Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Ringmaster Curved Bowl with CNC Inlay Bottom

(Click any pic for a larger image)


Being a packrat, I have lots of exotic hardwood scraps (some pieces I've had for 20+ years) that I'm sure I'll find a use for someday. 🙄

I sawed a bunch of it into strips of various lengths and widths, but precisely 1/4" thick.  That's where the new drum sander started earning its keep -- it would have been much more difficult to achieve this without it.  For this project, there will be approximately a dozen different species of hardwood.

You can see these pieces in side shots of the bowl.

I wanted a decorative false bottom for this bowl and made it with the CNC router.  It's a Coast Salish-themed Orca, done in wood inlay.  In other words, the wood pattern is carved out with the CNC router, then filled by gluing in different coloured wood created with the router. 

The 1/4" thick false bottom is a medium brown oak.  The image has three separate inlays using dark walnut, red 'bloodwood', and the lightest eastern maple I could find.  The bottom was cut in a circle with the inside edge chamfered to fit the sloping sides of the bowl, all with the CNC router.

There are several little imperfections in it that drive me crazy, but it was a good learning experience. 




For more pics, click 'Read More' below...