Grahamstown Woodworkers

September 2017


The SEPTEMBER meeting was a joint demo by Billy de Klerk and Andrew Stevens of woodturning techniques ahead of their attendance at the AWSA Symposium in George later in the month. They showed how to turn spheres and square-topped bowls.Photos below by John Keulder.

Billy provided the following YouTube links:

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Step 1: Prepare a uniform cylinder and mount it on the lathe

Step 2: Mark a centre line for the sphere and then mark out the radii on either side using the radius of the cylinder

Step 3: Turn down the parts of the cylinder beyond the marks

Step 4: Mark out mid-points on the ends and between the centre-line and the ends

Step 5: Turn down flat to these marks

Step 6: Start curving by eye

Step 7: Use a plastic cup to check curvature repeatedly

Step 8: When satisfied, part off sphere

Step 9: Mount sphere in specially made supporting chucks as shown

Step 10: Continue using the cup test for curvature

Step 11: Sand through all the grades

Step 12: Apply finish of choice


Billy de Klerk starting with a prepared cylinder

Marking out the sphere's radius and diameter (that of the cylinder)

Trim away ends

Start with a "square" cylinder

Mark half-way points

Trim flat

Both sides trimmed

Start rounding by eye

Cup test

Repeated many times

Part off sphere

Mount in prepared supporting chucks

Sand through all grits

Decorate and finish as desired

Andrew Stevens mounts a bowl blank

Shaping the base

Cutting a recess

Trimming the top face

Base of a different bowl

Top view of the bowl

BACK TO 2017 PAGE