How To Carve A Wooden Bowl | Chop With Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

It always a great feeling bringing out the design from a block of wood. The description of the "rush" is perfect. The process of making a bowl is always better then the endpoint.

[@ChopWithChris]

Glad you enjoyed the video. This bowl is not used to store food so I used tung oil finish. There are several food grade oils available. The easiest one to find at hardware stores is boiled Linseed Oil. If you search online you can find several other as well. Good luck. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks. It turned out better than I expected. Chris

[@shaileshmd71]

Saws and chisels, you respect old world tools and the new world machines equally! Excellent mental clarity and commitment to something you love.

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks so much!

[@psybacc]

Great videos. Keep up the good work. I love the sense of rush when you are removing the rough stock.

[@ChopWithChris]

Passion flows from within - If you have it then you will be. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

She turns the volume up on the TV! I am very glad you enjoyed the video. I have many other videos - please enjoy them all. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

Well said. Sometimes you tell the wood what it's going to be and other times the wood tells you what its going to be. Often I look at the wood from several angles literally for hours until I can see the endpoint in my head in 3D. Then the rest is easy. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

The wood is cherry and it was green. I always seal the wood with Anchorseal to hold in the moisture. This is just a hobby for me al be it I am very passionate! This video was made in Maryland. Thanks for your comments. You understand more about me watching my video called: My Hobby - Tools, Wood, and Video. Take care. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

You need to follow your passion. If you enjoy the dremmel then stick with it. Good luck. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

@nedeljkomostar, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope to have a new video by Christmas. Chris

[@shari101010]

Nice piece, I had NO idea the amount of effort. I will never look at a handcrafted wooden bowl the same way ever.

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks for the compliment. I hope you enjoy all my bowl videos. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks for the compliment. I enjoy this very much. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks for the compliments. I have made a few newer bowl videos since I made this one that may provide additional instruction. I hope this helps. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

Matt, The chisel is called a "slick" and it used for finishing large flat surfaces like log cabin beams. I got this at an Amish auction in southern Pennsylvania. It was missing the handle so I made one out of walnut. I paid $30 but you can find them in antique stores and ebay for anywhere from $80 to $250. I see them occasionally and can look for one for you if you would like me to. Send me a personal message if you would like to pursue further. Thanks for the question. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

Glad you enjoyed it. I have another video coming out in the next few weeks. Stay tubed. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks. I have several nowl videos. I hope you like them all. Chris

[@steelcurt4]

I actually watched this video without reading the description first. When I saw the end product, it reminded me of a viking boat. then I read the blurb. "Swedish design." Nice job transferring that design/concept.

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks for the compliment. It took me about 12 hours. I have some newer bowl carving videos you may enjoy and an wooden apple carving video as well. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

I give them to friends as gifts, use them to store, mail, remote controls, etc. or display them in my basement. I just enjoy making them. Chris

[@alansimpson596]

Really wonderful and inspiring woodwork. Makes me want to forget about power tools for a while and get back to real craft.

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks for compliment. It took about 16 hours of pure joy. I have a few newer bowl videos and may want to watch my video called "Beauty and the Beast". Chris

[@schpoingle]

this is a montage of awesome rare hand tools. and i really appreciate my angle grinder and chainsaw attachment now. great vid. thanks

[@s10m0t10n]

Thanks for sharing the making of that bowl - it really turned out well. The video was informative and showed just enough of the various tools and your use of them to let the viewer see the steps. One thing is very clear; you sure know how to sharpen your tools. Keep up the good work.

[@deathdragon1987]

So satisfying watching woodwork

[@ChopWithChris]

@T3hJones Thanks for the comments. I did feel a little weird using the saws but I wanted to use them since they are just hanging on the wall and I've had some issues recently with cracking my bowls when I am hewing the outside corners. I guess I need to learn a bit more control. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I sure love making them. Carving pours ice water on the fires of stress. Chris

[@renter6]

Heck of a nice array of tools in this video. The crosscut saw in the beginning is gorgeous, so is the broadax and the frame saws, and all the rest of it. This really looks like fun!!

[@ChopWithChris]

It sure did. I display it in my house proudly. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks. I have many more. I hope you enjoy. Chris.

[@Caradepato]

I'm impressed! That's a very nice bowl.

[@asosashadow]

You are a very talented wood carver...these videos help me with my wood carving...thank you for the technical and visual techniques...

[@ChopWithChris]

SO glad you enjoyed it. I have more bowl and non-bowl video's. Please enjoy all of them. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

@municsscareme, It was as much fun finding them and refinishing them as it was to use them. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

Brendan, Thanks for the comments. Its been a great journey these past 18 months of collecting and learning to use all these old tools. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Chris

[@FreddeNilsson1980]

As a swede I get really proud to see such craftmanship. Really nice work man!

[@scoobydog411]

You have some mighty tools .Thanks .

