Vase from neighbor's backyard tree

[Mark Burge]

I don't know what wood this is, but it is from a large slab that came near the roots. There was some nice grain patterns. It turned pretty well, but I need to work on my bowl gouge sharpening technique. It would get dull and catch on the sides a lot. The wood was turned green, so the final vase moved to a more oval shape. The walls of the vase are a bit thicker than the rim section. I didn't follow the outside contours, but just made a smooth side on the inside. Finish is Tung Oil.

Oh, and I don't know what kind of tree it was. Any guesses?

I gave it to the neighbors as thanks for the wood. This started a conversation in which I found out that the man of the house also does some woodworking. We had just never talked about that before. Surprise-surprise.

Comments are welcome and thanks for looking.
- Mark

[George Guadiane]

No guess on the wood (it could be so many things), but NICE VASE!

[Rick Prosser]

Neat vase, nice figure in the grain.

No idea what wood. Could mention a few that it is not...

[Nathan Hawkes]

Nice work. By the rays in the wood, I'd say its some sort of oak. No idea what variety though. You have different oaks in AL than we do here...

[Steve Schlumpf]

Mark - that's a good looking vase! First guess on the wood - Ash. Check with your neighbor - being a woodworker - he may know what it is.

[Jerry Rhoads]

Mark, I agree with Steve. Looks like ASh. Nice looking work. Great gift for the Neighbor.

Jerry

[Mark Burge]

Ash is probably right, now that I think about it. I thought it might have been a maple, but the bark didn't look right. Nathan, it does have a light color like an oak, but the pores are not open and it is a little more tight grained than that.

I've got several more blanks from the tree, but I'm afraid I didn't get to them soon enough and they checked pretty badly. Maybe I can get some smaller pieces from them.
- Mark

[Dick Strauss]

I'd guess it might be live oak common to the Southeast and the CA Coast. Live oak is the type of tree you often see the spanish moss hanging from in the old South.

[Tim Cleveland]

Really nice vase, Mark. I would have to agree with Nathan and Dick that it looks like oak beacause of the rays. Not all oaks have coarse grain. Also, I live right around were you live (about 20-30 minutes away from Trussville), and all the oaks that I come across have that small (sometimes large) void at the pith.

Tim

[Jarrod McGehee]

I'd say it looks like some kind of oak

[Brian McInturff]

I like the form. What's the dimensions? Looks like it's got some size to it. As for the wood I would probably agree with Steve and go with Ash. But having lived in Alabama for a few years there are lots more oaks than ash. But does it really matter. Ash is sorta in the oak family(if memory is correct) Good job on it regardless.

[Mark Burge]

Okay, you guys are starting to convince me. Maybe this was an oak. The wood turned pretty similar to some wood that I know is oak.

I didn't get it's measurements before it went to live next door, but it was about 4 1/2" in diameter and about 6-7" tall (that's a 2X4 its sitting on). It is a larger piece for me on my Jet mini and I haven't made a steady rest yet.

Thanks for the kind words on the form. I was pretty pleased myself. The part you can't see is that it needs to be a little thinner inside. This reflects my lack of long and strong tools to get to the bottom of a piece like this without a lot of chatter.
- Mark