apple wood markings question

[Sean Hughto]

I turned a simple apple bowl this weekend. It's around 9x3". The wood was probably more than halfway dry as it had a slight dampness to the shavings, but nothing like when turning green wood. Here's a poor picture (never mind the colorful accents I added as I messed about in Photoshop) that shows this upside down sort of pineapple shaped area in the grain. Does anyone know what that is from? My guess is that it may just be a part of the blank that was wetter than the rest and will gradually disappear as the bowl dries over the next weeks and months, but so far it has been hard to detect much change. The bowl is not deforming much as it dries so far, so either it's drying evenly or wasn't all that wet, I guess. The rim ( ~ 1/2") is about twice as thick as the walls and bottom (~ 3/16ths), FWIW.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2781/4302434174_69f586bac8.jpg

[Gary Chester]

No idea what the markings are but I like the bowl...

[Dick Sowa]

Dunno what it could be. Does it go all the way through the blank? Was it present when you turned away the inside?

[Sean Hughto]

Yep, Dick, it goes all the way though. And if you hold the bowl up to a strong light in a dim room, the light is visible though that section (orange glow kinda thing), and pretty much not at all anywhere else.

And yes, even when roughing the blank into shape, the distinction, though a different shape before rendered a bowl, was evident - sort of a zig zag distinction across the blank that didn't correspond to the grain.

[Nathan Hawkes]

Sean, I love apple!! When fresh it just showers you in sweet smelling sap! I see the "pineapple" shape youre talking about. I cant explain the phenomenon, but as it grows, apple heartwood doesn't always follow the rings of the tree in a circle. That is to say generally the center ringss are dark, and outer rings light, and but the light areas can extend well into the center of rings that are darkened on other parts of the same log. Its really quite attractive, IMO, and makes for very unique patterns not unlike spalting in other woods. Honestly I don't know what causes it, but it has been the same in all of the pieces of apple I have been lucky enough to get my hands on! Macassar ebony is another wood that has "mottled" markings throughout the heartwood that dont follow the growth rings.

[Sean Hughto]

Thanks, Nathan, I knew some expereinced guys here would have seen something like this before. New to me. I love wood's surprises. And, I do love apple.

[Tim Browne]

Your observations with the light suggest that the lighter areas are less dense that the others. I have no idea why it would grow that way but it certainly adds another point of interest to an already attractive piece.