BowlMate: bowl carving horse

LEGS: These need to be around 2”-3” square and 32” long. I use a 5” diameter log and quarter it, but suitable pieces could also be cleft from larger diameter timber.

BED: Start with a log around 36” long and 8” diameter.

Underside:

A broad splay on the legs is really important for stability and this must be in both directions; the end-to-end splay is vital because this is the direction of much of the force when you are carving (see measurements, above).

Drill the holes for the legs using a 1.5” drill bit, offsetting them (see below) so they do not risk meeting each other up inside the log. Drill all the way through if you want to make your BowlMate portable - you can then knock the legs back out from the top.

Round the ends of the legs so they will fit snugly into these holes and go far enough in to make the structure really stable. Trim the length of the legs so the bed is level and the top is around mid way between the top of your kneecap and the top of your hip (that is 30” for me).

Topside:

Cut a slot around 16” long half the depth of the log (approx 4” deep) starting about 8” in from one end. This is where you will wedge the bowl whilst you carve the inside.

At the other end, make an L-shaped cut to wedge the bowl against whilst using a push-knife on the outside; by initially drilling a hole down the centre before you make the cut (see below) you will create a slot that you will be able to push the bowl handle into to hold it vertically whilst you refine the form.

Around 4” in from this end of the log drill a hole approx 1” diameter at 20º to vertical approximately half the depth of the log.

Saw down the side of this hole leaving around two thirds of it in the cut face. Chop out the end section of the log slanting the bottom so it meets the cut face at 90º