Spalted Cottonwood Bowl

[Curt Fuller]

This is just a pretty plain jane bowl except for the wood. This is some cottonwood crotch that also has some blackish spalting and a bunch of cracks filled with sawdust and CA, and some nice chatoyance in the wood. It's 11" x 2.75" and finished with mineral oil. It's the first time I've ever finished a bowl with mineral oil. Sanded to 400, rub a generous amount of oil on, wipe it off, and it's done. Has a real nice feel to it.

It also has a round bottom so it rocks and rolls!

[David Christopher]

Curt, thats a very nice bowl and the wood is beautiful....nothing plain about it

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Curt....The simple classis form allows the wood to deservedly be the star of that show. Nicely done Sir!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking bowl Curt out of some beautiful wood.

[steven carter]

Curt,

Great looking bowl, there sure is a lot going on in it. Really like the curl.

Steve

[Allen Neighbors]

Holy Mackeral! What a bowl! Can't get any better than that!! I'll bet it's light as a feather, too! I love old cottonwood!
Exceptional work!

[alex carey]

That is a wonderful bowl and a wonderful piece of wood. Ken is definitely right, sometimes the best thing for a piece of wood like that is a simple shape.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Wow! Does that thing come with it's own battery? Looks like it has lights from within! Beautiful wood! Love all the color variations and the curl! Great looking bowl!

Have to ask why the mineral oil?

[neil mackay]

Looks good to me Curt. :)

Something I dont see too much of "down under" is highly spalted timber. Thats something you folk "up and over" have an abundance of.

[Jeff Nicol]

Curt, All I have to say is that I agree with all of the above!!

Very nice,

Jeff

[robert hainstock]

Another of ypur "best pieces". :D:D:D
Bob

[ROY DICK]

Plain? no. Pretty? Indeed.

Roy

[Brian Effinger]

That's a beautiful bowl. With wood that nice, a simple form is always the best way to go.

Brian

[Curt Fuller]

Thanks everyone!



Have to ask why the mineral oil?

Steve, I've read dozens of debates over the years about food safe finishes. It never made sense to me to use mineral oil, which is just highly refined petroleum. But somewhere along the way I guess I was swayed into thinking about it enough that I picked up a bottle at the grocery store and read the label telling all the possible uses. If you can injest it and rub it on you and all that stuff then I figured it probably wouldn't hurt to get a little dab on your lettuce. And it's very easy to apply, even easier than walnut oil. And it should be just as easy to re-apply when it needs it. It gives a very nice low sheen and smooth soft feel to the wood too.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Curt - I have used mineral oil as a finish for cutting boards, spreaders and spoons but never on a bowl as it does not dry. If you plan on using this as a salad bowl - then it makes perfect sense to me. Personally, I would have placed this bowl on the mantle to display the beauty of the wood! Never thought about actually using something I consider 'art'!

[Jim Kountz]

Beautiful!! Theres so much going on there it takes a few minutes to see it all!!

[Dewey Torres]

That sure was one awesome blank you had there. Great work as usual!