Spalted Oak Bowl

[Mark Burge]

Here is a new one. I got the wood out of a tree that I dropped in the back yard (across my fence :rolleyes:). After fixing the fence, I roughed out a bowl form but it cracked pretty severely. I filled the crack with epoxy tinted with lamp black artist oil. Finished with tung oil. I also used a wire to burn a small black line under the rim feature. It really helped to add definition to the transition. I forgot to measure, but it is about nine inches in diameter. Thanks for looking C&C welcome.

[Jim Burr]

Pretty gnarly crack Mark. Nice save...cool lookin' bowl!

[Ben Arnott]

That's beautiful!

[David E Keller]

Very colorful, and I love the shape.

Is it my eyes fooling me, or is that turned endgrain?

[Baxter Smith]

Great looking bowl. The epoxy seems too black but since I have never done any filler, I can't offer a suggestion for anything better.

[John Keeton]

It appears endgrain to me, as well, and that being the case I think you lucked out with only the one crack! Nice work and a good save. I am kinda with Baxter on the black - perhaps a brown would have done better, or add in something to the black to make an accent.

[dan carter]

I like the wide band at the top of your bowl. Nice looking grain, you may have another crack develop. Abit more of a curve to the lower bowl would be my preference. Looks like it needs some pop corn in it now.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really nice bowl and wood. Great save.

[Mark Burge]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.


I like the wide band at the top of your bowl. Nice looking grain, you may have another crack develop. Abit more of a curve to the lower bowl would be my preference. Looks like it needs some pop corn in it now.

Yes, Dan, I agree that another crack might be coming. I tried to let it sit long enough to get all its cracking over with, but I tend to get ahead of things. I can see what you mean about the lower curve. I think I may have been reacting to the way it looked while chucked. I have some trouble visualizing things without this big mass on the bottom.


It appears endgrain to me, as well, and that being the case I think you lucked out with only the one crack! Nice work and a good save. I am kinda with Baxter on the black - perhaps a brown would have done better, or add in something to the black to make an accent.



Great looking bowl. The epoxy seems too black but since I have never done any filler, I can't offer a suggestion for anything better.


Very colorful, and I love the shape.

Is it my eyes fooling me, or is that turned endgrain?

Yes, it is endgrain with the pith included. So, I knew it would crack. I had watched the same thing happen to another piece of this log which is still in need of crack repair. John, you and Baxter are right, the color of the filler is darker than most of the rest of the spalt lines. I was trying to match this and got a little over the top. Note to self: a little artist oil goes a long way.

Thanks for the comments, y'all.