One day over the Christmas holidays we had our friends over for a get together and a campfire outside. As were sitting in front of the fire, I'm getting ready to throw this piece of red elm that I have been saving for a really big fire. It was a large triple crotch piece that there was no way I could split with my maul (I only hand split). My buddy says don't through that in the fire! He asked if he can turn it into a bowl and thought it might have some interesting figure to it. I said sure. Pictures below of what he just finished from it.
Beautiful piece there, Fanatical1!! It's amazing what lies inside some of the splits we throw into the fire! Welcome to the site, I can tell from this post already you are going to fit right in around here!!
Thanks for the kind words and I think you have a bunch of great guys here. There's a lot of truth to some of the "jewels" we through into our fire piles at times. I have a lot of respect for people that have woodworking skills. Someday I too would like to be turning some wood bowls.
Nice turned piece there. I too pick the wood piles and scrutinize usable pieces for wood projects. Storm damaged pieces have a particular appeal to me. I currently have more pieces to work than time right now. Welcome to FHC, there is a good group of folks here with all sorts of similar interests.
Honey Locust 3.5 x 13" July 1998. Roughed out when green,walls around 1/2" thick, end grain sealed with yellow glue,buried in a pile of dry shavings/ wrapped in newspaper then finished about a month later.Walls are around 1/16" thick at top edge,about 1/4" near base.Have a fat Red Elm candleholder from early '90's that's around 4.5" at base & 1.5 at top (I call it Aladdin's Lamp ) upstairs in main living room but never took a pic of it.Its a bit "rougher" than my later work cause I was quite new then & had a much smaller lighter weight lathe than current one purchased in April 1996. Honey Locust isn't easy to work with hand or machine tools - density is similar to Hickory & not as resilient,can be a wee bit brittle at times.Tests your patience.But has tight grain & finishes smoothly inspite of its fairly coarse texture,takes a very high polish with care.
That's a great looking bowl you have. Very large and pretty grain to it. Looks similar in color to the red elm bowl my friend did. I think my friend usually uses just a wood wax after polishing.
