Octagonal Geometric Spiral Fruit Bowl

The current design has a center base of 100 mm (4 inches) and 17 rings with a 6 mm offset for each ring.  This results in a bowl that is 300 mm (12 inches) in diameter and about 100 mm (4 inches) deep assuming you use 6mm thick MDF, Wood or Acrylic for your build.  If you want a narrower bowl then remove some of the outer rings (this will make the bowl a bit shallower as well. If you like the width but want it shallower then remove some of the inner rings to make a broader base. You can also make it shallower by using thinner material. I recommend using 2P-10 superglue and activator as a good strong rapidly setting adhesive for this project. 

Once you decided on your bowl dimensions and set the rings to be cut, go ahead and process your chosen material with your favorite settings.  For the 6mm MDF I used a power of 95% and speed of 14 mm/sec on the P3. This produced perfect cuts with minimal charring.  Post-process your material as appropriate (cleaning sanding, etc.) before you proceed to gluing the pieces together in the next step. 

Start with the outer ring placed top surface down on a non-absorbent work surface that is easily cleaned. Spray 2P-10 activator on the exposed surface of the ring.  Then grab the next largest ring, you will want to go slow and “dry” fit each layer before putting glue on. When you set a layer down, you will rotate it slowly clockwise until the points line up with the side wall of the layer beneath it. Carefully ensure that all 8 points are lined up with the outer wall of the ring below. 

Once you are confident you know how it will line up and look, then flip the smaller ring over, and apply a drop of superglue to each corner. Then flip it back over and place it exactly like you did in your dry run.  The activator will cause the superglue to adhere and set in an instant and it will be very firm and not easy to move once you place it. So do your best to get it right the first time. 

Once the glue is set, spray the combined pieces with the 2P-10 activator and prepare to do the next ring. Work from your largest ring, the top of the bowl, and add each progressively smaller layer in the same way. Apply activator spray each time before you glue on the next layer.  Keep progressing until you add the solid piece on the bottom.

Once the bowl is completely assembled and the glue has dried, clean the bowl with dish soap and water and then once dry you can apply your favorite wood finish or other surface treatment if desired. I used Wood Honey on MDF and any wood products. I don't use any surface treatment on acrylic.