Over the last few months, [Frank Howarth] has been putting a lot of effort into a gigantic sequoia log he started milling two years ago. He recently completed a wonderful chair, but in the years these gigantic blocks of lumber have been sitting around, he’s always had one project in the back of his mind: a giant wooden bowl made from this sequoia log.
The wood for this bowl came from a relatively small cutoff from the original sequoia log. [Frank] had initially cut this cutoff into a circle to let it dry for an eventual run on a lathe. The bowl blank was so big, though, that he needed to create a jig to trim off most of the excess and keep from wasting many hours with a gouge.
With a bowl this large – about 20 inches across – simply screwing it onto the lathe wasn’t an option. [Frank] had to construct a jig for his chuck, capable of holding the bowl by the rim so he could shape the bottom.
The end product, coated with linseed oil and beeswax, is a work of art. Making anything this size on a lathe takes a lot of skill, and we’re thankful for [Frank] sharing it with us.
Awesome! Now he ought to make a pair of giant fork and spoon to match. (c:
gosh, with that title I immediately though of belly-button lint…
gorgeous build.
That looks like the perfect size for a breakfast of Cinnamon Life.
Giant bowls like this are not new. Colonials made them and called them “dough bowls”. Yes, used for bread dough. Made from the stump/knot of a big walnut or other trees. It’s a real art.