Bonnie Klein's Bowl Turning Techniques

Hello, and welcome to Bonnie Klein's KZbin channel! This video includes her personal tips and techniques when it comes to bowl turning. Enjoy!
-Emily Baker
Thank you to John Moe for letting us use his shop!
You can contact Bonnie with questions at [e-mail]
Song used in video- / acousticfolk-instrumen...

[@jackbonawitz1483]

I've been away from woodturning for a few years, and all the videos I watch are about buying expensive tools. Thanks for demonstrating how you can do beautiful work without spending a fortune on tools that won't do anymore than your simple solutions!

[@michellemargueritecaron7901]

So nice to see you again Bonnie!

[@allendesteiguer9020]

How nice to see you again. My family and friends in a 4H group from Vashon Island attended your top-making class in the mid 1990's. It inspired several of us to get into turning. Now, almost 30 years later, I am finally getting into turning again. Thanks for your great tips and knowledge.

[@MelkeinMaalla]

Bonnie, thank you for a demonstration of your unique approaches (or at least nothing I have seen any other turner show in their videos) that make sense and apparently allow very efficient workflow when repeated for a while (or years...). I was enlightened about the reasoning behind what you do, it allows learners get into the mindset and not just follow a recipe do this and that and never fully knowing why and what to aim at. I agree, when I started I thought a chuck is a necessity and as a beginner I noted it was a bit dangerous until I got more skilled and had hit my fingers times on it. I also noted that not all projects "fit" a chuck, I mean smaller items require another approach if the tenon covers half of the project. Changing jaws is also tedious. So I soon started to experiment with toothed drive centers and those work great, chuck gets useful when long gole boring, but all the prep work I prefer fine toothed drive centers. First of all, knowing my lathe has a M33 screw I can now buy that size nuts and create customized attachments for special projects I want to make repeatedly. NEVER thought of that. Then watching an expert actually recommending green wood, most videos just see green wood as a problem to tackle but you pointed several positive aspects. Some wood is lovely to turn green and I clean the blanks out of the bark etc before drying because green wood is so lovely to work with. The hot glue tip and the rings, sanding... I noticed the shape of your bowl is both very functional and beautiful, because it maximizes the capacity yet gives a rounded shape. I hope you will make more videos. Thank you so much and greetings from Finland!

[@SunsetBayBonnie]

i just came inside from turning a bowl of wet maple wood and i sat down on the computer and turned on youtube and this video popped up. What a coincidence! i was mesmerized watching this video! I have watched dozens of vids of ppl making bowls on lathes but none that showed this 'chuckless' technique. what a wealth of knowledge and i will have to watch again. TY from one Bonnie to another.

[@bonnieklein7320]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed. Happy turning:)

[@ian7583]

What a great video so safe without te chuck ill give it a go Bonnie thanks for sharing 👍 Ian

[@JamesBondDZero7Mi6]

Always wonderful to see techniques from another bowl-turner. Even though I'm a seasoned turner, I still picked up a few tips. Thank you for sharing. I use about 15 various faceplates with glue blocks but started making my own glue blocks by using a 1"-8 nut with epoxy. You hardly ever hear anyone using 150 grit sandpaper but I find it my most used grit. Can't beat that bargain box from Klingspor.

[@claytoncochran3728]

My dear sweet friend. So good to see you teaching again. You were one of three people who I was directed to my our friend, Norm Rose, to learn from on videos. You, Richard Ruffin, and Del Stubs. I still learn when I see your videos. Several points in this one that were “ah ha” moments for me. Blessings my friend!!!!!!

[@kenvasko2285]

I love to learn new techniques like you've presented here. Thank you so much. I now have another technique I will be using. I think it's great you don't use a chuck. I will be sharing this with my turning club.

[@jeremyvelkoff1487]

Bonnie, thanks so much for sharing this video. It's packed full of such good information, I was particularly impressed with you showing wet sanding. This makes so much sense, mostly for dust control and practicality. I also really appreciate the use of hot glue for turning the bottom of the bowl... Thanks again.

[@charlesball8872]

Thanks for “coming out of retirement” to make this helpful video! It’s especially valuable to us neophyte turners. I learned a lot in a short amount of time!!

[@user-sc7hb1ci9m]

Bonjour Bonnie ,je découvre votre vidéo aujourd'hui .J'aime beaucoup vos explications précises et claires. Cela me permet d'avancer dans le tournage sur bois Cette réalisation convient parfaitement pour se lancer dans l'aventure .Merci beaucoup👍

[@ValioMadre7]

I enjoyed you video, very helpful. Thank you

[@krperry2007]

Great ideas for mounting. Thanks for sharing your experience and expertise.

[@Sealight007]

I remember you from a demonstration in the 90's at San Diego Wood Turner's. There are so many ways to "skin a cat."

[@craigkeller]

Very savvy techniques. Thank you 🙏

[@DougMilleratWoodSpunRound]

Thank you so much Bonnie. You remind me of some of the thing I was taught so many years ago. It’s always a pleasure to see you teach.

[@alainbarthelemy219]

Thanks Bonnie. Super vidéo, je vais mettre en application. Bon tournage

[@blackhorse2947]

Great tips and demonstration…..Thank you

[@JimDillon]

I've been looking at lots of videos on faceplate turning (and other ways not to buy a chuck), and this one answered almost all the questions I had about what I'd like to try. I feel ready to put these ideas to work. Thank you!

