Step-by-Step instructions
on how to make an
Alabaster Potpourri Bowl
by
Brad Tallis
June 05, 2003

(note: The examples shown below are just one way on making the bowl. There are many different ways to do the same project.)

Hello. I have created this webpage to give others an example on how to turn an alabaster potpourri bowl. This project is a great project for those who feel comfortable turning a larger piece of stone. As you scroll through the pictures, you might see specialized tools that I use. These tools are not necessary, yet they do make turning the bowl a bit easier. You should be able to complete this bowl by using standard turning tools (I recommend some hollow forming tools, however.) To create the wood pieces on the top, you will need a table saw.

Safety disclaimer!!! In the pictures, you may see me without safety glasses or the blade guard removed from the table saw. This is for photo purposes only! It is most important that you follow all safety precautions. You are turning large chunks of stone here which are not made from Nerf©! Please be safe, follow all safety rules, and take your time...

Contents:

  1. Cutting the stone
  2. Band saw to shape
  3. Reinforcing the stone with glue
  4. Mount stone to wood blank and start to shape
  5. Hollow out the middle
  6. Reinforce the hollowed out bowl
  7. Finish hollowing out the inside of the bowl
  8. Example of laser pointer
  9. Cutting the wood rim pieces
  10. Gluing the wood rim pieces together
  11. Complete the ring
  12. Glue the wood ring to the top of the bowl
  13. Shape the wood ring to size
  14. Shaping the bottom of the bowl
  15. Sand and finish the bowl
  • Appendix: Recommended Books & Videos

    • 1. Cutting the Stone

    I will take a look at the large chunk of stone and determine how many bowl blanks I can get from the large chunk. I made a circular wooden template that is 5" in diameter so I can draw circles on the blank. I also make the "thickness" of the bowl about 5-6" deep. If I can, I try and get some good "figure" into my bowls. For example, in the image below, notice the band of darker stone running horizontally through the piece. I will try to incorporate that into my bowls. I also use a wire brush and a water-bottle mister to spray water on the piece. This allows me to see the figure much better when the piece is wet.

    I use a cheap Sawz-All type saw to cut through the piece with a 12 inch bimetal reciprocating saw blade. I get two of these blades for $4.00 at Harbor Freight. You can also use a regular handsaw to do this, but expect to spend 20-40 minutes to cut through a piece the size in the pictures.


    (Figure 1. Cutting the stone.)

    2. Band saw to shape

    Again, a band saw is not necessary for this step, but it does save a lot of time! I have also used a belt sander to "knock" off the sharp edges and to make the blank more cylindrical. The key here is to get the blank as cylindrical as possible so you will spend less time shaping the bowl on the lathe. Also, with sharp edges, it is harder on your tools and lathe, and you run the risk of "jarring" the stone off of your wood blank.

    I did have to add a 4" riser to my band saw to be able to cut taller blanks. You can also shape the blank using your sawz-all, but make sure you have a way to hold the blank rigid while you cut. I have tried using impact tools with my air compressor, but found it to be too cumbersome and not accurate enough.


    (Figure 2. Band saw to shape.)

    3. Reinforcing the stone with glue

    This is purely an optional step. Some people believe that impregnating the stone with a glue mixture helps "stabilize" the stone. I am one of these believers... Before I used to impregnate the stone, I would lose a bowl every 4-6 bowls. Ever since I have been impregnating the stone, I have not lost a bowl. Plus, I am able to make thinner wall thicknesses. To read more on reinforcing your stone, please refer to Max Krimmels' "Reinforcing the Stone" tutorial at his website.

    In the image below, you can see my homemade vacuum chamber. Total cost was under $30.00. I bought a 12" diameter piece of PVC pipe at the local hardware store, mounted it to a piece of scrap wood, and sealed it with silicone. I bought an "air vacuum pump" from the local Harbor Freight store and removed everything but the venturi vacuum. Finally, I had to purchase some fittings, vacuum line, and vacuum gasket from Woodhaven.

    I put the bowl blank into the chamber and cover it with a mixture of 1/3 glue/water mixture. My favorite glue is WeldBond® glue. It is a bit more expensive, but well worth the price. WeldBond® can be found at Ace Hardware. I will turn on the vacuum using my air compressor and allow the glue to be "sucked" into the piece. I usually leave the blank in the chamber for 5-10 minutes. After removing the piece, I wipe of the excess glue and allow the piece to dry overnight.

    There is some discussion on whether reinforcing the stone is necessary. For example, what keeps the glue from just oozing back out after removing it from the vacuum chamber? Well, because you thin the glue 1/3 glue/water, the glue is still pretty viscous. The glue "sticks" in the fissures and cracks found in the alabaster stone. Also, I think the WeldBond® glue adheres itself better to the alabaster than CA does.

    Anyways, if you do not want to make a vacuum chamber, you might be able to get a similar result in just "soaking" your blank in the glue mixture. I would leave the blank in the mixture for about 10 minutes, remove it, wipe, then dry overnight.

    Warning: If you soak your blank with a wood mounting block "glued" to the stone, the wood mounting block may come off if the water/glue mixture comes in contact with your glue joint. I usually add less of the glue mixture so it doesn't come in contact with the mounting block.


    (Figure 3. Reinforcing the stone with glue)

    4. Mount stone to wood blank and start to shape

    Now we get to start to turn. But, before we do this, we need to mount a scrap block of wood onto the stone. Start by sanding a smooth, flat surface onto one end of the stone. Wipe away any dust and glue a scrap piece of wood onto the alabaster. Again, I use WeldBond® glue and not CA. I find CA to be too brittle for mounting the heavy stone onto the wood. Let dry over night (even when using CA).

    Mount the piece onto the lathe and support the end with your tailstock. The less round your piece is, the more "stress" is put onto your glue joint, so definately use the tailstock. (Tailstock is removed in the following image for clarity...) Start to shape the outside of the bowl. Use bowl gauges, scrapers, hand-made tools, etc. for this. The nice thing about alabaster is that there is no grain, so you don't have to worry too much about tool catches. However, turn the stone at a slow lathe speed (less than 500 RPM).

    I recommend stopping the lathe every so often and check for cracks or fissures that need to be filled with CA. This is an important step as cracks can appear as you release some stress in the stone by removing material.

    In the following image (figure 4.), you will notice some safety equipment I am wearing.


    (Figure 4. Mounting the stone and starting to shape.)

    5. Hollow out the middle

    Once you get the outside shaped the way you like, you can now start to hollow out the inside. I start out by drilling a hole down the center to the depth I want the inside of the bowl to be. Then, start removing material. I like to leave the walls about 1/2 thick. Again, as you turn, stop occasionally and fill any cracks or fissures with CA.

    In the following image, you can see a home-made carbide cutting tool I made that I use to hollow out the bowl. I also use "hollowing tools". These tools are curved so I can get up under the "lip" of the bowl.


    (Figure 5. Hollowing out the middle.)

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