Coolibah Hollow Form w/Finial

[BILL DONAHUE]

This one is coolibah, 7 1/2" wide x 8" high. The finial is supposed to be ebony, but I had to stain it to get it really black. Like others have said (warned) on this site, coolibah is like turning concrete, you need sharp tools, a steady hand, gloves and patience. Even after sanding to 600 grit the collibah is so hard that rubbing fingers over the many cracks and voids is like running them over a razor. Since there was no way this could be buffed, I opted to use wipe on poly for a finish. Nevertheless, the looks of the end product is worth the trouble.

[Ron Bontz]

Absolutely beautiful. Where does a guy find this stuff.:)

[Kurt Rosenzweig]

WOW! Bill this is the bestest piece I've seen in quite awhile!

[Robert McGowen]

Very nice! That must have been a real pain to hollow out. Did you do it by hand or use a hollowing rig?

[David E Keller]

Beautiful wood. I love the aussie burls, and this one in particular has a lot of character. Very nice form and finial. I love it.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Very nice work Bill! Pretty wood, excellent proportions, nice form and really nice detail work on the finial! I am sure it was a lot of work but the end product sure was worth the effort! Thanks for sharing!

[John Keeton]

Beautiful wood!! Sounds like it was a nightmare to turn, though. But, as you said, the end result is worth the price!

[charlie knighton]

very nice...

[Bernie Weishapl]

Beautiful Bill. Wood is just awesome and your finial look good.

[Baxter Smith]

Very pretty. Love the contrasting colors!

[Bill Bolen]

Gorgeous wood and beautifully turned. Love the form and the finial is a grand fit...Bill..

[MIKE E BEE]

That is a fantastic piece. WOW!! Love the wood.

[Dave Halter]

Awesome piece!!

[Michael Short]

Bill,

That is a beautiful piece. Thanks for posting.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Gorgeous wood....great form......great finial.....Very nicely done Bill!

[Curt Fuller]

Man Bill, you knocked that one out of the park! That's a beauty.

Just curious, what kind of wood is the collar and finial made from?

[GLENN THOMAS]

Bill,

Very beautiful combination of wood and form. I have never seen or heard of coolibah before.

GT

[Mark Burge]

Very cool. I think the grain resembles cross sections of a brain in spots. Lovely work.

[alex carey]

perfection

[Tom Giacomo]

Beautiful piece, wonderful work.

[Jon Lanier]

Wow! :eek:

[neil mackay]

Nice one Bill and a fine piece of Coolbah.

Your lucky most Australian Burls sent to the US are cut green from living trees. The ones that re taken from long dead trees are much harder and slower to work.
I have several waiting to be turned and have been putting it off for quite some time.
I have to wear a glove on my left hand due to the heat of the chips and the constant stream of hot chips and dust etc will burn the skin. :(

[Jeff Nicol]

The piece has some wonderful color contrasts in the coolibah and the finial works wonderfully with it! So the big thing is, how much does a nice piece of this wood cost? Everythime I think of spending $30-$40 on a turning blank, my brain short circuits!


Jeff

[Toney Robertson]

That is sweeeeeet.

Just one question. Why do you say "Since there was no way this could be buffed"?

Toney

[Mike Minto]

jeez, another reason to sell my lathe & tools - magnifique! beautiful piece!

[Michael Jasani]

A piece Excellento!!!! Love the form and the wood!!! Thanks for sharing.

[Brian Effinger]

Your HF is phenomenal Bill. :)

[BILL DONAHUE]

Guys, thank you all for your kind and motivational words. Here are some answers to the questions:
Ron, purchased the coolibah from a member of the local club, Artistic Woodturners of N.W. Florida. He does woodworking and inlays burls into table tops.

Robert, used a mini-monster hollowing system. Mine was purchased for a Jet mini just before I unexpectedly got a used PM 3520B. Now I have to spring for the larger unit.

Curt, the finial was supposed to be ebony but it wasn't all that black after being turned so I dyed it black.

Toney, It couldn't be buffed because it contains over 100 small and sharp holes and cracks, some of which show up in the one close up photo. It would tear up a bufffing wheel and I don't know how one would ever get the lint out of the piece.