[@ChopWithChris]

@fraudioc, I am flattered that I inspire you given all the inspiration your beautiful country has all around you. I use tung oil finish but I'm not sure it is food safe. You can use mineral oil, boiled linseed oil, and peanut oil to name a few. Do an internet search for food safe oils and you will find some more. Chris

[@dansharpie]

one false move and its fire wood !!!! great skills and some cool tools love the board blade axe

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks you my friend. Chris

[@karlsefni01]

That was impressive. I thoroughly enjoyed watching that

[@ChopWithChris]

Best of luck!

[@ChopWithChris]

Several things. When I get a fresh cut log I coat the ends with Anchor Seal which goes on as white waxy substance but dries clear and holds the moisture in and prevent cracking. I normally finish the ends last but whenever I am not carving on a piece I coat the ends with water and place it in a paper bag and then a plastic bag. Hope this helps. Chris

[@FrancisSims]

That carving is amazing! It's your best one yet!!

[@tanasha67]

You can really see how much you have improved over the years - it's still good work, but you're better now

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks!

[@ChopWithChris]

@Playborn Glad you enjoyed it. I have several bowl videos. I hope they are helpful to you. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

The key is to dry it very slowly. I usually put one coat of oil (tung oil or boiled linseed oil) and then place in a couple of paper grocery bags and then place that in a plastic garbage bag. The moisture absorbs slowly into the paper bag but the plastic bag prevents too much moisture from escaping. I replace the paper bags each day and turn the plastic bag inside out so it does not get nasty from the moisture. I weigh the bowl each day. Check out Hand Carved Wooden Bowl III for more info.

[@SAGERODS250REM]

The bowl looks great Chris, always a pleasure to watch you work. Cheers

[@ChopWithChris]

MrSageflyfisher great. Send me a picture.

[@cqmemo67]

i hve to say ,,,very nice job ....very well done ,,,,,i did not think it was gonna end up like this....

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks for the compliment. Chris

[@TheWaltrub]

you should consider selling these! i know i would pay good money for ANYTHING that you make, it's just all so amazing

[@alphared11]

i love your table/bench with the vice built into it, if you had some time, i'd love to see some more about it. It is just ingenious! I could really use something like that.

[@ChopWithChris]

Are you referring to the very long work bench or the short one?

[@ChopWithChris]

Maple is fine to use. I prefer green wood since its less likely to crack when I am hewing. An unheated shed is not nearly enough as the wood wants to equalize the moisture with the atmosphere. I recommend you place the bowl in paper grocery bags and then place that in a garbage bag. Then each day replace the grocery bags as they will absorb the moisture slowly from the wood. Also turn the garbage bag inside out as well to evaporate the moisture. Check out 2 of my videos (IV and V).

[@ChopWithChris]

It's a Beatty. About 150 years old. It's the most perfectly designed and balanced tool I own. I told my wife I want to be buried with it!

[@ChopWithChris]

I will send you a note directly by this weekend. Chris

[@IWH8023]

I love the sound in your videos

[@ChopWithChris]

For this bowl I used tung oil finish which is not food grade. For food grade I use butcher block oil.

[@ChopWithChris]

Thank you my friend. I really enjoydoing this. Very soon I will be releasing my next video called "The Rocking Chair". I know you will love it. Take care. Chris

[@ALPACABOWLCOMPANY]

Nice job. Sweet sharp tools.

[@ChopWithChris]

Vă mulțumesc pentru toate complimentele. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

@doberman74 Given the intricate design it took about 16 hours to hew and carve and 5 weeks to dry out. I did this over the course of 2 weeks. In between sessions I wetted the ends to prevent cracking and kept it in a plastic bag. Hope this helps. Chris

[@henryshaffer5811]

Beautiful bowl. great video very informative design, tools and techniques nicely done.

[@ChopWithChris]

You are most welcome

[@peterw.9703]

I am so happy that you make these vedios, I loved watching the Woodwrights shop, show on PBS.

[@ChopWithChris]

+Pete Willingham GREAT show! Thanks.

[@ChopWithChris]

The key is to dry it very slowly to eliminate the internal stresses, give a few coats of oil, and keep it out of the sun. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks for the sub! I have many more video - I hope you enjoy all of them. Chris

[@foxesandfeathers]

Appreciate seeing the cross cut sawing. A lot of hand carvers (including myself) rely on chainsaws and bandsaws so it's refreshing to see all hand

[@stoffes]

im guessing that took MANY hours to do ?? what a piece of art work u have done!

[@cartao007]

is a piece of art! very nice!

[@freddypeguero7254]

For me this a real and true cranftman whit electrical machines whoever is a artist

[@ChopWithChris]

Thank you!

[@mitchbach7177]

I don't know what it is... but i find your videos absolutely incredible... i get lost in them lol

[@VasilisKaramanlis]

You are a real woodworker! Please make your videos in 720p.

[@Playborn]

great video great tools great result cheers

[@deadfish86]

You work a lot like I do. My neighbors make fun of me out in the yard because I'm not plugged in and using power tools. If they decide to follow through watching what I do, they're usually awed at how fast I can complete cuts, joints, and finishing. I do stuff with manual labor and human power. Accurate and awesome. My first hand-hewn bowl was for my grandmother upon request. She wanted a buckeye bread bowl. I did it, not so great, but nice. My second bowl was from a cherry tree that I used to play under as a child. Urban sprawl cut the woods down and while randomly driving by, I saw my tree cut up, asked to have it. I hand-carved that one into another large bowl, first place at the KY State Fair that year. Thank you for your content!

