Garrett Lambert
04-11-2003, 8:17 PM
Here's a couple of bowls I turned this week. While I like them, I'd be the first to admit they are of no particular artistic merit. What I thought might be of interest are the woods from your neighbours to the north and south. BTW, both have 3 coats of Minwax Paste Wax on them. (No sealer.)
The one on the left is British Columbia Yew (which used to be considered a nuisance tree by loggers, and is now sought for the bark which is used in a cure for uterine cancer). I cut this piece from a thick, dry board left over from one of my cabinet projects a couple of years ago. The photo shows the true colours of both bowls, and as you can see, it has a lovely natural honey tone with attractive fine grain. The wood is very hard and brittle, and the outer edge of the rim is extremely sharp. (I had a lot of trouble taming the end grain.)
<IMG SRC="http://www3.telus.net/GLI/Y&R%20bowls.jpg">
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The one on the right is Mexican Redheart. The blank was purchased competely waxed from Lee Valley Tools. When I cut into it, the moisture content was still quite high, so I rough turned and dried it in the microwave. (A bit too aggressively this time. Fortunately, I caught it just as some small cracks were beginning to show, but they've closed up again.) It has an mildly unpleasant odour when cut, but turns beautifully. Sanding creates a pink dust, which together with the shavings makes a terrible mess. Best to change shoes before walking in the rest of the house! As you can see, it looks an awful lot like Rosewood but is much softer. The grain is quite wild, and the colour deepens and the contrasts intensify with a bit of friction heat while buffing the finish.
BTW, I also turned some local Madrona, and thought the mixed shavings pile, itself, looked rather attractive.
<IMG SRC="http://www3.telus.net/GLI/Shavings.jpg">
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Cheers, Garrett
The one on the left is British Columbia Yew (which used to be considered a nuisance tree by loggers, and is now sought for the bark which is used in a cure for uterine cancer). I cut this piece from a thick, dry board left over from one of my cabinet projects a couple of years ago. The photo shows the true colours of both bowls, and as you can see, it has a lovely natural honey tone with attractive fine grain. The wood is very hard and brittle, and the outer edge of the rim is extremely sharp. (I had a lot of trouble taming the end grain.)
<IMG SRC="http://www3.telus.net/GLI/Y&R%20bowls.jpg">
<BR>
The one on the right is Mexican Redheart. The blank was purchased competely waxed from Lee Valley Tools. When I cut into it, the moisture content was still quite high, so I rough turned and dried it in the microwave. (A bit too aggressively this time. Fortunately, I caught it just as some small cracks were beginning to show, but they've closed up again.) It has an mildly unpleasant odour when cut, but turns beautifully. Sanding creates a pink dust, which together with the shavings makes a terrible mess. Best to change shoes before walking in the rest of the house! As you can see, it looks an awful lot like Rosewood but is much softer. The grain is quite wild, and the colour deepens and the contrasts intensify with a bit of friction heat while buffing the finish.
BTW, I also turned some local Madrona, and thought the mixed shavings pile, itself, looked rather attractive.
<IMG SRC="http://www3.telus.net/GLI/Shavings.jpg">
<BR>
Cheers, Garrett