Black Poisonwood

[Robert McGowen]

This is the first time to use this kind of wood. It is Chechen from Mexico and South America. It is also known as Black Poisonwood, due to the nature of the sap, which will burn your skin. I got it as a 2"x4" in a large purchase of wood from an individual going out of business. It was a dull brownish-orange color on the outside, but an awesome reddish color on the inside of the board. I have no idea if it is going to change colors from what is it now. It was very easy to turn and finished very nicely. It only has two coats of Antique Oil on it at this point and it was already so reflective, that it was hard to photograph.

60 pieces of Chechen and 1 piece of curly maple floating between rings for the bottom. 6" wide and 3.25" tall.

Critiques and comments are welcome. Thanks!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Wow - now that is some amazing wood! Love the color!

Once again - amazing joinery! You've got this segmenting stuff down to an art!

Very nice work! Thanks for sharing!

[John Tomasello jr]

That is truly amazing wood, fantastic form, fit & finish. Did you have any allergic reactions while turning or sanding it?

[Jeff Nicol]

I bought a bowl blank probably 6 months ago and need to get it turned now that I ee your piece. Nice colors and grain.

Jeff

[John Keeton]

Is this a primer on how to take a 2" x 4" and make a 6" wide and 3.25" tall pot pourii bowl???:D And, they always said you couldn't stretch a board!

The color and depth of the wood is remarkable, and the joinery you get on these things is unbelievable, Robert.

Perfect form and, as you indicated, the finish of the wood is very nice.

[Jon McElwain]

Beautiful! I love the maple "prize" in the bottom of the bowl. Dido the above joinery comments! Did you glue joints right off the saw, or did you sand after cutting?

[Robert McGowen]

That is truly amazing wood, fantastic form, fit & finish. Did you have any allergic reactions while turning or sanding it?
I purchased a 3M R-7512ES Professional Half-Mask Organic Vapor, N95 Respirator off of Amazon a while back. I wear it anytime I am in the shop, so no problems with the wood that I am aware of! The respirator was about $30 and does not fog up my glasses. I highly recommend it.

[Robert McGowen]

Beautiful! I love the maple "prize" in the bottom of the bowl. Dido the above joinery comments! Did you glue joints right off the saw, or did you sand after cutting?

I sanded the segments and used the "half-ring" method to join the segments together to make sure all the joints were tight.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Beautiful Robert. That is a some awesome color on that wood.

[David E Keller]

Such a stunning color! Much prettier than any Chechen I've ever been able to get. Great looking piece.

[John Tomasello jr]

I sanded the segments and used the "half-ring" method to join the segments together to make sure all the joints were tight.

Robert I am thinking the 'half-ring" method would be gluing up the 2 halves of the ring separately then truing them up on a belt or disc sander before final glue up of the ring

[Robert McGowen]

Robert I am thinking the 'half-ring" method would be gluing up the 2 halves of the ring separately then truing them up on a belt or disc sander before final glue up of the ring

Right idea, but easier technique. You put a small dowel (I use a 1/4" piece) between two segments on opposite sides of each other, obviously with no glue. This allows any error from each side to "accumulate" on the ends when the clamp is placed on it. Once the glue dries, you just sand each half to fit (should not be much sanding if your angles are correct to start with) and glue the two halves together. Easier than it sounds and you get perfect joints with just one more step than trying to glue the entire ring at once. (hopefully anyway :D)

[John Tomasello jr]

Thanks Robert makes sense will have to try it out.

[Richard Madison]

That's a nice one Robert. Spectacular color. Hope it holds.

[Baxter Smith]

Great joints and the color is stunning! I roughed out some potpourri bowls this week out of holly and apple. They sure won't look like this! Great job!

[charlie knighton]

very nice...

[Bill Bolen]

Beautiful wood....better turning. Love it...Bill..

[Roland Martin]

Ditto on the quality of the joinery. That is some really beautiful wood. Form & finish is great.

[Curt Fuller]

I love that wood Robert, and I like the way you sit the pewter lids up on top of the bowl. That really looks good.

BTW, one of the best books I've ever read was 'The Poisonwood Bible'. The setting for it was in Africa but I wonder if it is the same wood.

[alex carey]

loving the wood, great job.

[Brian Effinger]

Pretty little form, and great job on the segmenting. Well done Robert.

[James Roberts]

Awesome color and great form and finish. Hope the color stays just the way it is. You do some truly amazing work, thanks for sharing

[Tom Sontag]

I'll agree with the others on the beauty of your piece.

Chechen or redheart color DOES fade over time, especially in UV light, to the tan color you noted earlier. Almost no color in wood is permanent. I put the red in box elder and redheart in the "Less Permanent than Most" category. Bloodwood is perhaps best at retaining the red, but I think that fresh redheart is prettier. You certainly captured it.