Halloween Router Bowl – 130

Video - October 18, 2010

When most of us think of a wooden bowl, we think of the lathe. But you can also make bowls using the router! All you need is a template for the desired shape and a pattern bit to remove the stock. And fortunately, Eagle America has holiday-themed kits for making some incredibly cool bowls. These make great gifts and they are super easy to make.

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Discussion

Gary October 18, 2010 9:26 am

Cool. Thanks for this excellent quality video. They keep getting better. :)

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Danny Yarbrough October 18, 2010 9:35 am

Great project Marc. My wife and I made a bunch of round router bowls for Christmas presents a few years ago. We glued up contrasting woods for the rims, just for a nice look. We did go deeper than your Halloween bowls with our PC 896, but we used a router bit extender to go the extra depth.

Here’s an example: http://picasaweb.google.com/mo.....0781208306

And with different woods: http://picasaweb.google.com/mo.....4137922002

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- Larry Clinton October 18, 2010 10:14 am
  
  Nice work, Danny. I turned a bowl similar to one of yours though much smaller. It was my first bowl of mahogany with a curly maple top edge. It just sold at a festival this weekend after I had it for a couple of years.
  
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Aaron B.(dalsaw) October 18, 2010 9:41 am

Great video Marc, I’m going to build a couple of them, next weekend. I noticed that you wasn’t using your festop router table, Did you get a new router table?

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- thewoodwhisperer October 18, 2010 10:19 am
  
  I sure did! I am using a Jessem setup now. If you go back to the Shop Evolution Update video, you’ll get a little more background on why I made the change: http://www.thewoodwhisperer.co.....on-update/
  
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Larry Clinton October 18, 2010 10:10 am

Good job, Marc. Now go run a mile or two to burn off all that sugar. Me, I have to go with the sugar-free candies, but they can be pretty good, too. But i miss the Hershey’s chocolates and Milky Way…and Snickers…and…and.

Did you think about using a longer straight bit to hog off the edge up nearer the top? I think it would save wear and tear on the rounded pattern bit to save it for when you get to the bottom.

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- thewoodwhisperer October 18, 2010 10:21 am
  
  You certainly could Larry. But the actual wear and tear on the bit really isn’t all that intense. A good quality router bit could probably easily handle hundreds of bowls before it even thinks about giving you problems.
  
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Brad L October 18, 2010 10:14 am

Great Video Marc! I’m going to make a few Christmas ones for family. However I’m new at this, so I have a question. Instead of planing the one side, seeing that it was fairly close, couldn’t you have taped the blank to a carrier board and run it through the planer, removed the carrier board and then flipped it over and planed the other side?

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- thewoodwhisperer October 18, 2010 10:23 am
  
  Hey Brad. You sure could have. But you would need to shim the board and immobilize it so that the operation is safe and accurate. But nothing wrong with that method at all. Frankly, by the time I get the shims and hot glue out, I could have had the pre-flattening done already with the plane. So that’s why I will usually opt for this particular method.
  
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woodywoodwrecker October 18, 2010 10:16 am

I love the bowls and would love to make some later but I would like to ask about your sprayer that you used. I assume that you used your Fuji sprayer due to the color of the hose and sprayer. I am thinking about buying a sprayer and was about to buy the Earlex after watching your video “45 ? Music to My EARlex”. Are you still happy with it or did you just happen to grab your Fuji? By the way, I noticed that Earlex used your linked your video on their website: http://www.earlex.com/hv5000.php

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- thewoodwhisperer October 18, 2010 10:26 am
  
  Honestly, I just grab whatever’s handy. The HV500 would have worked just as well as the Fuji in that instance. For the weekend woodworker, the HV5000 is an excellent choice. But if you want a higher quality system made with higher quality parts, and you don’t mind spending the extra money, Fuji makes a great product.
  
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Jeff October 18, 2010 10:49 am

Great little project video Marc. I was wondering how you were going to be able to get the depth that you were looking for when you did your glue up. Never even thought of removing the template. Doh! Still great little video on what looks to be a fun project. Oh, and yes, the outtakes are always for funny than the scripted moments.

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Justin October 18, 2010 11:00 am

Great Video and Great Project as always! Can’t wait to give it a try! Thanks also for getting back to me on the types of wood on the Eagle America one!

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Brad October 18, 2010 11:15 am

Great video! I bought a set of Christmas ones last year but didn’t get around to using them. I think mine came with both the bit and an extension so I could get the depth required.

