Some of his work is on display in the Red Scott Gallery. Bill is self-taught. The learning curve has been quite long at times. He strongly encourages turners to learn from others to avoid mistakes.

For translucent bowls, Bill told us that the walls must be less than 3/16” thick. He finds 3/8” and 1/4” bowl gouges to work best as less metal in contact yields thinner walls. Sharp tools are a must to avoid tear out.

Bill buys his lumber in the original logs from south Florida. He then soaks the wood for 2-3 weeks until he’s ready to turn it. Working with green wood means that you need to fully turn it in a single session to keep it concentric enough to turn.

Rough cut the outside shape first and then work on the inside. Ride the bevel to hollow 1”- 1 1/2” at a time. If the knots start to fall out, use CA glue to hold then in. Cutting through the “knots” will cause a different sound due to the change in wood density and grain direction. A magnetic base lamp stuck on the ways of your lathe makes it easier to finish the outside to the desired wall thickness. Large turnings, like bowls, work better if you lock the tool against your body and shift your weight to cut. Your hands only guide the cut. Hollow until the first knot shows on the interior wall. Then, shift to a smaller gouge. Bill prefers a 1/4” bowl gouge with 60 degree / 40 degree grind. Finish the outside with a 1/4” gouge.

Bill soaks his finished turnings in an oil bath for a couple of weeks, periodically sanding them lightly. He uses a 50/50 blend of minerals spirits and boiled linseed oil (BLO) or tung oil.

Bill’s techniques for turning Norfolk Island Pine are very useful and would probably adapt well to other green woods.

Thanks Bill for sharing your experiences and time!