Urn: Fiddleback Maple with Banksia Feather

[Russell Neyman]

A recent urn commission, turned with a piece of fiddleback provided by the customer. This is larger than most of my pieces -- about 10 inches in diameter and 13 inches high to the top of the finial. The banksia "feather" has become somewhat of my trademark, and people pretty much request it on all of my urns. Ironically, the cap/finial may be replaced later with a horseshoe.

Figured maple is tough to turn because of the irregular grain, and this piece was a bit too dry, but somehow I managed to get a satisfactory result. There are some fairly subtle finishing techniques going on here: a very faint airbrush below the feature ridges and base, and I coated everything with two applications of boiled linseed to enhance the fiddleback highlights before I went to a shellac/lacquer finish. There are some flaws in the grain that were filled with CA glue, too.

208074

[charlie knighton]

very nice, not sure what you mean
a very faint airbrush below the feature ridges and basei assume the overall color was added also, have not seen violet maple unless it is enhanced,

well done

[Russell Neyman]

No, that's just the lighting and this photo has not been color-corrected. It's quite blonde, but in certain light is does take on a "violet" hue, I guess. The airbrush was a reddish brown and applied very (VERY) lightly just below the ridge features. It made all the difference in the world! I did it as an experiment and liked the results. Always tinkering with the process....

[John Keeton]

Russell, that is some neat work! While I am sure others may use the terms differently, I would call this quilted maple. Fiddleback maple is normally used to refer to the extremely tight stripe found in some curly maple, and used for fiddles - thus, the term fiddleback. Having used curly maple for many decades, first in building longrifles, and later in furniture, one runs into a variety of term usages.

[Russell Eaton]

Russell that is a beautiful piece. I like the feather finial as well. Thanks for showing.

[Russell Neyman]

Russell, that is some neat work! While I am sure others may use the terms differently, I would call this quilted maple. Fiddleback maple is normally used to refer to the extremely tight stripe found in some curly maple, and used for fiddles - thus, the term fiddleback. Having used curly maple for many decades, first in building longrifles, and later in furniture, one runs into a variety of term usages.

I wrestled with what to call this particular wood. I have worked "quilted" maple and to my way of thinking that has a sqaure-ish pattern, while this one has only bands for the most part, but if the light hits it just so it starts to take on the quilted look. I suppose it's a matter of degree and a tree could actually be both. Anyway, the owner brought me a piece he called "fiddleback" to turn, so I stuck with that.

Later, I will post photos of "Pocahontas" which is, clearly, quilted maple. It's a very similar urn in many ways.

[Bill Bolen]

What a lovely piece. Love the "feather"

[Marc Himes]

Beautiful wood and very interesting finial. The finish really sets the grain show. Very well done!