Making Stages #1 - Hand Carving a Bowl
- Dec 20, 2025
- 8 min read
Updated: Dec 30, 2025
I make spoons, kuksas, bowls, shrinkpots and recently began to turn bowls on a pole lathe too. The common theme is the making process is human-powered, although the designs - while often traditional - have my own twist.
The things I make are generally from unseasoned wood - also known as greenwood. This has the benefit of being softer than seasoned wood, but care needs to be taken while it dries. The techniques I use are traditional, as are the tools - in design, but not always in age. For example, axe and adze designs haven't changed all that much in 100s of years. The tools I use are made by artisans, usually in small batches, often by hand. It's nice to support these craftspeople too.
This is the first in a series I'm putting together to show the stages to make a number of different things using traditional tools from wood.
In this article I am going to explain the stages I follow to carve a bowl.
Please note. This article shows the steps, but not the techniques. Attempting this without the relevant skills may result in accidents, so please don't try unless you have the requisite ability or guidance from someone who has.
We begin with a log. In this case a piece of sycamore kindly donated by a tree surgeon local to me in West London.
Using an axe, I split the wood into a section. Splitting sometimes requires the use of a wedge, but usually I can get away with an axe and a wooden mallet.
Tip: I use a different axe for splitting and removing bark. The one used for carving is not employed at this stage just in case there are any surprises, like nails or hard inclusions - that way I don't ruin a nicer (and more expensive) tool. My roughing axe is old and a bit tired, but that's fine.
I then use a carving axe to remove the bark, make a consistent top, flatten the base and make it parallel.
Safety note. I don't like to hit an axe with anything metal, like a hammer. That can result in damage to the axe - or potentially yourself with flying bits of metal if you're not careful. This is obviously the decision of the maker, but I prefer to avoid risk where ever possible. Plus, a mallet made from a bit of wood is easier to replace...
In this example I'm working with half a log, but where possible I use a larger log and work from a third or a quarter of that.
I will write separately on drying, but wood will shrink as it dries. The resulting movement is more pronounced the bigger the section is of the whole log. The drying is the same but as you're using more of the volume you can get more movement which can mean cracks. However, Sycamore is quite a forgiving wood, so I took the risk.
I then draw a centre line on both sides and some lines in from the ends, as you can see in these pictures.
I always cut ends away in case there are cracks which may not be visible, or the log has picked up grit or other things you don't want your tools to contend with. This can happen, especially in transit so is a good habit to get into. It may seem like waste, but worth being cautious.
We now have the centre point of the bowl, and an idea of the length of it.
Now we start thinking about the design. Here I will be making quite a traditional shape where the top rim of the bowl takes the profile of the log.
There are many ways you can draw a design, but symmetry is pleasing to the eye. I like to use a flexible rule and measure points along the centre line to ensure symmetry then join them with a curve using a soft pencil, like I did.
Once you have a rough design you're happy with, it's time to take the ends off with a saw.
Note. Try to keep your work from drying out - at least while you're working it anyway.
I keep my work in a plastic bag when I'm not working on it, noting that you can get fungal growth if you leave it in a bag too long.
Now, the fun bit - material removal.
As we will be clamping the work length-ways we need to keep this reasonably flat each end. To do this I will remove material from the middle to the ends on each side and end.
I also like to draw out the ends to get an idea of where the rim will be. Naturally, if you will be making a round end, then you won't have a 'tab' at the end like I do, but that's just a design preference. The bowl in this example is quite a traditional design and has these ends to it.
From here you have a choice: either start to hollow, or, while you have a good amount of material left you can take some of the underside. Personally I like to remove more material.
Begin by drawing a base. Preparation with centre-lines is useful to find the middle - in this case I simply drew a circle on the centre.
I then use a carving axe and adze to remove material down to the rim around the circumference. I typically use my eye to determine how far to go, but drawing a line can be useful.
As we will be clamping the bowl length-ways on the ends to it's best to leave a reasonable amount of material - at least 1 inch (2.5cm).