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Brad Terhune October 18, 2010 11:23 am

Guess I need to go trick-or-treating to fill up one of those!

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Kyle October 18, 2010 11:57 am

I may have missed it, I was watching while at work shhhh, but did you say what type of finish you used? You said it was quick drying water based but I didn’t hear the brand.

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- thewoodwhisperer October 18, 2010 12:07 pm
  
  Its General Finishes EnduroVar.
  
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MitchellM October 18, 2010 12:22 pm

wow.. looks like alot of fun.. you should make your own templete in a jacl-o-lantern or skull or something.

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elsaxofonista October 18, 2010 12:24 pm

jajajajajajajajajaj good, good, I like the humor, excellent work …

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Nuno October 18, 2010 1:08 pm

Hi Mark,
This is Nuno, from Brazil. I just THANK you for your excelent wood working videos. Just love the good humor, you and your wife have.
Regards, Keep it up!!!!
Nuno and Simone Costa

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Rosie October 18, 2010 1:47 pm

sweet video Marc. I feel so much more confident on making a bowl now. Thanks for the time to make the video. You Rock!!

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Devon October 18, 2010 3:07 pm

Marc, Thanks for yet another entertaining and informative video.

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Bryan Huot October 18, 2010 3:44 pm

i love the idea of the different shaped bowls…and being able to create bowls without a lathe. this definitely got me to add a few things to the x-mas list. you could definitely get very creative in making your own templates with some cool designs for all different holidays. i’ll hopefully be able to do this amidst all the current projects…definitely a fun short time commitment project. great video!

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Mike M October 18, 2010 4:23 pm

Great video, and very informative. I may have to give this a try at some point myself!

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Brian October 18, 2010 6:01 pm

Marc,
Great video, it’s nice to see that not everyone planes like Rob Cosman. I was a little curious why you didn’t use the Hl 850 E Planer? I assume that you would have one but you know what happens when you assume. Thanks again for a fun video.
Brian

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- thewoodwhisperer October 18, 2010 6:06 pm
  
  I do have one. But I really wanted to show how it can be done using a hand tool. Certainly no reason you couldn’t make quick work of it with the hand power planer though.
  
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Ryan October 18, 2010 6:02 pm

The outtakes were great. It’s great to see that kind of stuff at the end of a video – it kinda makes it feel more personal.

By the thickness of that Plexiglas, I thought those templates might be on the more expensive side. I was wrong! Very affordable. I think I have to pick some up now….

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Brad October 18, 2010 6:10 pm

Hopefully this isn’t too basic of a question, but can someone explain the “raise the grain’ step with the spray bottle? What does that accomplish? Sounds like you spray with the spray bottle and then sand with whatever the last grit you sanded with was (180 or 220)?

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- thewoodwhisperer October 18, 2010 6:35 pm
  
  Hey Brad. I certainly could have explained the better. The water in the finish will cause the grain to raise and become rough. Water swells the fibers and once the finish dries, you are left with this really rough surface that needs to be sanded smooth. Now the interesting thing is this really only happens in dramatic fashion once. Every coat thereafter is pretty smooth. So you can “pre-raise” the grain by hitting the wood with nothing more than water. Once dry, sand lightly with 180 or 220 grit and then apply your finish. That way the first coat of finish won’t raise the grain nearly as much as if the pre-raising step was left out.
  
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Donnie Gaskin October 18, 2010 6:20 pm

Marc, Once again you nailed it. A timely, fun and useful project. Complete instructions and a delight to watch. and as always great presentation. Thanks Marc and Nicole.

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Paul Stine October 18, 2010 6:41 pm

Another great video, Marc.
I just received the ghost bowl pattern the other day and it is a confidence boost to see you run through it before I give it a shot.

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Jason Chvat October 18, 2010 7:01 pm

Another awesome video Marc. I have some tray templates I bought but haven’t used. Feel a lot better having your video to reference now. :)

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mark williams October 18, 2010 9:06 pm

Marc,

After creating the concave surface, how to orient it in the planer?

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- thewoodwhisperer October 18, 2010 9:10 pm
  
  Well the goal is for it to sit flat, so you would put the freshly planed concave surface down.
  
