Gluing the Rings
Start gluing the rings together, matching up and gluing the inside surfaces first and making sure you get a tight bond before beginning the sanding process.
The best gluing sequence is to glue the rings first, sand their inside faces, then glue on the base. If you try to glue up everything at once, you’ll find it impossible to sand the lower ring without gouging the base.
Make sure your glue-up on the bowl rings is completely flat, checking for gaps and ledges with a flashlight before you finish gluing up.
It’s also important to be sure that there are no spaces between the rings, since that will result in unattractive gaps and dark lines. The easiest way to locate those spaces is to shine a light behind them, and the best way to remove them is to sand the rings with 120-grit sandpaper, attached by temporary adhesive to a perfectly flat surface, like a granite tile.
The author suggest using two larger melamine boards as clamping cauls to secure the rings together during glue-up.
I used clamps and two boards to glue the rings together, making sure to keep the stripes aligned. If you’re concerned about slippage, glue up two rings first, then add the third after the first two are dry.
Sanding the Inside of the Rings
When the rings were ready, I sanded the inner surface, starting with a coarse (60-grit) paper. This rough sanding removed blade and drill marks, smoothed the ridges between the rings, and accentuated the flare on the upper rim.
For a second pass, sand up the sub assembly with a sanding spindle before finishing gluing up the base to the rest of the bowl.
Once completed, I sanded progressively to a 320-grit to create a smooth inner surface. I used a detail sander and long inflatable drum for the flat surfaces, and an inflatable ball for the corners and upper edges. As a final check, I ran my fingers over the surface to feel for bumps and ridges, and worked on them until they disappeared. Now I was ready to glue on the base.
Gluing on the Base
Once you’ve glued up the base, give one last pass with a sander, inverting the bowl so you can get a better view of the piece and prevent any oversanding.
I applied glue and clamped the rings and base for about five minutes. Then, since it’s difficult to remove dried glue at the interior joint line without gouging the base and sides, I removed the clamps. Using a toothpick and a barely moistened paper towel, I cleaned up the squeeze-out, re-clamped the bowl and let it dry.
Completing the Bowl
The creative part — final sanding the outside of the bowl — came next. I used a detail sander for leveling the flat areas and a flexible pad sander for shaping the upper and lower edges. Coarser grits were used for shaping, followed by increasingly finer grits until the outside was smooth and passed the “finger test.”
To finish, I used several coats of shellac, rubbed down well with 0000 steel wool. It’s quick and easy to apply, and it produces a bowl that is attractive, food-safe and ready to use, give as a gift or sell with pride.
