START TIME 6.45PM.
Our next meeting is on Thursday 17th April 2025, it has been organized by Keith Brown and Keith’s subject matter for this meeting is making PLATTERS OR SHALLOW BOWLS. There should be all 5 lathes in use and all doing something different pertaining to Platters or Shallow Bowls.
Keith has chosen a very popular item to make, Platters or Shallow Bowls are always very well received both by the maker and any recipient, they are one of the things that new members to woodturning want to attempt fairly early into their turnings. This should give the novice turner some alternative ideas on the style of any Platter, there are some very simple designs along with some more adventurist designs, the choice is yours and it will be interesting to see what the 5 turners come up with.
I have had a rummage through our archives and brought out a few examples of Platters or Shallow Bowls, I hope this gives you some idea of the vast array of styles and shapes that can be put into a Platter or Shallow Bowl.
Starting with some very simple shapes and designs, all 3 are made from Elm, left, is a shallow bowl with just the hint of a design on the rim, centre, a slightly more decorative Platter, this time some raised areas on the rim have been applied, right, again a fairly simple design, embellished with 2 grooves on the rim and then painted, and yes adding paint is allowed.
Left, another very simple design, made from Lime with an added ring cut and scorched into the rim. Centre, now a bit more adventurist, a Beech platter that has the rim design added by a laser. Right, a Sycamore Platter with some African Padauk stringing inlay worked into it’s design.
Really upping the stakes now. Left a Sycamore Shallow Bowl with the rim coloured by Pebeo Paints, the centre design is of Masonic origin. Centre, an Ash Platter with a Laser printed rim. Right, made from 3 different woods and all Laminated together, the wood were Ash, Mahogany and Purpleheart.
Left a Wych Elm Platter with a decorative rim, this one was selected for it’s grain structure showing the Green line effect Wych Elm can sometimes produce. Centre, a Platter made from Elm Burr with some very nice grain. Right, another Burr Elm Shallow Bowl made with no attempt to hide the beautiful grain structure, when you see something like this, do not spoil it by over working it, it needs nothing added.
For the final batch of Platters and Shallow Bowls I have chosen some Natural Edged item for you to see, and yes again you can have a Shallow Bowl with a Natural Edge, it does not need to be completely round, here are 3 examples, Left and Centre are both from Burr Elm, the far right bowl is made from Salmon Gum from Australia.
I hope some of these will give you an idea of the scope of the subject Keith has chosen to demonstrate, these are but a few of the many many designs that can be made by this subject PLATTERS AND SHALLOW BOWLS.
There will be Tea/Coffee available for free, the usual raffles will also be on sale.
As you all know I am no longer on the committee and will not be doing this blog after the 30th April 2025, I am looking for a replacement to take over doing the blog, if you don’t want to see this part of the club disappear you need to put yourself forward to replace me. I currently also do the Facebook page for Highland Woodturners, that too will be ended on the 30th April 2025, I do understand there is a new Facebook page for the club being handled by Nick Simpson and Bob Bull, that will continue. So it’s just someone to take over the blog that’s required.