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Andrew Wilkerson October 19, 2010 5:35 am

Very good video, just when I thought I’d watched a whole video without the usual Marc humour, there you are with your face covered in Choc. Classic!, loved the comment ‘who’s fault was that?’ about the makeup, she should’ve known you’d make her join in. Out takes are great. As always you’ve done a fine job. Beats watching tv. (Nothing on tv here but boring U.S. cop shows, no offense but there is only so many re-runs of CSI I can handle)

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James Gillespie, Jr, October 19, 2010 6:44 am

Very informative! Thank you. Toying with the idea of making my own templates with a scroll saw/bandsaw, but should probably make a couple of standard bowls first before going down that road.

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Claude Stewart October 19, 2010 7:33 am

Just an aside to the finish. You could also use shellac. Seeing they coat some candy and vegetables with it I guess that it food safe.

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Scott Johnson October 19, 2010 10:19 am

Mark,
As always a fun video with great things to learn. I really liked seeing the outtakes too! you should certainly do those more often!

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Jason October 19, 2010 11:35 am

What would you have done if you didn’t have a band saw? Handheld scroll saw?

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- thewoodwhisperer October 19, 2010 11:51 am
  
  Probably just a long blade on a jigsaw. A scroll saw would also work but it might take a while.
  
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Bryan Huot October 19, 2010 4:13 pm

I have to think that for any bowl like this if you are going to be doing a batch of them or ever feel like producing it later in the future, possibly making a template for the outside. If you were to use hardboard (masonite) or even 1/4″ mdf you could pretty easily create a template to the thickness you wish and simply use a straight template bit to get a nice clean border around your bowl.

Not sure how many would make this worth the work but I have to think at the point of making 3 or more it could definitely save quite a bit of time on the spindle sander after each one.

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- thewoodwhisperer October 19, 2010 4:24 pm
  
  Excellent idea!
  
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- James Gillespie, Jr, October 21, 2010 8:37 am
  
  Interesting idea, but could be difficult to make it work. If you mount it before you do the inside, you don’t have stock to screw the inside template to. If you do it after, how do you attach it? Could use double sided tape but you’d have to place it exactly to get a consistent wall thickness. Best method I can think of is to use the inside template to cut out the shape in MDF or plywood, sand it down to the line so it is a snug fit inside the bowl, then attach the outer template, mark it, cut it out, clean it up, and use it. Any other methods?
  
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  - Bryan Huot October 28, 2010 2:06 pm
    
    James – I thought about that, how you wont have anything to screw it to, but I was also thinking about doing it in two pieces with a slight overlap. If you do it on half of the bowl then you can use the other half to clamp it, then do it with the other side. You have a great idea of creating a ‘plug’ the shape of the bowl to act as the attachment to the bowl which I think would work great. Overall however you would choose to do it, I would have to think that if you are going to make several of these then it would be worth the effort to create that outer template.
    
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    - James Gillespie, Jr, October 29, 2010 7:10 am
      
      The more I think about it, the more I feel the plug method would be the best way to go. However it is done it would certainly help with reducing the amount of sanding needed on the outside of the bowl and would make them consistent in shape. Now I just need more hours in the day so I can get to the projects that I need to get done before I can get to the projects that I want to do, like these bowls. *sigh*
mikeROCwood October 19, 2010 4:23 pm

IM a fan of the bat might do that . Thx 4 all the videos , just joined the guild and watched all the videos . there great keep it up . That hearth stone shirt u had on in one of the videos was great .

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Rene L October 19, 2010 7:28 pm

Awesome video! I totally want to try this. Are you going to post any pictures of the other bowls you make?

Also, thanks for all the videos you have put out, they are truly entertaining. Keep up the good work!

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Adam M October 19, 2010 8:57 pm

Great Video. I really like the templates. I purchased a bowl making kit a while back but haven’t gotten to use it yet. Now I’m looking forward to it even more!

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nateswoodworks October 20, 2010 12:12 am

Great video and something i have been pplanning on doing for a while for my kids. Just a thought, since you are glueing up the stock anyway using a jig or scroll saw on the top piece to remove the center before glue-up would save some time at the drill press. Keep up the great work.
Nate

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Will October 20, 2010 10:05 am

Hi Marc. Excellent video and topic. You do great work with the furniture projects but it is really nice to see you break off into a “weekend” type project once in a while. I really appreciate your thoroughness and humor. The outtakes were hilarious! Keep up the good work!

-Will

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chris k October 20, 2010 10:36 am

Great video Marc, I love the end with nicole and the outtakes. Keep up the great work.