The next step is to hollow the bowl. I use a tool called a bowl horse to clamp the work here. The one shown in Picture 7 is one made by a friend of mine, Richard Roberts. There are various models and styles out there but I find this is really useful and versatile, and can easily be deconstructed for transportation.
I will write more on tools in a later article, but the principle is simple: There is a flat, area to place the work about waist height, a solid end to butt the work against and a way to clamp against the other end. Usually this is done with wedges.
Modern options often have a vice, more traditional ones are wooden and much better for your tools if you miss!
I use an adze to remove most of the material down to a depth I'm happy with, then use gouges to smooth out the divots this creates.
Patience marking out and measuring will pay you back with a better end-product and far fewer mistakes. Taking your time is good for you on so many levels.
Redraw your design and guide lines often, as these will likely be carved off or worn away on a regular basis. You may also subtly change your design as you go. I also recommend measuring the depth of the hollow as you go to make sure you're not going too deep.
To do this, lay something straight and flat across the top of your bowl and measure down. Then subtract that distance from the over all depth to determine how much wood is left in the bottom of the bowl.
Relax your mind and muscles regularly. You can get tired without realising it and tired hands make mistakes. Those are precious moments. Nature may find you (this robin was fascinated by what I was up to) and peace surely can too. Enjoy the process, and do keep your work from drying out while you rest...
Once you're closer to the final shape of bowl hollow, using chisels without a mallet to take smaller cuts will give a better finish and more controllable cuts.
At this stage I take the now roughed-out bowl from the clamp, and work around the base and sides until it's about 90% to the shape I want.
Here is where patience will reward you again. Before finishing off it is prudent to let it dry for a while, leaving a little material to allow for the movement. Depending how wet it was when you started, your roughed-out bowl will likely move - sometimes unpredictably. Embrace this and assume you will need to finish it off later.
Find a dry place way from a breeze to let your bowl dry and settle for a while, avoiding direct heat and radiators. For me this can be several weeks to several months depending on how busy I am.
The dryer the bowl is when you finish it off the harder the wood will be, and the better the finish it will hold due to how close the fibres have become.
Note. For the courses I run on this style and technique I invite participants back later on to complete bowls if they like.
In these later pictures you can see this bowl, dry and being finished off. The colour has darkened too - a result of oxidisation.
I use various tools for this stage, from chisels to hook knives, scorps and straight knives, to thin the bowl and to achieve whatever design I have settled on.
Again, do measure and redraw edges and outlines, gradually working to a final finished bowl you aer happy with. Regularly look from the top, side, and various angles to achieve a pleasing shape. This is prudent as the bowl is likely to have moved during drying and that may continue to as you carve.
As you get closer to your final shape, take shallower cuts to minimise carving divots (unless that is your style, then leave them!).
Keeping tools sharp is always a good idea - and it safer as you don't need to push so hard - therefore avoiding loss of control. You also get a better finish as wood fibres are cleanly cut versus being scraped.
Once you are happy, make sure your bowl is dry. I like to give my work more time in my drying place (a wicker basket), then burnish and apply oil.
This is a simple process of rubbing a smooth pebble over areas you want a smoother finish, apply a polymerising (setting) oil and letting it dry.
I use several pebbles I have found on walks for burnishing, and Odie's oil which is a sustainable, non-toxic, oil which spreads over a large area. (half a teaspoon of covered this entire bowl).
Other oils makers use include walnut and linseed both-which polymerise and provide a resilient, non-toxic, finish although can take some time to set. I avoid mineral oils as they're not ideal for the environment and can be toxic. Oils which don't set can go off. More on this in a future article.
And here we have the finished bowl.
It took a while to make, but it was worth every minute.
The exercise is good for you in every way: you end up with a unique item you made yourself which so satisfying, gained a skill in the process, and possibly found peace from a sustainable and mindful activity.
Thank you for reading this article. I will be adding more soon.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or if you are interested in having a go at making one of these yourself.
All the best,
Russ
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