NE BLM Maple Burl ++

[mike ash]

I finished this one today. I was hoping for a salad bowl, but it has some nasty cracks along a few of the growth ring seems. So, it'll be a displayer. Sanded to 400g, finished with minwax WOP, and buffed and waxed with Vonax.
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Also, this is the HF I posted a few days ago. I ended up finishing with Minwax WOP inside and outside.

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C&C always welcome......I actually learn from it!!

Mike

[David E Keller]

Nicely done, Mike. I like the sweeping natural edge on the bowl, and the ogee curve looks great. The HF is a tough shape for me, and it seems like there are some irregularities in the curve. I like the way you treated the base of the HF... It's really got good lift. The finish on both of them is great! Looking forward to seeing what's next.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nice work on both turnings Mike! The NE vase is really cool and the finish on the hollow form really added some life to the wood! You should be happy with the results! Looking forward to seeing what's next!

[Rich Aldrich]

Mike - great job. The wood has nice grain. I need to find some maple with nice grain like that.

[John Keeton]

Mike, I like the bowl/vase - the NE is really a great touch. As others have said, the finish is very well done. The top third of the HF seems to be off a little in the curvature, but the finishing is tops, and the wood is beautiful.

...I need to find some maple with nice grain like that.Rich, I think the key is BLM - it is one of my favorites! Seems to always have some nice color, figure and character.

[Chris Burgess]

Pieces look great. What is BLM Maple?

[Tim Rinehart]

Pieces look great. What is BLM Maple?
Big Leaf Maple...well, I guess the M is redundant...otherwise, Big Leaf Maple Maple!

[mike ash]

There really is a "Big Leaf Maple".......check it out at ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_macrophyllum

[Baxter Smith]

Like the NE rim! I am assuming those dark lines in it are the cracks? I remember finding some of those dark lines in some dead birch and apple I was cutting up a little over a year ago. Thought I had some great zone lines at first!:rolleyes:

[mike ash]

Baxter - the dark lines are what I call "seam lines" along certain growth rings, and a few have developed cracks. The whole piece was intack when I wet turned it. As it dried several cracks appeared. Maybe there is a dendrologist (???) out there who can explain the dark lines along the growth rings. I'm wondering if they had something to do with a very wet spring that year or...???

On the BLM Maple......that's a slip on my part. I had the word Maple in the title and then went back to put the adjective and ended up redundant!!!

Mike

[Jim Burr]

Well done pieces Mike. Salad bowl isn't my favorite shape, but you pulled it off well. HF is a cool looking chunk of wood!

[Scott Hackler]

Mike,

I like your natural edged bowl. That wood has some great character. I took the liberty of adjusting one of your pictures to show what 30 seconds in a photo editor can do to improve your pictures. Hope you dont mind. By adjusting the color temp to around 5800K and adjusting the brightness and contrast and a little cropping....you can make your turning pictures look more "life like". Nice job.

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The HF is nice too, but the curvature is a little less consistant. Something that comes comes easier with more experience.