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Tom Collins October 20, 2010 10:59 am

It seems like it would have been a lot easier if the folks from Eagle America had included a template for the outside of the bowl so you could have used your router and pattern bit.

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Ryan October 20, 2010 1:35 pm

Hey Tom,

I am sure if the templates from Eagle America included and outside template the cost would be twice as much! I like Bryan’s idea about making the outside template yourself. Assuming you are going into production. Otherwise I found Eagle’s templates work great.

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Dan Drabek October 20, 2010 2:47 pm

Marc, don’t ever lose that sense of humor.

DD

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Dave Penley October 20, 2010 5:45 pm

Love this idea! But its to late for me to make em for halloween. Im still trying to get to the xmas projects to get them done on time!

Well, theres always next year!

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Todd M. Foughty October 21, 2010 6:38 am

Marc,

With your ghost bowl completed, what is the minimum width and length of your stock? I am waiting for my template and would like to get my stock glued together, just not sure what I need.

Thanks,

Todd

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- thewoodwhisperer October 21, 2010 8:24 am
  
  The instructions say the minimal total thickness is 2″. The ghost template requires a blank of about 12″W x 16″L.
  
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David October 21, 2010 7:15 am

Hey Marc…a couple quick questions. First, during the glue up phase: If you were to use stock just wide enough to get both the inside and outside edges of your pattern (think like a picture frame on the 2nd layer of the glue up), would there be any danger here when using the router? Seems that if you got enough glue, and used cauls, it should be fairly safe, and might save you time at the drill press, as well as wasted material.

Second, who manufactured the compass you were using. That thing was pretty sweet.

Thanks for another excellent video.

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- thewoodwhisperer October 21, 2010 9:00 am
  
  Hey David. I’m not 100% what you mean on that first part. And I believe the compass was purchased at Lee Valley.
  
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  - David October 22, 2010 8:32 am
    
    Okay, so since my last two attempts seemed to have failed, here’s what I was trying to explain in that earlier post
    
    Pattern Example
    
    The glue up would likely take longer, but I’m thinking you could make use of smaller “scraps” this way, and you don’t have to “waste” so much of a board. Thoughts?
    
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- Brian October 21, 2010 2:30 pm
  
  David, You can get it at a few different places. I love mine… http://www.woodcraft.com/Produ.....e-Pro.aspx
  
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  - David October 22, 2010 8:29 am
    
    Hey Brian,
    
    Thanks for the link. I was able to find it on Amazon, so I ordered it, and a 32oz bottle of titebond II using Marc’s amazon link above. I’m a prime member, so I get free 2 day shipping AND NO TAX!. :)
    
    Really looking forward to it.
    
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eruby October 21, 2010 8:47 am

Marc,

Another great video. I would like to make a couple of Christmas bowls (mostly because I wouldn’t finish the Halloween bowls until then anyhow)

2 questions
What diameter patter bit did you use? I was thinking about getting a 3/4″ bit to allow access into tighter curves than the 1 1/4″ bit would.
Will I be able to use a 3/4″ bit with a collet extension? i can’t seem to find the diameter of the nut on collet extensions anywhere and am afraid they will be wider than the bit making it useless for this purpose.

Thanks
Eric

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- thewoodwhisperer October 21, 2010 9:01 am
  
  I used the 3/4″ bit because of the tighter curves, as you mentioned. With that bit and my router, the collet extension would have been useless. The extension is definitely wider than the bit so it defeats the purpose.
  
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Jerry S October 21, 2010 9:08 am

Much enjoyed Marc. I may have to look at these a little closer.

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Shannon October 21, 2010 10:52 am

Great video Marc and so good to see Nicole make an appearance again. Now I have to get one of these kits cause my wife saw me watching the video and wants one.

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Wayne B October 21, 2010 7:13 pm

I just recently found your site, Marc, and I am very impressed with what I’ve seen so far. Every time I watch a video, I add another project to my “to-do” list. I’m just getting started in woodworking, and I really appreciate your site and videos. Please keep them coming!

