What Bill said, except that you may have any bottom contour you like, not
necessarily what most call a "foot." As long as you begin with a
relieved -concave- area at the bottom, you can wait a week or so and either
drag it over paper or run the block over it. I keep some stickyback paper
adhered to a tabletop to get a flat seat for bowls turned green to finish
contour.

If you're having these problems with bowls you think were dry, have a bit
of patience and dry them longer. Unless you've got some truly thin bottoms,
the wood will adjust along the lines of least resistance as you scoop it
out - the thin end grain above.

"Bill Rubenstein" wrote in message
. net...
Wood moves and if you don't allow for it you are saking for trouble. A
flat bottom is a no-
no. The piece should sit on a foot which is distinct and the rest of the
bottom should be
concave so as to clear the table or whatever.

Now, that will almost get you there. Even if the wood is perfectly dry
when you finish the
bottom, because you are removing wood which may relieve stresses in the
wood which is left,
you need to take one additional step. Make yourself a sanding block maybe
6" x 6" and glue
some 220 or so to it. After the piece has aired for a little while (maybe
the next day) rub
the bottom on the sanding block to re-flatten it.


Keith Young wrote:
I,ve been turning bowls now for a few years off and on. One thing
that
bothers me is that every now and then after i finish one i notice that
i
didn,t turn the bottom flat ( if that was my purpose.) Its only after
the
finish is applied that this becomes obvious.Any suggestions.