In between setting up the crockpot with stew for tonight's dinner and
serving lunch to my temporarily invalided spouse, I turned a hard maple bowl
this morning. It was one of those "tweeners," small for salad, marginal for
a bag of micro popcorn, and too big for a nut bowl. I figure most likely
use is chips or such, so I consciously did a few things for my customer.

1) I cut the walls thin, for capacity, but left the bottom heavy for
stability.
No sense making something tippy if it's going to be picked up and set down
multiple times in use.

2) I made a lip outside and a slight undercut inside, where a thumb can find
a grip as the bowl is passed.
No sense making something easy to drop and spread the contents on the dogs'
"table."

3) I prepped it for a surface finish - probably polyurethane - rather than a
show only type. No sense leaving it too vulnerable to water if folks are
going to have to wipe out the fragments of chips and/or oil with a bit of
detergent and water.

Now it's plain vanilla, as hard maple tends, but I consider that its utility
enhancements make it the useful equal of a piece of curly fluff that can
barely stand on its own and sports a buffed wax finish over a French polish.

What considerations do you folks give your customers when you approach a
blank?

"George" george@least wrote in message
...
In between setting up the crockpot with stew for tonight's dinner and
serving lunch to my temporarily invalided spouse, I turned a hard maple
bowl
this morning. It was one of those "tweeners," small for salad, marginal
for
a bag of micro popcorn, and too big for a nut bowl. I figure most likely
use is chips or such, so I consciously did a few things for my customer.

1) I cut the walls thin, for capacity, but left the bottom heavy for
stability.
No sense making something tippy if it's going to be picked up and set down
multiple times in use.

2) I made a lip outside and a slight undercut inside, where a thumb can
find
a grip as the bowl is passed.
No sense making something easy to drop and spread the contents on the
dogs'
"table."

3) I prepped it for a surface finish - probably polyurethane - rather than
a
show only type. No sense leaving it too vulnerable to water if folks are
going to have to wipe out the fragments of chips and/or oil with a bit of
detergent and water.

Now it's plain vanilla, as hard maple tends, but I consider that its
utility
enhancements make it the useful equal of a piece of curly fluff that can
barely stand on its own and sports a buffed wax finish over a French
polish.

What considerations do you folks give your customers when you approach a
blank?


=== George, I note that you are having dilemma after dilemma when the
answers are right at hand. Just make sure it meets all OSHA, FDA, NIH, NTSB
standards and your problem is solved. I am sure somewhere in the bowels of
Government there are standards for a non-standard-sized potential
chip/popcorn bowl. You seem to be skirting proper thinking in these
matters! *G*

Leif

George,
After 7 years of selling bowls, I have come to the conclusion that
there is no standard that will sell all of the time. Some people like
shallower bowls, some like deeper bowls. Some like them thin, some like
them thick, some like dark, some like light. If you are going to a
show, in order to do $ 3,000 sales, you need $6,000 to $10,000 worth of
inventory, of all sizes and shapes, bowls, boxes, rolling pins,
spheres, vases, etc. Specialization is for insects.
robo hippy



















Leif Thorvaldson wrote:
"George" george@least wrote in message
...
In between setting up the crockpot with stew for tonight's dinner
and
serving lunch to my temporarily invalided spouse, I turned a hard
maple
bowl
this morning. It was one of those "tweeners," small for salad,
marginal
for
a bag of micro popcorn, and too big for a nut bowl. I figure most
likely
use is chips or such, so I consciously did a few things for my
customer.

1) I cut the walls thin, for capacity, but left the bottom heavy
for
stability.
No sense making something tippy if it's going to be picked up and
set down
multiple times in use.

2) I made a lip outside and a slight undercut inside, where a thumb
can
find
a grip as the bowl is passed.
No sense making something easy to drop and spread the contents on
the
dogs'
"table."

3) I prepped it for a surface finish - probably polyurethane -
rather than
a
show only type. No sense leaving it too vulnerable to water if
folks are
going to have to wipe out the fragments of chips and/or oil with a
bit of
detergent and water.

Now it's plain vanilla, as hard maple tends, but I consider that
its
utility
enhancements make it the useful equal of a piece of curly fluff
that can
barely stand on its own and sports a buffed wax finish over a
French
polish.

What considerations do you folks give your customers when you
approach a
blank?


=== George, I note that you are having dilemma after dilemma when
the
answers are right at hand. Just make sure it meets all OSHA, FDA,
NIH, NTSB
standards and your problem is solved. I am sure somewhere in the
bowels of
Government there are standards for a non-standard-sized potential
chip/popcorn bowl. You seem to be skirting proper thinking in these
matters! *G*

Leif

Great attention to detail will serve your customer and it sounds like you
have nailed it. Be cautious that you are not unintentionally duplicating
a style originated by someone else.

Just kidding, I am over it now and there will not be any more posts from
me on plagiarism. and no more posts after working nightshift, hard to
keep emotions in check when you are exhausted

Kirk