I realized I’d turned it just a little more than I should’ve, and when it became a little too thin, it broke. I thought the breakout looked like the teeth in a jack-o-lantern, so I carved out the eyes, eyebrows, and nose with a chip carving tool. I took it home, put a tealight candle in it, and stood back to watch it light up. Truly, a Halloween sight to see.

I’ve turned natural-edge bowls with voids in them before that left openings you could see through, but never had broken one I could use. Most of the time the “bowls” end up being dishes for change. There’s usually nothing more you can do—the bowl is too _’d up. But in this case, I thought it might be worth $50. Nothing worse than working on a bowl for close to an hour, and then watching it skid across the floor as it breaks loose and parts become projectiles. So, yes, Halloween and turning bowls can be very scary…

Thanks, Lee Valley, for sponsoring this festive holiday challenge; and for making such nice tools!

Cheers! Michael J. Flores / Nichaeljon, Woodworker