Bill Grumbine
11-12-2004, 10:00 PM
Since I am in a posting frame of mind, and I just took these pictures on the eve of a show, here are two more cherry burl bowls for your viewing pleasure (I hope!). I titled this thread Flirtin' With Disaster for a very interesting reason, at least to me. When I am in the shop turning, I often have the radio set to a classic rock station. I cannot hear talk radio with the lathe running because of an interference problem with the 3 phase converter. Besides, it is too hard to listen to a conversation and concentrate on the task at hand. I turned these two bowls about a week or so apart, and it just so happens that in the course of turning both of them, Molly Hatchet's song Flirtin' With Disaster came on the radio both times. Now, these radio stations are expert at beating a song to death, but this is one that is rarely trotted out around here, and I found it very interesting that I hit it twice with two tough to turn bowls. Maybe someone is sending me a message. :D
<img src="http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/cherrybaloneyslice01.jpg">
This bowl was a baloney slice out of the tree, and something I almost never turn, for a couple of reasons. First, it is 100% end grain, and second, the pith has to stay in the bowl. However, I was given this cherry bowl by a student of mine. Some criminal had cut the tree into slices appropriate for firewood, and he came upon it after the fact. The burls were too irregular to cut them sideways and get nice pieces out of them, so I decided to risk it all on one big end grain turning. This was a real bear to get round, being that it was pretty close to bone dry by the time I got it, and you can see from the wing how irregular it is.
<img src="http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/cherrybaloneyslice02.jpg">
Here is a profile shot. The overall height is 3 1/2", and across the widest point, it is 15 1/2". In this shot you can see the little bit of regular grain in the bowl portion.
<img src="http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/cherrybaloneyslice03.jpg">
Here is a shot looking down from the top. The burl figure in this thing has to be seen in person to be truly appreciated. Down in the lower part you can see the pith. The whole bowl is 1/4" thick throughout. It is finished with Watco Danish Oil.
<img src="http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/cherrywing01.jpg">
Here is Flirtin' With Disaster 2. I was turning this one just the other day, and running into all sorts of punky parts. I am not one for soaking a bowl with CA glue, but in this case that is exactly what I did. I also managed to get some on my big fat fingers in the process, always a treat. This one is not so big, but it had some parts flying off at high speed. You have to turn pieces like this at high speed to get a better surface, and not have the gouge slip into empty space between the wings as it is spinning. The faster it goes, the better it cuts. But, as a friend of mine used to say, this ain't for the faint of heart.
<img src="http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/cherrywing02.jpg">
Here is a profile of this one. It is 10" across at its widest point, and 2" high. It is also 1/4" thick throughout. I would have liked to have gotten it just a bit thinner, but I was concerned that it might fall apart, so I am content with 1/4".
Thanks for taking a look.
Bill
<img src="http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/cherrybaloneyslice01.jpg">
This bowl was a baloney slice out of the tree, and something I almost never turn, for a couple of reasons. First, it is 100% end grain, and second, the pith has to stay in the bowl. However, I was given this cherry bowl by a student of mine. Some criminal had cut the tree into slices appropriate for firewood, and he came upon it after the fact. The burls were too irregular to cut them sideways and get nice pieces out of them, so I decided to risk it all on one big end grain turning. This was a real bear to get round, being that it was pretty close to bone dry by the time I got it, and you can see from the wing how irregular it is.
<img src="http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/cherrybaloneyslice02.jpg">
Here is a profile shot. The overall height is 3 1/2", and across the widest point, it is 15 1/2". In this shot you can see the little bit of regular grain in the bowl portion.
<img src="http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/cherrybaloneyslice03.jpg">
Here is a shot looking down from the top. The burl figure in this thing has to be seen in person to be truly appreciated. Down in the lower part you can see the pith. The whole bowl is 1/4" thick throughout. It is finished with Watco Danish Oil.
<img src="http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/cherrywing01.jpg">
Here is Flirtin' With Disaster 2. I was turning this one just the other day, and running into all sorts of punky parts. I am not one for soaking a bowl with CA glue, but in this case that is exactly what I did. I also managed to get some on my big fat fingers in the process, always a treat. This one is not so big, but it had some parts flying off at high speed. You have to turn pieces like this at high speed to get a better surface, and not have the gouge slip into empty space between the wings as it is spinning. The faster it goes, the better it cuts. But, as a friend of mine used to say, this ain't for the faint of heart.
<img src="http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/cherrywing02.jpg">
Here is a profile of this one. It is 10" across at its widest point, and 2" high. It is also 1/4" thick throughout. I would have liked to have gotten it just a bit thinner, but I was concerned that it might fall apart, so I am content with 1/4".
Thanks for taking a look.
Bill