Peter Bloomfield demonstrating the process of scorching the outside of a bowl. Normally, Peter would wear face & body protection. They have been dispensed with here for photographic reasons.

The key is to heat small areas until they blacken, and then move on.

The lathe should be off but it can be turned by hand.

Parts of the bowl may flare up but should not actually be on fire.

Several passes may be necessary in the initial burning to get an even blackness.

You can do part of the outside of the bowl on the lathe, but you should be careful of heating up the chuck, especially if it contains non-metal components.

Once the surface has charred, use a metal or plastic bristle brush on a drill to remove the char.

Rod Tier and Dan Steiner observe the work done so far.

A second burn may be necessary to get a more even blackness and to accentuate the grain.

Note that the lathe and surrounding areas have been cleaned of all flammable material beforehand!