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Porringers

The porringer is a bowl design dating back to the late 1500s. Eating at the table wasn’t as common then, so folks held their bowls in their hands to eat. The little handles on the side made that very easy. You just hook your thumb over the top and dig in. This album is a series of process shots showing how I make them. I’d also recommend looking at the website and blog of English pole-lathe turner Robin Wood, from whom I learned about this lovely bowl form. There are notes with each photo, in case you’re wondering what I’m trying to illustrate. I originally put this album together back in 2013 on my personal Facebook page. Seemed like time to re-create it here where all the woodworking content lives now.

The bowl in 3 stages. The rough block is on the bottom. The one in the middle has been turned on the underside but not yet on the top. The uppermost bowl has been turned on the top and hollowed, and the interior has been sanded. From this point, I’ll trim and carve the handle so it feels good in the hand and then paint the exterior. The whole thing gets oiled at the end.

Here’s a closer look at the first stage of turning. The bottom of the handle is shaped, but the bottom of the bowl itself still has the tenon, that sharp little foot that I use to grip the bowl on the lathe. At this point I’ll mount the bowl on the lathe using that tenon so that I can get access to the top side.

Here you can see the bowl mounted in the chuck, and you can see a little peek of the tenon that the chuck is gripping. It doesn’t take much wood for a secure grip.

I’ve shaped the top edge of the bowl and cut the top surface of the handle. I don’t sand these exterior surfaces. I like the way the tool marks look under the paint, the rustic finish contrasting with the finely sanded interior.

The inside is sanded to 400 grit and gets a lovely sheen. You can see the dust collector hose on the right. I lose a few rags and bits of sandpaper down the pipe every now and then, but it’s worth it to not be working in a cloud of fine, floaty dust.

Time to remove the tenon and shape it into a smooth foot. Normally I wouldn’t have already carved the handles at this point. Pretend they’re still rough, ok?

Tenon on the left. Finished foot on the right. Note that the handles are still shaped like the original block.

Paper templates help me figure out what size and shape to make the handles.

The outlines of the handles are drawn in pencil.

Then the waste is trimmed away with the bandsaw

The same 2 bowls with the handles trimmed. Time for carving now.

For carving I use a double-beveled Japanese marking blade, set in a wooden handle I made a long time ago. I can pull the blade out of the handle and put it in point first when I want to carry the knife in my pocket. The blade is a sandwich of very hard brittle steel in the middle and softer steel on the outside. The brittle steel takes a wicked edge and the softer steel provides support and elasticity. I love this knife.

The bands and the edges of the handles are now detailed.

Each bowl gets 2-3 coats of milk paint. Milk paint is great stuff, tough as nails and totally non-toxic once it’s dried. I get mine from the Old Fashioned Milk Paint company. After the paint has dried, I scuff-sand it to get it smooth (the paint has a gritty surface) and to expose some wood at the facets and edges.

The last step is oiling. You can see how different the paint and the sanded interior look with and without the oil. I use a heat-treated walnut oil from Mike Mahoney. It’s an edible finish and very easy to take care of. These bowls can be scrubbed hard. You don’t have to coddle them.

Here’s a stack of completed porringers made to order for a good friend up in Portland.