[@daviddickmeyer5231]

Awesome technique. Thank you for sharing.

[@elijahlambert6459]

Full of money saving and practical tips! Thanks for helping me out!

[@richardschaffling9882]

Great video I met you about 30 to 35 years ago at a woodworking show in Pa I was with the Bucks woodturners club and they were turning spinning tops with Dave Hardy and Palmer Sharples and it’s great to see you are still showing people how to turn and some tips

[@jeffj2495]

Nice video Bonnie. I met you when I was on the AAW board in the 2007 timeframe. Nice to see you partly active in the field again. Great tips in this vid.....Jeff Jilg

[@bobbyplatt7654]

Awesome teaching Mam.

[@ddcd53]

I enjoyed the video very much. I noticed the big Oneway in the background. I bought the 2436 in 1999 or 2000 with the five foot extension and the seventeen inch extension . It turns nine foot three inches between centers. I made the whole tool rest base for outboard turning and have turned forty nine inches outside diameter by four inches thick with the inside hollow while the whole ring was screwed onto a plywood disc screwed onto the six inch faceplate. I made several big forms to make fibreglass molds to make concrete columns up to twenty three feet tall. I believe I spent about $7500.00 on the lathe with the two extensions and it has paid for itself many times over. I've also turned quite a few big porch posts with it over the years. For someone who does not like to turn bowls with a chuck, I noticed a few chucks on the table behind you. I still enjoyed your video. Very nice. Dan

[@Redthumb45]

Very good!! I learned some new things today!

[@joshwalker5605]

thanks very much for this! Really useful to me as I start learning woodturning.

[@jovanderhorst6214]

Thanks for the great video bought one of your really small lathes in 93 still in use today by a 11 year old

[@glenncurtis6037]

Thanks for sharing.

[@RD-jd5yq]

Excellent and most informative video! Thank you

[@bartman59laj55]

Wow! Some great techniques used there, thank you. New subscriber

[@alanfincham2013]

Hi Bonnie, more please, projects for learners thanks from New Zealand.

[@Sidswoodworkingprojects]

Thanks for this video. I've been trying to come up with ways to turn without a chuck. I like the way you do it. One of the things I going to try is gluing the blank and turning the whole thing while it's glued. Thanks.

[@theheyseed]

Thank you for this, some real good simple ideas.

[@georgebrill3072]

Thanks Bonnie, great video with some really great tips. Hope you're AZ house is finished.

[@eugenepope4013]

Can use chisel between bowl and glue block will pop apart real easy with light tap

[@sethwarner2540]

Thank you for realpractical methods-cheap methods for getting the job done! I like to find green wood pieces in the wood when I go for walks. Some ho-hum wood have high-flying parts that don't look like the woods they are! I love the concentric circles idea for centering! Also, the way you determine the depth of the bowl, so you dont go through! I think Richard Raffan could take a lesson or two!! So, how do you deal with warping on green bowls of another species? Also, do you ever make other things besdes bowls? Pul knobs fr drawers? or spinning tops for kids?

[@shapourmiri8332]

Very good 👏🌸🌹🙏

[@threestarfancywoodworks1902]

Very nice

[@davidrosenkrantz4854]

Thanks Bonnie: Very interesting way to skin this cat.

[@josephpotterf9459]

Thanks

[@jordanshively2248]

Great video, thank you Bonnie!

[@paulmelanson1527]

Thanks for your video. Great ideas. Could i use standard wood glue or gorilla glue instead of CA GLUE.

[@DancingFox6]

I guess there are a lot of ways to do anything 😊

[@uniqko]

good

[@DennisSuitters]

Great video, thanks for sharing. I think most people's problems with projects coming out of their chuck, is not using the correct connection type, or creating them properly, so they end up with a weak hold, or the timber opens up or compresses too much.

[@JimDillon]

Since watching this video I have made about a dozen bowls with this technique. I love it! One question I have: Any tips for getting the hot glue off the rim of the bowl? That is the worst part of the process for me. I heard somewhere that rubbing alcohol works, but it I didn't have much success with that. Thanks!

[@bonnieklein7320]

I have had more of a problem removing the glue when the bowl is dry. I have tried alcohol and it does help a little. Warming (not hot) the bowl in the microwave will soften the glue also. When the bowl is dry, I have used alcohol, scraped it, and also sandpaper in the area. The best success I have had is when the bowl is still wet (green), before using the hot melt. The glue peels right off. I haven’t tried wetting the bowl (if it is already dry) before attaching it with the hot melt.....might work?

[@jimdillon4278]

@@bonnieklein7320 You nailed it - - - the cherry log I'm using up is pretty dry. Your ideas make sense and I'll try them. I might even (carefully!) try a heat gun to soften up the hot glue.

[@tjraymer]

Thank you for this, very helpful. How large a bowl would you use that hot glue mount for finishing? I like that method better than many I have seen where I am essentially using a plywood mount that I will likely only be able to use that one time to jam the bowl onto a mortise.

[@bonnieklein7320]

I have not tried this method on any bowls larger than about 10”. I think it would work for larger bowls - especially if you bring up the tailstock for support (and safety!) The hot melt glue basically serves to keep it “centered”. Of course - use more hot melt for larger pieces!

[@watupwitu]

make more videos -

[@SQLKC]

Wow that screw chuck is 175 bucks, I am sure it is nice.