Gavin's Bowls

(Home Page)

I started turning bowls around October of 1996. After seeing some simple bowls at a craft show, I decided to give it a try and got hooked. The woods I use include common domestic varieties such as oak, walnut, maple, and cherry. Also, some of the most readily available imported woods are used such as purpleheart, padauk, jatoba, and wenge. Some interesting pieces have been made from stumps of dead dogwoods, spalted cherry logs found in the woods, and cedar and pecan logs salvaged from firewood piles.

Although I like to turn natural bowls from a single piece of wood, I mostly enjoy segmented turning which provides an unlimited capacity for designing different shapes and patterns. The possibilities aren't dictated by the shape or size of the wood itself. Many turners find enjoyment in putting the tool to the wood and ending up with a beautifully finished work of art. I enjoy that too, but I get my greatest satisfaction during the design process. I enjoy coming up with difficult designs that are puzzling even to experienced segmented turners as well as being able to successfully construct and turn them.

Gavin Sneed
Dallas, Georgia

Here are some interesting additions to this site. I created the first two in response to many questions about my segmented work. The third one raised some questions, and the fourth one was just for fun.

This page shows the process I use to construct a simple segmented bowl: