Spruce Burl Party Platter

[Baxter Smith]

Thanks for all the suggestions on what do do with that spruce burl. All of them were good ones and I could have done any of them. When I went out to the shop this morning I still hadn’t made up my mind. Carried it outside, rolled it this way and that, then went back in and picked up the chainsaw. Somethings going to happen!
Changed the angle on the bottom a bit then cut off about a 3 inch slab leaving what I hope:eek: will be enough to do something else (with the part I wanted most!)
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Eyeballed the center to screw on a faceplate where I though it might balance best, but should have measured.
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Mounted it on the lathe and did the bottom with a recess to hold it when flipped.
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Left the faceplate on so I could reverse again if necessary.
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After smoothing out the top, I contemplated flipping it back again and making a winged bowl. Because I hadn't measured to begin to center the faceplate I already had one little bit of wing. But since most of the neater grain was nearer the bottom I went with the party platter.
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Width varies from just under 23 to just over 27 x 7/16 thick. The smaller bowl is 12" and both are 3" high.
Wrapped some stretch wrap around the outside edge and the smaller bowl inside. Then stuck it in a paper leaf bag where it can relax and think about its future. And I can think about the sanding! :rolleyes:

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And the winner is:D……. Seriously though… a thank you to Curt Fuller for suggesting I cut a slab off the bottom. Never occurred to me. Let me know what you think, good or bad, and whether or not I should trim of that bit of wing. I would just do it by hand when it comes time to sand.


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And tomorrows another day.

[Rick Markham]

Baxter, that's really some nice work! That is a super cool piece, I can't wait to see what it looks like when ya finish it. Your getting into some really big pieces, I can't wait to get to try some outboard turning on my mustard monster! I'll leave the suggesting to the other's but I really like it!

[John Keeton]

Baxter, I have "faked" a few areas on NE pieces before when area were missing or damaged - most recently on the piece of burl from David Reed that I used for the copper leaf application in the void. On this piece, which is very neat BTW!, I would be inclined to round over both of the square wings (or, at least the larger one) to fit in a little with the overall shape. Once darkened with some dye, I doubt anyone would notice.

Good use of the burl to this point!! There is a very nice HF waiting in the rest of it!

[Roland Martin]

That is huge, Baxter. One single person shouldn't be allowed to have that fun:D. I personally like it just the way it is, I really think it's fantastic, but I'm sure you'll get all kinds of suggestions. No matter what you do with this at this point, it's definitely a winner. Wow, that is BIG! Can't wait to see it with some finish.

[Fred Perreault]

Baxter.... that is a real winner. Nice burl, nice looking wood, good looking tools, and great courage. Some wood looks good enough to eat. maybe I shoulda' been a beaver, or a termite :)

[Doug W Swanson]

Very well done. It looks like you turned two separate things and just glued the bowl to the platter. Excellent idea!

[philip labre]

Great piece Baxter and can't wait to see it finished. Also, I may have to pilfer your idea for the outboard turning rest. Thanks!

[charlie knighton]

very nice, thanks for sharing, looking forward to your finish turning

[tom martin]

Nicely done Baxter!
I'm with John on this one, I think a slightly rounded edge on the two square wings would enhance the turning not that there is anything wrong with it the way it is! A super bowl for the super bowl???? I am really impressed with the outboard turning rest. nice and simple.
Thanks for sharing,
Tom

[Jim Burr]

Your going to need some help eating all the guacamole that monster will hold!! I'm on the wagon with the rounded corners...good cut-out for a mug holder!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Baxter - thanks for the sequence photos - sure looks like you had fun! I agree with working on the straight cut wings a little to bring them closer to the natural edges on the rest of the piece. Looking forward to seeing this one finished!

[Bill Bolen]

Baxter you have grown fearless in your old age! I'm anxious as can be to see the final outcome...Good luck...Bill...

[Michael James]

Awesome piece there! No matter what you do, it's gonna be one of a kind, and it's going to look great.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Baxter that is a beauty. Can't wait to see the final finish on it.

[dan carter]

Man, what an advertisement for Powermatic. :-) Nice work; procrastination or should it be said, careful study? sure paid off for you.
1. Very good outcome using a nice piece of wood.
2. Looking forward to seeing it with a finish.
3. Very nice outboard tool rest.

[Tim Thiebaut]

That is a cool looking piece of wood you have yourself, the platter looks great in my opinion

[Baxter Smith]

Thanks for all the feed back. It is appreciated and helps me see things I wouldn't have otherwise! The wings I was actually referring to :owere not the ones where I cut off the roots. I shall strongly consider "refining" those a bit.

Because I did not measure from side to side when placing the faceplate initially, I came to the edge of the NE part on one side sooner than the other when shaping the bottom. As a result, I created a horizontal wing to keep the true NE on that side. It can be seen in the lower left corner of the next to last picture and the two after that. Do I leave as is, or trim a bit off so the flow is continuous to the bottom, both inside and out.

