Man Uses An Angle Grinder To Transform River Rocks Into Restaurant-Quality Bowls
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High-end restaurants aren't just known for the food they serve, but also for what they serve their culinary creations on. Take inspiration from Michelin-starred eateries and decorate with nature in your home. Switch out your decorative bowls made of ceramic, wood, or wire for vessels carved from large rocks. This might sound like an unconventional decor idea, but for a special event or a dinner party, these chic stone bowls could make a real statement on the table, becoming a talking point for guests. Likewise, they would look great as an entryway console catch-all or a fruit bowl in the middle of your kitchen island.
You could buy a carved rock bowl, but it will cost you. On Etsy, large bowls start at around $100, while small bowls go for $20 or more. Why not save the money and create your own, as Ben Uyeda demonstrated in a tutorial on his TikTok channel? He used an angle grinder to create the depression in the middle of 6- to 12-pound smooth river stones that he sourced from a local landscape materials supplier for $0.35 to $0.40 per pound.
If you feel confident enough to take on a project like this yourself, you'll need the aforementioned angle grinder fitted with a diamond tile-cutting blade, a hammer, and a chisel. Protect yourself with an N95 respirator, goggles, and gloves. Once you create your first bowl, you may be keen to make a whole set. Uyeda says he can make four to five bowls in an hour, so this gives you a rough idea of how long a single bowl might take. Ready to get started? Your new beautiful home decor bowl is just one DIY away!
How to make carved rock bowls for your table
Before getting started carving a depression in a rock, ensure you have a safe environment to work in. You can place the stone in a vice that's attached to a workbench. However, curved objects can sometimes be tricky to fit into a vice. If you encounter this issue, you can place the stone in a small box filled with sand to restrict its movement. First, use your angle grinder to give the stone a flat bottom so that your bowl will sit nicely on a tabletop without tipping over.
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Then turn the rock over and make a variety of straight cuts in the center with the same tool. This creates small triangular sections that are easy to chip out with a hammer and chisel. Once you've chiseled out the center of the stone, fit your angle grinder with a ball grinder on an extension shaft. Use this to smooth out the hollow, working until you're happy with the finish.
If you plan to serve food on your carved rock bowls, you'll need to seal them with a food-grade mineral oil like Kate Naturals Mineral Oil for Wood Cutting Boards. This creates a barrier that helps limit moisture absorption and makes the bowls easier to clean. Another lovely idea to customize your rock bowls is to paint them. Acrylic paint can work well on a porous surfaces like raw stone. However, since most acrylic paints aren't food safe, you'll need to use painted bowls as decoration only.