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Johnathan Stover October 22, 2010 5:16 am

Hello and good morning to all. Yesterday morning I was watching The Woodsmith Shop. The episode was all about making a bowl with a router and the bowl bit. They had atleast a 3 inch deep bowl maybe a little more they didnt give the exact dimensions, it was a decent size bowl. Don Peschke (show host) used a collet extension to get the extra depth. Here is a link to a pdf on some decent router bowl ideas. Mark as always awesome video you have inspired me I have now made 50 bowls since Wednesday. I dont have a router so I mount the bit in my drill and do my best, I have been lucky and have only lost the tip of my nose so far. I am trying to at least get my hands on a drill press so this process is safer. But other than some minor injuries I have been knocking these bowls out. I want to thank you Mr. Whisper for all your inspiration, hard work and dedication to the wood and the people. You are a Jolly good fellow “hip, hip cheerio mate!”

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dalboy October 22, 2010 10:42 am

Great video the idea is open to lots of possibilities. Definitely a must have a go project thanks for sharing

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Chad October 22, 2010 12:07 pm

i love these bowl projects! i’m very new to woodworking, and this looks like a project i’d love to try! thanks!

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Ted Ames October 22, 2010 3:31 pm

Hey Marc,
How about a turkey for Thanksgiving?

TexasTed

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- Tim V October 29, 2010 8:44 am
  
  Marc is already a Turkey! He has a very unique sense of humor for sure!
  
  No really, a Turkey bowl would be cool. I bet you could get some pretty cool ideas from online by seaching photos. Then printing a full page of it and gluing it to a piece of 1/4″ ply. Then cut the “template” out with a scroll, band or jig saw.
  
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Bruce October 22, 2010 5:45 pm

Marc: love this little project, while watching you struggle with the hand sanding, which is my favourite (NOT) I thought maybe you could make it like a bandsaw box. Rout your outside shape, sand on the drum sander, Cut the back off, cut out the inside, sand on the drum sander, then glue the back back on. Just a thought.

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Johnathan Stover October 23, 2010 3:03 am

Oh man forgot to put the link in my post sorry http://www.woodsmithshop.com/d.....dbowls.pdf

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Chuck Zimmer October 23, 2010 5:43 pm

Mark, Man what a great project. I have been into woodworking for a year now and i thought this project was good for me to try. So i bought the supplies and i am just now glueing up wood . thanks for the show, and keep up the good work.

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Adam Reed October 23, 2010 8:55 pm

Nice idea. Might even be cool just to make the templates.

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Tom October 23, 2010 11:38 pm

Your dentist is going to love this video – he can probably count on enough work in the future to afford to buy some 12 inch wide or better cherry boards for his woodworking hobby.

I would recommend in keeping with the theme to use white oak if you are going to make ghosts.

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Ben H October 24, 2010 5:22 am

Very cool. If one were to take the time to do a seg glue up, you could make a very cool looking bowl.

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CharlesL October 24, 2010 9:04 am

Marc
This was another super video, specially for us newbie to the hobby. I really appreciate you walking through each step of the process which made this project less intimidating. I would have never thought to remove the bulk material with a forstner bit. Just bought my first set this week and now I know what I’m going to use them for. I may be too late for holloween, but I think I’ll cut a Christmas Tree template and make a bowl for Christmas.
Thanks again
Charles

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Chuck Zimmer October 24, 2010 7:57 pm

Hi Mark, I just got done with my first bowl. I did the bat and i am very happy with it. Thanks again for all your support and keep up with the great pods.

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Gary Bell October 25, 2010 6:07 am

Pretty cool!

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charles eddy October 25, 2010 6:54 pm

was wondering how they would look saw them at eagles web site thanks

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dan rightler October 25, 2010 9:45 pm

Another great video! Keep the content coming.

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Eric F October 26, 2010 3:37 am

Couldn’t you use a router bit extension if you wanted a deeper bowl?

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- thewoodwhisperer October 26, 2010 8:29 am
  
  Yep. But there are a few caveats. Check out the comments above to get a little more detail on that. We discussed it earlier.
  
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Scott Whitney October 28, 2010 8:58 am

Really enjoyed the informative video, and now I am planning on making my own templates to create some Christmas gifts. First, I need to re-align my bandsaw… how about an update video on that?

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Charlie October 28, 2010 11:44 am

You know… I don’t think I gave these things a fair shake, they always looked “gimmicky” to me. Thanks for showing me otherwise.
I think I might make some.

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- Bryan Huot October 28, 2010 2:18 pm
  
  Charlie – I think one of the great things about these types of bowls is that you can get as creative as you want by making your own templates. I agree that some can be less than appealing, but I do like these halloween ones, and you can definitely make some cool ones out of mdf or masonite yourself. This video definitely started the creative juices flowing!
  
