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This project has been a long time in development. While looking at my stash of hazelnut suckers pruned last year, I wondered if I could line up three or four pieces and then turn a bowl.

The problem was how to join the limbs together. They could not remain separate and function together for a bowl.

My first thought was to use dowels to join them. That seemed tacky to use common dowels for a fine woodturning even if the exterior is rustic.

Next thought was to route a groove for a spline. I would mill the spline from the same wood as the limbs. This seemed to be a reasonable plan. Then, I started the project by turning each limb individually to round and smooth the ends.

With the ends nicely done, it was time to use the router. Then as I laid the limbs side by side, I remembered the work I did as a Boy Scout for the Pioneering merit badge. The difference was the scale.

So I racked my brain to remember the process. I used nylon string to lash the limbs side by side. It looked like a small raft.

On a large threaded wood faceplate, I centered the raft with the tail stock. Using scrap, I screwed blocks around the raft and used hot melt glue for final stabilization. Masking tape protected the wood. Duct tape provides a little measure of stability but not much.

Then I hollowed out my rustic raft bowl. But I’m not sure exactly what to call this type of woodturning.

It is about 5 by 4 inches.

Good turning.