Woodturning II: Bowl Turning Class

With Chris Hoehle

This class has suggested but not required prerequisites. See below for details.

Craft your very own wooden bowl using the lathe. Bowl making is one of the most fun and captivating things you can do with the wood lathe. While the basics can be learned in just a few hours, you can spend a lifetime exploring the infinite artistic possibilities and refining your technique. We'll give you a head start on that creative journey in this class with some tips and tricks that will help you get off to a good start. Join this supportive friendly workshop, expand your handy DIY skillset, and connect with a community of fellow makers!

What You’ll Make:

  • A custom-turned bowl crafted from a single block of hardwood (such as cherry or maple), approximately 6" to 8" in diameter. You'll leave with a beautiful, food-safe piece ready for use, display, or a gift.

Skills & Concepts You’ll Learn:

  • Fundamentals of face grain turning vs. spindle turning

  • Properly mounting a bowl blank using a four-jaw chuck or faceplate

  • Using bowl gouges and scrapers to shape the exterior and hollow the interior

  • Achieving consistent wall thickness and a pleasing form

  • Techniques for sharpening bowl turning tools

  • Sanding and applying a food-safe finish on the lathe

Equipment & Tools You’ll Learn:

  • Wood lathe, four-jaw chucks, faceplates, bowl gouges, scrapers, and sharpening systems.

Class Outline:

  1. Prep & Theory: Safety review, understanding bowl design, grain orientation, and blank preparation.

  2. Demonstration: Instructor demonstrates mounting the blank, shaping the exterior, and forming a tenon.

  3. Hands-On Practice: Students shape the outside of their bowls and prepare them for hollowing.

  4. Hollowing & Finishing: Instructor demonstrates hollowing techniques; students hollow their bowls and sand them on the lathe.

  5. Wrap-Up: Applying a food-safe finish, Q&A, and discussion of advanced techniques.

Other Class Details:

  • Prerequisites: Woodturning I or similar experience is helpful but not required. Some people prefer to start learning how to turn wood by making a bowl and a complete beginner can be successful in this class. It is a complete tutorial in bowl turning with no prior lathe experience assumed or required.

  • Class Capacity: 7 maximum, 4 minimum

  • Materials Provided?: Yes

  • Age Limit: 18+

  • Partner Ticket Available?: No

  • Clothing/Equipment Requirements?: Comfortable well fitted clothing, close-toed shoes, put your hair up, and be prepared to get a little dirty.

About the Teacher

This class is taught by local professional woodturner and DTL shop monitor Chris Hoehle. He has been turning wood for over thirteen years and has studied with many of the top professional woodturners in the field today at some of the best craft schools in the country such as Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Tennessee. He remembers what it was like to be a beginner, and he's eager to share his knowledge and experience with you and help you get a good start in this exciting craft! You can see Chris's work at www.studiocsh.com, or on Instagram @studiocsh. Here's a quick video of Chris turning a carver's mallet to give you an example of what you might be doing in this class: instagram.com/p/BU1lZrdj44L

What People Say about Chris's Classes…

“Chris is such a good teacher. The bowls are not easy, and yet everyone walked out with a finished piece at the end.”

“Chris is a fantastic instructor. It was absolutely incredible learning to make something so challenging without the process ever feeling frustrating or overwhelming.”

“I appreciated Chris’s balance of being available for questions and giving constructive feedback while letting you get hands-on and figure things out.”