Talented Imgur user Sethlahem turns logs from a neighbor’s landscaping business into beautiful bowl sculptures. And most impressive of all, he says he learned this amazing craftsmanship by watching YouTube videos.
First, you find a log. Green wood is the easiest and cheapest, but in this case Sethlahem used Black Walnut.
He says he can get two bowls from this chunk of wood. “You’re going to want to steady the piece with your boot. Don’t! Chainsaws are scary and they’re much tougher than you are,” he warns.
I think he underestimates our instinctual desire to keep chainsaws away from our toes.
After the log has been split, the center is marked on the flat surface.
You can use a band saw to cut out a circle, but Sethlahem uses a chainsaw. Because he’s hardcore.
Now, attach the round piece to a lathe. You have a lathe, right? Everyone does.
A chisel is used on the piece as it turns on the lathe, which shapes the bowl.
These are the shavings that came off the bowl. You can think of this as man glitter.
Now give the bowl a foot. No, not YOUR foot. Sethlahem warned you about that chainsaw.
Once the outside of the bowl has been formed, it’s time to hollow out the inside.
The shaped bowl. “Now put your bowl up on a shelf and forget about it for the next year,” says Sethlahem. A YEAR?! What if I want cereal NOW?
Great. I just bought a brand new box of Fruity Pebbles. Now what am I going to eat them out of?
After the wood has dried, the bowl is put back on the lathe for a “finish turning.” Beeswax and walnut oil are then used to give the bowl a nice shiny finish. What a transformation — how is this even the same piece of wood?
Here’s another of Sethlahem’s beautiful creations.
“The wood from the crotch of a tree can give amazing figure and feathering. Give it a try, but be patient. It’s tough to get a clean cut and sometimes cracks when it’s drying,” he says.
Today folks, we have learned that trees have crotches, and that you can make a crotch bowl.
This is what happens when Sethlahem isn’t happy with one of his bowls.
“Don’t like the way a piece is coming? Burn it! Don’t put anything out there you aren’t proud of. If it doesn’t meet your standards it can still heat your house,” says Sethlahem.
You can see an even more detailed breakdown of the bowl-making process and more of Sethlahem’s bowls on Imgur.