end grain bowl finish..

[Russell Eaton]

I am in the middle of a large end grain bowl. It is Ambrosia Maple and very dry. It is 17 3/4" wide at the top, and I am wondering what is the best way of finishing. I normally use lacquer, but think an oil would be better. Also, I am thinking the final thickness need to be at least a half of an inch to be stable. Is that a safe thickness? Thanks for the help. Russell

[Bernie Weishapl]

I either use antique oil or Mahoney's walnut oil on my utility bowls. I probably wouldn't go thinner than 3/8" for sure. The base I would make at least 5" or 5 1/2". At a demo Mike Mohoney said the base should be 1/3 of the diameter. My sister uses a bowl 16 1/2" with a 5 1/4" across the base I made finished with walnut oil. It is very stable on the table and has been in use for 3 yrs.