Beautiful images, Jack. It’s interesting that you carve out the bowl while it still has the structeral integrity of the log. I had never thought about that being an option. Thanks for sharing these.
Thank you. It makes a significant difference working this way. I try to complete as much as possible the interior of the bowl, before shaping the outside, when it becomes more difficult to hold upright.
Beautiful bowl. Can you say whether you dried the cottonwood before carving or, if not, whether you took steps to dry the bowl a particular way when you were done, sand whether the bowl has developed any cracks since it was finished. Thanks.
thanks for the comment. The cottonwood was green/wet when I carved it. Once it was carved to a uniform thinness the danger of cracking is minimized. The ends of the bowl, where the end grain is exposed is the most prone to cracking, occasionally small hairlines will arise in the drying process there, but they often close as the rest of the bowl catches up. Sometimes I will put them in a paper bag to slow down the rapid escape of moisture. After it has dried thoroughly they do not experience much cracking at all. I hope this is helpful.
The School of the Transfer of Energy 
Beautiful images, Jack. It’s interesting that you carve out the bowl while it still has the structeral integrity of the log. I had never thought about that being an option. Thanks for sharing these.
Thank you. It makes a significant difference working this way. I try to complete as much as possible the interior of the bowl, before shaping the outside, when it becomes more difficult to hold upright.
Beautiful work, Jack, I have been inspired to make one of your bowl carving benches. Thanks for the great ideas.
Mark
Thank you, Mark. Have you seen some of the other bowl carving benches on Robin Woods blog?
So very enjoyable to see the labour creating this work and to see this warm, beautiful
bowl sitting on the shelf like it has always been there.
Thank you, Stephen. I especially enjoy watching the play of light across the interior of these bowls.
Beautiful bowl exellent work a few simple tools do so much .
Brian 🙂
Thanks, Brian.
Beautiful bowl. Can you say whether you dried the cottonwood before carving or, if not, whether you took steps to dry the bowl a particular way when you were done, sand whether the bowl has developed any cracks since it was finished. Thanks.
thanks for the comment. The cottonwood was green/wet when I carved it. Once it was carved to a uniform thinness the danger of cracking is minimized. The ends of the bowl, where the end grain is exposed is the most prone to cracking, occasionally small hairlines will arise in the drying process there, but they often close as the rest of the bowl catches up. Sometimes I will put them in a paper bag to slow down the rapid escape of moisture. After it has dried thoroughly they do not experience much cracking at all. I hope this is helpful.