Using Construction Lumber for Turning Bowls and Cups

Wood Cup or Wood Bowl from
2×6 Construction Lumber

Most woodturners do not use construction lumber for woodturning.

However I saw some pretty cool projects turned from wood construction lumber. Basically, you can do bowls, cups, lamps and cylinders by gluing up pieces of 2×4 or 2×6 in alternating pieces. Just use wood glue, make sure each piece is square, say 3 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ and put the grain on each piece 90 degrees to each other.

This video shows the lumber glued together with the grain running the same way. I guess it really doesn’t make much of a difference except for the fact that the grain direction change is very obvious….. in my case, that is what I wanted.

Check out the video

The bowl is nicely shaped, a recess is cut into the bottom of the bowl. The bowl is sanded, looks great and a finish is put on before it gets turned around and chucked up in the scroll chuck and the bowl hollowed out.

Turning a wood bowl from
construction lumber #2

Turning a wood bowl from
construction lumber #3

The author uses Easy Tools carbide woodturning tools to turn this bowl made of construction lumber. This is really an easy project for the new turner, you can easily glue up the construction lumber, and if you have a set of carbide wood turning tools ….you can safetly and easily turn this bowl. That’s not to say that traditional bowl gouges and scapers won’t work, it’s just that the carbide tools can be a little more forgiving.

I use a carbide tool that I made. It has a circle cutter on it but I can put a square cutter either in the flat mode or in a diagonal mode. I found I mostly use the circle cutter. If I have a piece of wood that is spinning a little wildly or I’m just chicken to stick my bowl gouge into it, I’ll grab the carbide tool. I really like it and I know many of you would just like to purchase one, it takes time and a little talent…. Click here for a nice Easy Tool with circle cutter.

My 2×6 Construction
Lumber Wood Cup Project

This set of videos inspired me to give it a shot. I really liked the look of 2x material used for bowls and cups. They would make perfect gifts for those in the construction business.

using 2x6\'s to turn a wood cup
2×6 wood turned cup