Finishing suggestions?

[Dan Forman]

This is a small bowl from a Locust burl/root. It is sound, but has a lot of tiny bark inclusion thingies. I'm wondering how to finish, whether to do a sanding slurry approach to try and fill the little voids, or just let them show and do a wipe on with
Antique Oil and celebrate the "imperfections". What would you do?

The pic makes it look worse than it is, they aren't really voids, there is bark like stuff in there, with very fine cracks between the bark and the surrounding wood. I'm leaning toward not trying to fill, just wondering what the general consensus might be.

Thanks,

Dan

[Richard Madden]

I would leave the voids, adds character.

[Roger Chandler]

+1 for leaving in the voids.........when you do get it finished and the contrasting areas darken, then your piece will highlight the burl grain and the bark inclusions, and be a real looker! Just one turner's opinion.

[John Keeton]

Dan, first of all - that is one fine looking piece of wood!! I also vote to leave them. The problem with filling - aside from losing the character of the wood - is that it is an all or nothing situation. If you do not get a dead level fill with clear finish, it will look half finished. If you attempt a fill with slurry or some other filler, because of the size of the voids it will look like you used wood paste to fill it - not a good thing. I think it will look fine finished out. I would add that you are still a ways from a finished cut - or, so it appears. There may not be as much there when you are done.

[Fred Perreault]

Dan, I feel that it is best to take advantage of wood's natural wonders.... those being colors, grain, swirl, an assortment of imperfections.... whatever. Some might want a certain uniformity of appearance, some are attracted to randomness, the rest aren't sure what they want. As turners, we are judge, jury and "executer".

[Steve Vaughan]

Yup on leaving the voids. They will add so much character to the overall piece, I think. Don't know what you're gonna use it for, but I'd put an oil finish and overcoat of laquer, sanded and buffed. Regardless, looks like you're on your way to a very nice bowl!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Dan - another vote for leaving the wood as is! Also agree with your idea of using an oil finish. A softer sheen should work well to highlight the wood.

[Barbara Gill]

What kind of Locust is that? The reason I ask is because of the color. I have never seen Black Locust that is so pink. It is usually bright yellow when first cut.

[Josh Bowman]

+++ for leave it natural, with a little oil.

[Nathan Hawkes]

Nice burl, Dan. I'm guessing that's black locust?? I've read that it was planted all over WA for fenceposts and firewood supplies and is now considered invasive. Its native to where I live. Species aside, leave the voids. Definitely adds character to the bowl. I like the oil finish idea as well; on the bowls I've turned from it, locust really gets a nice deep shimmer to it if you get a deep saturation for the first coat.

[Bernie Weishapl]

+1 for AO and leave as is.

[Jim Burr]

Celebrate the wood Dan. Let those thingies shine!

[steven carter]

Dan,

Not one person has suggested filling them in and I am not going to be the first. No question in my mind, leave them.

[Dan Forman]

Thanks for the feedback, leave them it is.

Barbara---It's black locust, but it came from a root rather than a branch. And it was rough turned quite a while ago, so it's not as yellow as it once was. With a naphtha wipe it really comes to life, so I'm looking forward to finishing it. Locust trees are very common here, some with rather large seed pods, and some with much smaller ones. I think the large pods are black locust, the smaller ones would be a variety of honey locust. They don't have the thorns like the native ones in the south though. The blooms have a lovely fragrance, but the odor of the wood itself is more like elm - pretty funky.

Dan

[Barbara Gill]

It also might be my screen. I had to chuckle about your observations concerning the different smells. I find the locust blossoms to be so sweet and strong that it is almost unpleasant. I have sawn a lot of Black Locust and never found there to be much odor, unlike the Elm and Cottonwood we have here in VA. If you want to smell a really nasty wood, cut up some Ailanthus.

[David E Keller]

1+ on not filling... I'm interested that people often dislike the smell of elm. I've been turning a little of it lately, and I sort of like the smell. The stuff I've got is pretty dry, and it smells a bit spicy to me, but it's not unpleasant. Do the sense of smell vary that much from person to person? Is it possible that catching a bowl blank to the head has perverted my sense of smell to a degree that I now enjoy things that others find unpleasant? Is Oklahoma elm different? Hmmm...

[Dan Forman]

Barbara---I love the smell of the trees in bloom - there are many of them along the river, I've never thought of them as too heavy. Perhaps the wood odor doesn't really come to the fore unless one is standing indoors amidst a pile of wet shavings. As for Ailanthus, I'll take your word for it, and stick to "the devils I know". :) I see that one of the common names for ailanthus is "stink tree". Haha.

[Dan Forman]

1+ on not filling... I'm interested that people often dislike the smell of elm. I've been turning a little of it lately, and I sort of like the smell. The stuff I've got is pretty dry, and it smells a bit spicy to me, but it's not unpleasant. Do the sense of smell vary that much from person to person? Is it possible that catching a bowl blank to the head has perverted my sense of smell to a degree that I now enjoy things that others find unpleasant? Is Oklahoma elm different? Hmmm...

It's not really horrid, but it is funky. It's worse when really wet, and progressively mellower as it dries. Could be a species thing too, mine has all been Siberian elm. American or other varieties may vary.