There is a sort of spectrum of works that are revolved while being
formed by a moving tool.

At one end is the machined hard metal workpiece revolved on an engine
lathe. The tools are ridigely held and moved mechanically to precisely
remove metal.

In the vast middle that we woodturners occupy, the wood blank is
revolved on a less complicated lathe. The softer work is formed by
tools held in the hand and wielded freely.

At the spectrum's other end is the clay pot revolved on a simple wheel.
The tools are most often hands and fingers that punch, shape, fold and
add or subtract the plastic medium.

Some reactionaries might wish for a clear digital distinction of our way
of doing things as woodturners and not as machinists or potters, but
it's an analog world. Woodturning grades into machining with metal
spinning, copy lathes, laser guides, captured tools, indexing, etc. We
emulate potters by steam bending, shaping thin green blanks, carving,
routing and forming surfaces by pulling, off the rest, long bevelled
gouges that sport named grinds.

So what? Well for starters many wood artists who stray across the above
spectrum and far beyond, have advanced the wood bowl into a wonderful
new and different art form from its limits as a container. Most often
these lovely works are not recognizable as bowls and so are misnamed.

I suggest that for now these beautiful thought and emotion provoking
pieces that can't hold water be referred to as 'bowles'.
I defer to Leif and other wordsmiths, but I don't believe 'bowle' is a
word in use. As with home subdivisions such as 'Bay Pointe' and the
like, the 'e' might add a bit of distinction and tone... or could it be
two pounds in a one pound bag?

As always, debate is encouraged. Arch

(Many thanks for your concern re the hurricanes. As with turning wood,
our house fared better than many and worse than some). A.

Fortiter,


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