Sometimes it is Better to be Lazy

[Baxter Smith]

Almost two years ago a neighbor asked if I would remove some limbs from a large maple in her yard. Hauled it away but was too lazy:) to split all but the easiest pieces since I don’t especially care for red maple firewood. It just sat dumped in a pile through the summer, fall and winter.
These three are just a few of the ones I roughed out from that wood last February. Shellac before the final pass or two took care of most of the tearout. It is pretty wood. Hope you enjoy the pics. C & C welcome.



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Bowl: 10 ¼ x 3 ¾ x 3/8
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NE Bowl: 9 ½ x 8 x 5h x 1/8
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Plate: 10 ¾ x 1 1/8 x 5/16
All finished with AO then steel wooled to knock off some gloss.
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[Tim Rinehart]

Pretty...nah...gorgeous I'd say.

Great procrastination there Baxter!! I'm inspired to now be lazy my own self!!.:D:D

[Mark Hubl]

Baxter, that stuff looks great. I am a sucker for spalty stuff. They look great together, are you keeping them together as a set? Sweet work!

[Jerry Marcantel]

Nice looking bowls and plate, Baxter. The plate has nice stuff in it.... ........ Jerry (in Tucson)

[charlie knighton]

very nice Baxter, thanks for sharing

[Dan Hintz]

I love that you were able to get an entire set out of it...

[Doug W Swanson]

Those turned out nice! They look great in the pictures and I'm sure even better in person....

[Tim Thiebaut]

That is some beautiful wood Baxter! Great job on the bowls useing it!

[Bill Bolen]

Beautiful colors and some fine forms! Guess Red Maple might just move up on your list of favorite turning woods...Bill...

[Jon McElwain]

Top notch!! Love the finish and of course the grain and spalting. Great work on the photos too.

[Tony De Masi]

Great stuff there Baxter. I especially like the NE. Spot on form on that one.

[Curt Fuller]

I don't think you're lazy Baxter, you just understand the wisdom of letting time do it's thing. Man those are beauties. The wood is spectacular and the turning is even more so.

[Russell Eaton]

+1 for the natural edge. It looks incredible! The others look great also, but that ne is sweet.

[philip labre]

Baxter, great trio and beautiful wood.

[Jeff Myroup]

They are great, but the natural edge is my favorite. The curve of the bowl is very nice

[Joe Little]

Wow that is beautiful wood, really nice bowls.

[Rich Aldrich]

Baxter - great wood and nice work! I have a piece of spalted maple and your bowls giving me the bug to get it turned.

[Baxter Smith]

Glad all of you enjoyed the pictures.


Baxter, that stuff looks great. I am a sucker for spalty stuff. They look great together, are you keeping them together as a set? Sweet work!
Thanks Mark. Never thought of them as a set though I guess they could be. The last apple trio I posted got split up on Valentines day between my wife, daughter and son. These may have the same fate. St Patricks Day is coming I suppose.:)

I love that you were able to get an entire set out of it...
Thanks Dan. Should have added some different HF's of similar size as well but I am waiting to get up my nerve to finish turn those.:D

Those turned out nice! They look great in the pictures and I'm sure even better in person....
Thanks Doug, hate to say it but they actually do.:o

Beautiful colors and some fine forms! Guess Red Maple might just move up on your list of favorite turning woods...Bill...
Thanks Bill. If it is spalted like this....

I don't think you're lazy Baxter, you just understand the wisdom of letting time do it's thing. Man those are beauties. The wood is spectacular and the turning is even more so.
Wish I could agree with the WISDOM part Curt, but since I wasn't turning at the time, I've got to stick with LAZY.:)

[Roger Chandler]

Baxter, I do not believe that being lazy had anything to do with this, I think you had a plan all along! Great turnings...........I especially like the natural edge and the other bowl.

[James Combs]

Ditto pretty much what everyone else has said and another vote for the NE.

[Michael James]

Beautiful pieces there Baxter.... if we only knew then what we know now, eh?:)

[Greg Just]

I love the spalted maple. I recently acquired a bunch of maple and hope to spalt my own this summer.

[Josh Bowman]

Love the wood and bowls.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really nice set Baxter. Love the NE.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Very nice pieces Baxter and great looking wood :D, love the feather in the platter, thanks for showing :cool:














http://gallery.me.com/l.vanderloo

[Steve Schlumpf]

WOW! Beautiful work on all three! Amazing wood and you did great on bringing out the very best it has to offer!

[David E Keller]

Wonderful work, Baxter. I particularly like the natural edge piece for its long graceful wings, but there's not a bad piece in the bunch. Great job!

[John Keeton]

Baxter, we were out for the evening and I missed the party on this set!! Really beautiful work, great wood, and superb photography! Amazing what a little time will do - I prefer the term "patient" to lazy!!

[Brian Effinger]

Beautiful pieces Baxter. Call it laziness, patience or whatever, it sure worked for you. :) I think your turning abilities had something to do with it too.

[Baxter Smith]

Thanks for commenting everyone!


Beautiful pieces there Baxter.... if we only knew then what we know now, eh?:)
Thank you Michael. What I really "wish I knew now" was where in the pile the best spalted pieces came from and why. Some pieces were great and others were just kind of a muddy brown. Everything was cut to firewood lengths from the same tree one day, then picked up and dumped in a pile the next.

I love the spalted maple. I recently acquired a bunch of maple and hope to spalt my own this summer.
I wish I could give you some advice on how to get spalting like some of these pieces had. It was just left in a pile in my backyard. Full sun, exposed to wind and rain for 10 months. Termites were starting to get into the bottom and the top was being baked. I ended up strewing that pile around so much once I started turning, I have no clue where the best pieces had spent their time.

Baxter, we were out for the evening and I missed the party on this set!! Really beautiful work, great wood, and superb photography! Amazing what a little time will do - I prefer the term "patient" to lazy!!
Thanks John, but I think "patient" involves "planning". The only p word that might apply in this case would be "procrastination".:)

[bob svoboda]

Really nice Baxter! Love the color and figure in the wood and you did it proud with your artistry. We should start a procrastinators club when we get around to it :D

[Jon Nuckles]

Really pretty pieces, Baxter, and I have to go with the crowd and admire the NE most of all. Looks like you waited just long enough to get around to these; another season and there might not have been enough solid wood to turn.