Plum Flower

[Baxter Smith]

Another day-another bowl. Actually a couple but I will only bore you with a finished one. After looking at a design posted by Mike Bee this morning,
( liking it but also making a comment about a possible change) I figured I had better put my gouge where my mouth was. So if you like this, Mike gets the credit!

The blank had some shake to start with. I know Bill Grumbine said “use those for firewood” but it was the other side of a NE roughout I had just done and since I was trying something new…... Between the thinness and me being slow, it started to split in a couple of places. The CA stopped it, at least for now.

With the pink I was trying to go for the flower look. You will need to use your imagination! From some angles its ok. From others, the rim seems too heavy. Critique away!

4 ½ x 1 ¾ x 1/8 -finished with Danish Oil and bagged

[David E Keller]

I like it, but I agree that the rim seems a little heavy. You been looking for a reason to do some carving? You could sculpt some petals into that rim and lighten the look a bit. No experience doing that type of thing... Just a thought.

[John Keeton]

Baxter, you are a turnin' machine!! I can't get over how beautiful that plum is, and you certainly complimented it with this one. I kind of like the look. David's idea on carving is a thought, as would be some piercings around the rim to let some light/background show thru.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Baxter - considering the total number of bowls you've turned so far - this is great! Beautiful wood! Love the grain and color variation! Nice job on the finish as well!

The rim could be smaller but then it would lose the flower look and just be a bowl with a wide rim. You always have the option of carving it or just a portion of it but that is up to you.

Nice work! Looking forward to the next one!

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Nice one Baxter, and yes pretty wood, hope you can keep it from splitting any farther, as it is nice like that, and yes you could cut it on the edge a bit like petal ends and cut most of the split out, but I do like it as is now, well done :D

[MIKE E BEE]

Fantastic work Baxter! Certainly glad to be a part of your inspiration. We are doing pretty good for a couple of rookie's. Nice work there!

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is a great looking bowl Baxter. Wood is really pretty.

[Dennis Ford]

Excellent work! Plum is too nice of a wood to burn just because of minor defects and this looks great. The carving idea and possibly even a pedestal with thin stem would extend the flower concept but it is a nice bowl as is.

[Jerry Rhoads]

OOOOH.
I like it, & I love Plum
The rim flowing into the bowl with its colors and textures are very nice

Jerry

[Rob Cunningham]

That's a nice looking bowl Baxter.

[Baxter Smith]

David - thats an interesting thought about the carving. It would add a great touch to a bowl that was flower like in shape. As for me doing it-you must have me confused with that other new turner, the "arteest " guy.:D

John - it truly is beautiful wood! I'm sure someone out there knows and I almost hate to ask. Is it all going to just become shades of brown? Piercing the rim? hmm, poking holes I could handle!

Steve - thanks, I thought the apple was great but this is everybit as good. I have only done one roughout of it. Its hard to resist the temptaion to turn it to the end!

Leo - Cutting the petal shapes would be a great way to remove a split. (would work on one but not the shake) I am hoping it won't come to that!
I don't know if it could split badly enough for my carving/cutting to improve it!

Mike - As I said before, thanks for the idea. I was worried more than once when cutting around the rim:eek: that I wasn't going to have anything to show you what I meant.:) You are doing very well!

Bernie, Dennis, Jerry and Rob - thanks, the wood really makes it. And as for the little plum scraps that appear when I am rounding out the blank on the bandsaw, they are getting anchorsealed.:)

Thank you all for the complements and carving petal and stem idea's. I shall be filing those along with all the other insights I've gained here!

[gary butcher]

That is very nice, I really like the look of that plum and want to find some for myself now.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

/snip//snip/:D

John - it truly is beautiful wood! I'm sure someone out there knows and I almost hate to ask. Is it all going to just become shades of brown? Piercing the rim? hmm, poking holes I could handle!

Leo - Cutting the petal shapes would be a great way to remove a split. (would work on one but not the shake) I am hoping it won't come to that!
I don't know if it could split badly enough for my carving/cutting to improve it!

/snip//snip/



Baxter all wood change color from fresh cut, some more than others, some look better later, some don't :)

As I just saw your post I went upstairs and picked 2 plum-wood bowls we have in use, they were finished in 2002, they are not that red as when freshly turned, but I think they still do look very nice.
I made a picture to show the color, I didn't go and clean and polish them, they are just as they were/are :) ;)

138078


As for cutting the petals, I would wait at least until the wood is dry, I'm sure if the split opens up some and nothing else happens to the bowl, that you could saw small curved parts out and sand nice and smooth, it isn't as hard as it looks, you just have to have the guts to start cutting, DAMHIKT :rolleyes:

[Baxter Smith]

Thanks for taking the time to take the pictures Leo. They have lost some of their WOW factor but they are still very pretty bowls. I like their soft glow. Since you mentioned they were in use, do you remember how they were finished and what kind of use? I like the softer more natural look and would like to potentially use any bowl I keep.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Baxter I'm scratching my head here a bit ;-)), I'm not certain, I'm quite sure that they have Tung oil on them, but not sure if it was pure tung oil or the polymerized tung oil.

I think it is pure tung oil, polymerized would have more of a high gloss I think.

It's used is for things like mixed nuts or peanuts, chocolate chunks, snacks and stuff like that, one has always a little spoon in it that I turned its handy for scooping some peanuts.

[Baxter Smith]

Thanks Leo. Good idea on the spoon too. Now I'm tyring to figure out how you would do that one! Don't tell me. It will be fun to figure out.:)