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Ryan V October 28, 2010 2:12 pm

Very cool Marc, I think I’ll pick up the xmas templates too.

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David October 28, 2010 6:23 pm

A question on finishing. If you were to finish by hand, would a clear waxed shellac be okay? What “hand” finishes would you recommend?

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- thewoodwhisperer October 28, 2010 7:52 pm
  
  Just about anything for this project David. Regular old shellac is a fantastic choice. But a wiping varnish would be just as good, and it would be a little easier to apply.
  
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  - David October 29, 2010 6:05 am
    
    Thanks, Marc. Would something like Tung Oil Finish fall into the category of a wiping varnish?
    
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bob pawloski October 29, 2010 5:19 am

that was sweet. Makes me feel like I could actually do this.

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tony F October 29, 2010 6:21 am

great video. i think i will try this
thank you

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Russ October 29, 2010 7:23 am

I loved this video and was curious about those templates. If only I had the time. BTW my whole family loved your ending and outtakes! Great work Marc.

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Tim V October 29, 2010 8:47 am

These bowls are really cool. I think what really sets these router’d bowls out is the unlimited selection of shapes you can make.

But, the finish is the key. If it isn’t finished well, it won’t be pleasing despite all the work routing.

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Paulg October 29, 2010 3:04 pm

great bowls. It seems limitless.

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Mike October 29, 2010 4:55 pm

Very nice. Have to try some of these myself. Just one more of your videos that have ended up costing me money to watch!
;-)

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medfloat October 29, 2010 5:20 pm

just wondering why the bat wasn’t made from ebony??? Never saw a brown bat before…guess that vampire couldn’t afford the silk black cape so he had to settle for the burlap pullover.

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robert lee October 29, 2010 5:35 pm

It looked as though you didn’t leave enough “meat” on the outside of the template at one point for the side… But the end result looked good. Hope you enjoyed the chocolate LOL

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pb_husker_54 October 29, 2010 9:03 pm

I did a couple of these bowls last year. Turned out great. Saw the ad in Popular Woodworking and ordered the Christmas tree template. Can’t wait to get started on a few family gifts.

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Charlie Pearce October 30, 2010 6:30 am

Great video, and another reason why I need to hurry and save up for that router!

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Dino October 30, 2010 9:46 am

LOVED the Ending!!!!! LOL : )

It little things like that that set you apart from the rest Marc.

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Stephen Edmonds October 30, 2010 12:42 pm

These bowls are great Marc, but You guys may seriously need to look into chocolate rehab

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John October 30, 2010 1:47 pm

I just finished making the ghost bowl and gave it to my nieces on Friday. I filled it with hard candy because they really would have looked like Mark and Nicole covered in chocolate. Fun project.

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Joe Corda October 30, 2010 3:02 pm

Hey Marc
Nice bowl ..I can see a whole bunch of holiday projects this will start me off on.. I'll see about maybe doing a tree (or start) pattern for Xmas.

Now I was wondering if there one size router bit that you find is the most useful? Meaning I don't want to buy too many of these bits.. so i was hoping to get the 1 or 2 bits that you get the most use out of .

Also I expect that I'll also be using a Forstner drill bit to clear the bulk of the wood away to save time and wear/tear on the router and bit

Thanks again for another great project Idea!
Joe

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nateswoodworks October 30, 2010 9:36 pm

I have started to make a template and have some stock glued up and ready, I am going to use a 3/8″ roundnose with a guide bushing, next time I want to get a bowl bit. Thanks for the nudge to go ahead and do it!
Nate

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Daryn October 31, 2010 1:01 am

The bowls are quite nice but my lack of a band saw seems to hold me back. I don’t think a jig saw will cut an even enough edge to make it look good. No spindle sander either. Are these real reasons for not doing it or am I just lazy. The latter I think.

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Todd M. Foughty November 1, 2010 12:16 pm

What size bandsaw blade were you using in the video? I used the stock blade that came with my saw, and needless to say, FAIL. I have been sanding for days.

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- thewoodwhisperer November 1, 2010 12:20 pm
  
  If I recall correctly, it was 1/4″ with a pretty high tooth count.
  
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Don Trust November 5, 2010 5:45 am

Very cool. Too late for me for this year, but I think the Ghost will be our new bowl for next year.

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chris k November 30, 2010 3:54 pm

Marc, can the general finishes Enduro finish be “wiped” on instead of sprayed?

