Turn a Live Edge Bowl From Green Wood

Dates / Times

Friday, May 29, 2026. 2 sessions: 9-1 and 1-5, 2 students per session

Course Description

In this class students will learn the traditional craft of turning bowls from freshly cut green wood. Unlike dry lumber, green wood cuts smoothly on the lathe and allows large bowls to be shaped quickly while preserving the natural form of the tree.

Students will work from a prepared green wood bowl blank that will be provided for the class. Instruction will include a discussion of how bowl blanks are selected and prepared from logs, including how wood is oriented to preserve the live edge and create a balanced turning blank. Students will then learn how to safely mount the irregular blank on the lathe and shape a live edge bowl that retains the natural outer edge of the tree.

The class will also explain how green wood bowls change shape as they dry, and how woodturners use this natural movement to create bowls with distinctive and expressive forms. By the end of the class each student will have turned a live edge bowl that highlights both the beauty of the wood and the skill of the maker.

Learning Objectives

Learn how bowl blanks are selected and prepared from green logs

Learn how to safely mount irregular blanks on a lathe

Learn how to shape a live edge bowl form using woodturning tools

Learn how drying and wood movement affect green turned bowls

Learn basic finishing techniques for green wood turning projects