Black Locust Burl Hollow Form "A"

[George Guadiane]

This is the larger of two pieces I managed to scavenge from a short I picked up at my local mulch yard (I have free run, all for the price of a soft maple burl hollow form).
Black locust, generally makes my favorite finished pieces. Yes, its hard, but I find the things I get when I'm done to be worth the extra effort.
Hollowed with my Rolly Munro articulated hollower on my Randy Privitt Monster articulated hollowing setup (I like articulation?)

This piece is 10 inches in diameter by 6 inches high and turned to about 1/4 of an inch thick. I left a little bit of a foot, I was concerned about how thin it seemed at the bottom.
Sanded to 400 till I decide if and/or what to finish it with.
Questions, Comments and Critiques always welcome.

[Mike Davis NC]

Looks like you hollowed a hollow tree. I find a lot of them like that, seems the blight or what ever it is kills the tree then they rot from the inside.

Beautiful form!

[John Keeton]

George, very nice work! Did you use a donut chuck to finish off the bottom?

[George Guadiane]

Looks like you hollowed a hollow tree. I find a lot of them like that, seems the blight or what ever it is kills the tree then they rot from the inside.

Beautiful form!

Actually Mike, the wood was rock solid all the way through. I just selected a bigger blank with holes from the wood that was there. If I had gone with bark and hole free, the form would have been much smaller.


George, very nice work! Did you use a donut chuck to finish off the bottom?

Thanks John,
Actually, I only used part of the donut chuck. I turned the tenon down to a nub between centers, adding the details as I went, and then knocked off the last little bit and sanded off the bump.

[Christopher K. Hartley]

George, some folks like to spin wood with some holes. Me thinks you like to spin air with a little wood in it.:D Another fine job. Congrats!:)

[David DeCristoforo]

Well that's gonna make it real easy to get the candy out! Not sure I would have the cojones to even try that one...

[David E Keller]

Love it! Love it! Love it!

[James Combs]

I will bet you knew when it was turning. I probably sounded like a siren.

[Don Alexander]

whoa and i thought the oak burl i turned last week was nerve racking because of the big void tthrough it it didn't hold a candle to this piece though

realy nice and props for making a great looking piece out of a hole hehe

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great job George. I can't imagine the pucker factor involved.

[Nathan Hawkes]

Seriously great piece. I have to agree about the pucker factor!! Great job on this and the other form you posted as well. Locust is such a gorgeous wood!

[Jeff Fagen]

Look like a tough sanding job.

[George Guadiane]

I have to say, I probably could have turned this to half the thickness it is, if I actually had the cojones. The wood is very strong, along with being so beautiful.
To my surprise, the piece didn't whistle or sing much, even with the tool cutting (that's how I know I could have gone thinner). It does flex a little under pressure, but only a little.

If anyone has any critique on improvements, I WOULD be happy to hear that too.
Thank you all for your comments.
G

[Greg Ketell]

Awesome job!! I love it!!!


If anyone has any critique on improvements, I WOULD be happy to hear that too.The first two photos show that the line between the neck and the shoulder is pretty much straight. For a HF that is so "natural" I think that would look better as a slight curve. And the shoulder, to my eye, seems a little too sharp.

If you had lowered and rounded the shoulder just a bit then you would have a smoother and more pleasing set of curves. And, as always, this is just opinion so feel free to take it for what you paid for it. :D

[Jim Burr]

I wish there was something else I could say other than "WoW!!"

[Baxter Smith]

Very cool piece!