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- thewoodwhisperer November 30, 2010 9:51 pm
  
  I’ve never had luck wiping ANY water-based finish. That’s not to say it can’t be done, but apparently it can’t be done in MY hands. :)
  
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Matthew April 6, 2011 7:08 am

Nice video. Will definitely try to make the bowls but I was wondering who makes the router bit. I cannot seem to find a round-over pattern bit anyplace. Thanks and keep up with the videos.

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- thewoodwhisperer April 6, 2011 7:23 am
  
  Eagle America has them Matthew:
  http://www.eagleamerica.com/pr.....ng?a=AF125
  
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  - Matthew April 6, 2011 9:02 pm
    
    Thanks Marc. Just bought the bit. Cannot wait to get it.
    
    Reply
Ross Ekberg May 14, 2011 6:39 am

I really like the idea of making dishes and trays. They are so useful and great gifts. Building it out of solid wood, however, seems really wasteful. I suppose, though, it’s a give/take relationship with woodworking. I have just recently gotten into woodworking as a hobby and I probably need to come to terms with something as such.

Can you just put a bearing onto any router bit, or do they need to come already fitted with one?

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer May 14, 2011 7:00 am
  
  I have actually never seen a router bit retro-fitted with a bearing. The bit size needs to be matched perfectly to the bearing so its probably something you just want to buy new.
  
  Reply
Eric May 14, 2011 9:40 pm

Thanks for the great video! I will definately have to try and make at least one of these!

Reply
Jim September 5, 2011 2:48 pm

Yet another great video Mark! I have a question about the acrylic base plate. I have the beastly OF 2200 and the Eagle American plate, but I can’t figure out the best way to mount the plate to the router. Being Festool, I suppose the screws are all metric. Did you use the stock sub base, and simply attach the acrylic base to it? Please advise what size screws you used.

Keep up the great work! Can’t wait for the new guild season!

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer September 5, 2011 3:24 pm
  
  Hey Jim. I can’t remember the details of which base I used but I essentially disassembled one of the bases and used the mounting plate and screws to create this new acrylic base. So nothing new needed to be purchased. I just had to locate and countersink in the acrylic for the Festool screws. The it was just a matter of attaching the mounting plate and then it just pops in like any other Festool base.
  
  Reply
Ravinheart March 12, 2012 11:33 am

We tried running these upside down on a router table. It does not work nearly as well as with a hand held. Works much better when you can see whats going on.

How thick did you make your walls of the bowl ?

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer March 12, 2012 11:56 am
  
  If I recall it was about 3/8″-ish.
  
  Reply
Bob June 9, 2012 10:58 pm

This is actually really cool that you can do that kind of work with a router instead of a wood lathe. I never even thought of using a router for this. This got me thinking of many other things that are possible. Thanks for the cool idea!

Reply
Antonio De La Torre December 15, 2012 8:43 pm

I love this I’m starting a wood shop and watching your videos inspired me to do so! the first thing I’m going to try this as my first project

Reply
Brandon December 24, 2012 8:12 pm

This looks like a really fun project. I bet planing down that size board would be a sinch with the legacy mill and a surface planing bit. This would be a better project with some brand new router but sets ;)

Reply
TroutAdrenaline September 3, 2014 3:59 am

Hi Marc, thanks very much for this. I’m going to translate the ideas to making a iPad cover (essentially routing out two trays, lining and hinging them with magnets as clasps). Can you suggest an alternative to the plexiglass router base attachment? Would a couple 2″x1″ boards screwed to the router base do the trick?

Reply
- Marc Spagnuolo September 3, 2014 6:53 am
  
  Sounds like a cool idea! As for the router, just about anything stiff can be used to accomplish the same thing. 2×1’s would work just fine.
  
  Reply
Karen Guc April 24, 2017 8:15 am

Hey Marc, aka my “Go To Guy” — Love these bowls and actually ordered some templates from Eagle America to get started. My question is about the wood and the finish — what kinds are food safe? I’m worried about toxicity. I’ve done a web search on this, but there’s just way too much info and I’m getting overwhelmed and confused. Maybe you, or one of your bloggers, can address my concerns and give a few recommendations on both? I’d be grateful! ~Karen

Reply
Calvin Wauchope October 26, 2019 1:24 am

This is my new favorite site. Im obsessed! Thank you so much brother. SO AWESOME! Let you know how the bowl turns out!

Reply

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Halloween Router Bowl – 130

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