Baxter - thanks for the sequence photos - sure looks like you had fun! I agree with working on the straight cut wings a little to bring them closer to the natural edges on the rest of the piece. Looking forward to seeing this one finished!
Thanks Steve, I know sequence pictures have been very helpful to me when trying to figure out how things were done. Here are a couple more when the wife came in and picked up the camera. Although it was almost flat on the faceplate side, it stuck out far enough on one spot so it hit my dust collector holder. Taking off half an inch from that spot fixed it.
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Would have been easier to trim/taper a little on the outer side as well. Had to turn pretty slow or the lathe would start moving a bit.;)

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Baxter you have grown fearless in your old age! I'm anxious as can be to see the final outcome...Good luck...Bill...
Foolish would be a better term.:o Had two catches while working on this part of the bowl.
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Luckily my wife wasn't in the shop at the time. Had a catch and ... amazing how fast that gouge was on the floor. Guess there is a first(losing a tool) for everything. A sore middle finger on my left hand as well. Don't know what smacked it, but a good reminder you would think! :)

A half hour later I did the same thing again. Didn't lose the tool from my right hand but thought I might have broken that finger. That cooled my jets for the next 3-4 hours(along with the ice). Couldn't resist getting back on the horse later to finish up. Held it a little gingerly but slowed down the speed. My finger thought it could live with the rougher finish and a little extra sanding later!;)

Thanks again for the input!

[David Reed]

Impressive piece especially while spinning. I agree with remodeling the chainsawed square ends to blend with the natural edges. I see no reason to change any of the other wings from the views we have. How much does it weigh at this stage? I am also available to assist with chips and Guac when finished.
Hope you sore fingers are doing better.

[Rich Aldrich]

Beautiful work. It really pays to be patient and think about what you can make from a piece of wood.

[David DeCristoforo]

Hummm... OK... you win the "Big Cojones" award for this month! I "get" what everyone is saying about the cut edges but I kinda like them as a counterpoint to the NE areas.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Back in the turning world again, and there is Baxter with the big burl :cool:, I must say you did good Baxter :D :D :D, this "party platter" or whatever you want to call it has a story to tell, don't take away from it by rounding the "Log ends", as that is exactly what this burl is all about, at least that is the way I would look at it :), yes you could round it all over, but I think you would take away from it's uniqueness, and make it just another round platter :eek:.

Oh I will not post much the rest of this year, as we bought another house (1700KM North West of here) closer to our oldest son's place, and there's going to be a heck of a lot of things to be done rather than turning :-((( :(

[David E Keller]

That's a great use of that piece of wood. I like the way it turned out, and I'm looking forward to seeing it with a little finish.

Can you tell us a bit more about your outboard setup? It looks like you've got some kind of custom rest mounted to the end of the lathe. I've got a couple of sizable maple burl caps that I'd love to make into natural edge platters, but I don't have an outboard setup. Thanks.

[Baxter Smith]

.... How much does it weigh at this stage? I am also available to assist with chips and Guac when finished.
Hope you sore fingers are doing better.
Thanks David, 4#3 oz according to the old kitchen scale I have in the shop. You are more than welcome to come help break it in.:D A bit swollen and stiff but I can hold a gouge. :)

Hummm... OK... you win the "Big Cojones" award for this month! I "get" what everyone is saying about the cut edges but I kinda like them as a counterpoint to the NE areas.
Thanks David. How about the "Big Middle Finger" or "D...A.."award too?:rolleyes::) Never thought too much about the cut ends. They were just there.

Back in the turning world again, and there is Baxter with the big burl :cool:, I must say you did good Baxter :D :D :D, this "party platter" or whatever you want to call it has a story to tell, don't take away from it by rounding the "Log ends", as that is exactly what this burl is all about, at least that is the way I would look at it :), yes you could round it all over, but I think you would take away from it's uniqueness, and make it just another round platter....
Those cut ends won't be rounded Leo. When I read that comment I just had to smile.:)For better or worse, every piece of wood I have has a story behind it I could tell. Not that anyone would want to listen to them though.:) When I was looking at it on the lathe, I was thinking about how you could see the outline of the burl and how it went almost all the way around the tree, and the pieces of granite and clamshells I had to dig out to cut those roots. See what I mean.;):D I will get 4 or 5 other things out of this burl but they won't talk to me like this one. I am a sucker for the story!
Have missed your posts Leo. Good luck with your move but being close to family has its rewards. Don't envy you moving that lathe!

Beautiful work. It really pays to be patient and think about what you can make from a piece of wood.
Thanks Rich. Listening to others has its rewards too!

[Thomas Canfield]

Nicely done so far. I agree with the comments about the cut edges needing some attention. I'm full of questions.

