A natural-edge bowl is a striking creation. Its gently undulating, bark-edged rim, reflecting the contours of the log from which it is made, provides a visual rhythm and liveliness that other turned bowls can’t always match. This excerpt from “Bowl Basics: A Workshop with Mike Mahoney,” covers all the essential steps in the creation of a natural-edge bowl.

Making a natural-edge bowl is not very different from other bowl-turning. You first shape the outside, then create a tenon on the base so it can be held in a chuck. Reverse the workpiece and clamp it in the chuck, then hollow the inside. A bowl like this, made from green wood, turns effortlessly.

However, there are some important design considerations, which Mahoney covers in detail. He shows you how to adjust the workpiece so that the high points and low points on the rim will be balanced. He shows you how to keep the walls of the bowl uniform as you hollow the inside. And he explains how to turn and sand the base.

About Mike Mahoney Mahoney studied turning with masters such as Richard Raffan and Dale Nish. He has been a professional woodturner since 1994 and focuses his turning on American crafts galleries, making specialized utility bowls.  Based in Orem, Utah, Mahoney often teaches and presents woodturning demonstrations at clubs, craft schools, and symposiums. Click here to learn more about the “Bowl Basics” DVD and Mahoney’s other videos and products,