1st "good" bowls

[Jon Finch]

Although not truely my "first" bowl, these are the first I've turned that I like and feel good about signing my name to :).

Chinese Elm, 8"x3", buffed out Watco


Cocobolo, 5"x3", buffed


I really like the look of elm, but not the feel. The grain is too open for me. It needs a grain filler, imo. I've got a few hundred pounds more of the elm to turn for practice. Also, I need to sand more and mix in some sanding in a direction other then the way the lathe spins. Also I need a better way to finish out the bottoms. I think I'll be working on a vacuum chuck this weekend. Oh and I buffed these pieces out with the Beall system... HOLY COW does that put a nice sheen on cocobolo!!!

Comments and directions welcome.

[alex carey]

looking good, like the one on the right more. Few hundred pounds of elm, how did you manage that?

[Mike Zipparo]

Bowls are looking good, Jon.

I would like to have a vacuum chuck, but have put more effort into turning than tooling as of late. My experience is that a jam chuck works pretty good for forming the bottoms.
_______________________
Mike

[Billy Tallant]

Bowls look good. I'm partial to that one on the right though.

[Jon Finch]

Yeah, I'm a sucker for cocobolo too. And that Beall buffer makes it look so good you just wanna touch it.

On a slightly different track. I made a handle for a drill bit tonight out of a mystery wood. I'm pretty sure it's a fruit wood and I think it's apple but I'm not sure. Can you tell by this attached picture? Whatever it is I need to find more of it...

[charlie knighton]

very nice....

[John Keeton]

Jon, another vote for the cocobolo, however, I like the elm, too. On woods like that, my thought is that the grain is simply part of the character of the wood and doesn't show as well with a glossy finish. Looks nice to me the way it is.

Your handle almost looks like a piece of cherry with the sapwood.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Jon - nice work on both bowls!

Not to intentionally run contrary to the rest of the guys, but, I like the Elm better and that is because of the open form of the bowl combined with the distinct grain of the wood. I also prefer the rim of the Elm bowl as it adds a little something extra to the form.

[Rob Cunningham]

I like both bowls Jon.
For sanding, I use a 2" diameter hook and loop sanding pad that mounts into an electric drill, similar to this:
http://abrasives4sale.com/wavy_edge_discs.htm

[David E Keller]

Both nice... I liike the shape of the elm bowl better, but you gotta love the color and shine of that cocobolo. Very nice work.

[Ken Hensley]

Jon, They are both very nice and I am having a very hard time picking a favorite. I like the form of the first and the color and grain of the second. Nicely done.

Ken:D

[Jon Finch]

Just bought some small sanding discs and pads. Thanks.

On form, the elm bowl started out about 2 inches taller and a little more curvy. But the rim developed a check that required it to be turned down to what you see. It's not bad, but I'd like another inch or two in height.

John, on the handle... the wood does look kind of like cherry but the log (bark) didn't look like cherry to me. But I'm certainly not a bark expert. The photo doesn't catch it but there are very thin but dark purplish/red veins in the wood near the heartwood/sapwood interface that looks awesome. I just wish the log I got of this didn't have a check all the way through it.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Both are great looking bowls. Really nice form and finish.

[Curt Fuller]

Both the bowls are beauties! One thing about living in Utah, you'll never have a shortage of chinese elm.

As for the drill bit handle, I've just been turning some fruit cherry, which has a very different look than the black cherry the easterners have and your piece looks like fruit cherry to me.

[Kenneth Whiting]

Good job Jon. I like them both. Hope to see plenty more from that few hundred pounds of elm soon.