1. What tool rest are you using? I bought the extension bed and outboard tool rest when I bought my Powermatic, but have not found a piece big enough to try it out, and also still working up nerve.
2. How was the balance and what speed did you have to turn to start and finish?
3. What was weight of original blank?
4. What size face plates and screws are you using? Looks like 4" on inside. Did you later use a chuck or just faceplates?

I'll be looking for the finish platter.

[Baxter Smith]

That's a great use of that piece of wood. I like the way it turned out, and I'm looking forward to seeing it with a little finish.

Can you tell us a bit more about your outboard setup? It looks like you've got some kind of custom rest mounted to the end of the lathe. I've got a couple of sizable maple burl caps that I'd love to make into natural edge platters, but I don't have an outboard setup. Thanks.
The outboard rest was something I built when I was using my Delta and wanted to be able to turn something larger than 12".
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?132882-Outboard-Tool-Rest-Finished–-Now-how-big-a-motor&highlight
The 5x10 3/8 inch plate was bolted to the sheet metal cabinet with 4 bolts. I had to drill new holes in it, and the legs of the powermatic when I moved it over. The swinging arm is made from a couple pieces of 8" long 2" box tubing. 1/4" thick. They are attached to the plate with another piece of box tubing I welded on the plate. Pivots on a 1/2" bolt. The post is 1 1/2 box tubing that slides up and down through a piece of the 2" tubing I welded on the end of the arm. The post has a 2" piece it slides into at the bottom as well so I can adjust the height if I decide to raise the lathe higher at some point. A 1" tool post slides down into the 1/1/2 post and can be locked with the finethread bolt. All other bolts/pivot points I tighten and loosen with a socket wrench. Not fast but good enough for as often as it will be used.

I bolted the bracket on the legs far enough down so it has the potential for about a 38 inch swing. Hadn't planned on that size bowl but perhaps a table top. Thats when I was still thinking about furniture.;) If I ever tried a bowl more than 12 inches deep, I would need to make longer arms. Didn't plan on that with my old lathe.:D
Hope that helps. If not just ask oror I can post a different picture.

[Ron Stadler]

Wow, that had to take on a lot of wrestling around to get that piece started, but well worth the outcome, looks really good and piece that should be treasured.

[Baxter Smith]

Nicely done so far. I agree with the comments about the cut edges needing some attention. I'm full of questions.

1. What tool rest are you using? I bought the extension bed and outboard tool rest when I bought my Powermatic, but have not found a piece big enough to try it out, and also still working up nerve.
2. How was the balance and what speed did you have to turn to start and finish?
3. What was weight of original blank?
4. What size face plates and screws are you using? Looks like 4" on inside. Did you later use a chuck or just faceplates?

I'll be looking for the finish platter.
Thomas, I will try to answer your questions but always feel like I should add a disclaimer about "I really don't know what I am doing half the time." And thats on a good day!:)
1. The tool rest itself was something I made from some drill rod, a 4 inch pipe and an old dumbell handle. I have never seen a robust comfort rest in person, just tried to copy a picture of one. Made 4 of different lengths for 1/2 the price of one. 1/2 the quality too, if I'm lucky!
2. I don't know what speed I started at. One disadvantage/advantage of the 3520A is that it only has a frequency readout on the back. You have to go look, then compare to a chart. When I first got the lathe, I read about mirrors and putting charts on the wall. Thought about it but that was as far as I got. In the turning I have done over the last 4 months, I have only checked once as to what speed I was turning at. Even then it was a half hour after I had stopped and I was wondering about it. I was a couple hundred rpm faster than the owners manual reccomended. I usually have it set on the low range for bowls. Figure that will keep me out of trouble for most of the the ones I turn. I can't say I always leave it there when I want a smoother finish cut.
When the tools on the headstock shelf start rattling around too much I slow down.;) They started pretty early on this piece to begin with. I just checked where I thought the dial might have been when I started and it was probably around 250 plus or minus a 100. Again, I just went by what the lathe was doing. Eventually was able to speed up which helped smooth out the cuts(especially with those wings). Turning up the speed until things smooth out is something I don't mind doing with a 12 inch piece supported with the tailstock. Doing that with this piece wasn't going to happen. After truing up the top I did flip it back around again to take a few passes on the bottom at a higher speed.
3. Never weighed the piece before I put it on the lathe. The piece I cut it from weighed 89. I am guessing 30-40.
4. The faceplate was a 4 inch. 8 #8 1 1/2 sheet metal screws. Stronghold chuck #4 jaws.
Don't forget my disclaimer.:)

Wow, that had to take on a lot of wrestling around to get that piece started, but well worth the outcome, looks really good and piece that should be treasured.
Thanks Ron. The only real wrestling was me trying to get the burl off the rocks and into the boat to begin with.;) It will have some treasured memories.