[@ChopWithChris]

WOW. That’s awesome! Keep it up!!

[@rushennbody]

Software Engineering is so boring.... what a skill you got. Thanks for the awesome video

[@ChopWithChris]

Well thank you very much. I do rely heavily on video editing software so thank you for your contribution to my hobby. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

@Dames12345 Need a log splitting wedge and sledge hammer, the more fine splitting you can use a "froe" - looks "L" shaped - hard to find these days. A hatchet for rough work. An adze curved on both axis for the inside of the bowl. A curved chisel with the bevel on the bottom side for fine work on the inside. A scaper to smooth the inside and out. Watch all my bowl video's and you get a good idea of what you need.

[@jimlachapelle9347]

Chris, Incredible! Just started watching your videos and they are a joy to watch and very education. Thank you and well done!

[@ChopWithChris]

+Jim Lachapelle Welcome and thank you very much!!

[@ChopWithChris]

It took about 12-16 hours total for the woodworking and 6 weeks to dry it out.

[@nedeljkomostar]

Beautiful work you did there. Thank you for sharing.

[@urdaddywingnut7820]

Chris-- It's now 3am here in SC, & I see no end yet. I found your channel quite by accident about 2 hrs ago, and haven't paused yet! To see the passion you put into this craft is amazing. It's so refreshing in this age of computers and everything having a power cord dangling that you forego all the BS and do all this awesome woodwork with only modest handtools. You've definitely got a new sub AND several likes from me! Keep up the totally cool work, and I'm off to watch your maple wooden bowl now!

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks so much. I hope you can catch up on your sleep this weekend.

[@ChopWithChris]

ขอบคุณ ฉันได้เดินทางไปกรุงเทพฯหลายครั้ง คุณมีประเทศที่สวยงาม คริส

[@peterbrownwastaken]

Loved the video and the bowl. I'm curious how this has held up over the last few years. Any major cracks or warping?

[@44musher]

Wow, watched this again 9 years later... Slick !

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks!

[@tammyfinch5469]

Wow! I'm impressed!

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks

[@ChopWithChris]

Good luck!

[@diegotrees6101]

I love you work man! Greetings from Uruguay!

[@ChopWithChris]

Gracias!

[@ChopWithChris]

I can't seem to get this link to work. Please resend. Thanks Chris

[@FernHillOhio]

That turned out great!

[@ChopWithChris]

I will need a new computer for that given I have maxed out my current computuer. Maybe next year I can have the funds to upgrade. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

For this I used tung oil finish but there are many other oils you can use: Minerial oil, Butcher blcok oil, Boiled Linseed oil, etc.

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks. I am self taught and enjoy the challenge. You can gain more insight on me by watching my video - My Hobby: Wood, Tools, and Video. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

@max465t, Glad you enjoyed it. Check out my video "Hand Carved Wooden Bowl III - Walnut where I describe how I dry out my bowls. Please let me know if you have more questions. Also - you may enjoy "The Anniversary Table". It has nothing to do with bowls but its my best video yet. Chris

[@ChopWithChris]

@Dames12345 , For what woodworking project do you want me to suggest a starter kit? Chris

[@baconsoda]

You could have knocked that out in a few minutes with a CNC machine but then you would have had no satisfaction, the piece would look lifeless and the unique factor would be non-existent. I think this is a super job and I'm very impressed with the arsenal of tools you have now. Good work! Best Wishes, Brendan.

[@drjazzisme]

Hy.good to see your on the carving traIL...Yea do plenty of work with your dremel especially if you like smaller pieces,thats how I started,but got myself a few carving chisels just 1 at a time as decent ones(and thats what you need if you want them to hold their edge) are pricey,found several at boot sales though.and te old ones are the best,made with decent steel.Using the chisels give great satisfaction,finished up making 2 full size Rocking Horses on safety rockers.carry on and enjoy...

[@max465t]

Mother Of God! You are just amazing man! i got a question, How do you stop the wood from spliting while it drys? i have had this problem before and it is very frustrating

[@tkidd1973]

I am very interested in carving my own bowls...that's what led me to this video and your channel. WOW. I have watched so many videos this evening and every single one I watched they were using power tools and big ass wood destroying machines lol. You'll have to forgive me, this new obsession just started tonight and I am clueless as to the tools they used. However, I do have chisels my papa had and a handsaw, and plenty of fallen trees in this area to get pieces to practice on. Anyway, I have 4 chisels and a saw, maybe I can make me one of these bowls! It is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful, really good job! Thank you so much for sharing....and I just realized this was posted 11 years ago lol...how's the bowl holding up?!

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks. I have many more bowl carving videos. I actually actioned off that bowl for charity a few years ago.

[@permacraftireland]

Awesome man! Thanks for sharing your skills! Very inspiring!

[@ChopWithChris]

Thanks

[@ChopWithChris]

I get that a lot. Thanks.

[@ChopWithChris]

Great!