I construct my bowls from various types of wood, both solid and segmented. Some bowls are conventional in shape and may be finished with food safe materials. While others may be turned to a shallow plate or even a tall narrow form the would work well as a pencil holder.
The solid bowls are typically made from local woods including from trees that would otherwise be hauled off to a landfill. These wood types include elm, maple, sweet gum,walnut and so on. Sometimes these rough wood chunks are referred to as FOG [Found On Ground]. Others may come from planned tree removal or from storm damage.
The segmented bowls are each made from a variety of wood types including both local and imported exotic woods. Planks are first cut into strips and those strips are cut into trapezoidal blocks. The blocks are then glued end to end to form multi-sided circles. The circles are clued together and mounted on the lathe and turned into a bowl or similar piece.
Here are some samples…
