African Sumac - before and after

[Kathy Marshall]

African Sumac is one of the woods that continues to amaze me with the changes it can go through.
This is a piece I turned back around May or so and only just got the final finish on it. I would give it a coat of WOP and then it would sit on the workbench, lost among all the other half finished pieces until I noticed it again and added another coat of WOP. Well I finally added the final coat. I also let it sit in the sun not long after turning it, and where it was sitting on the workbench, it got additional sunlight as it was sitting beneath the skylight (open vent).
The first pics are of it after turning and with the first coat of WOP. The others were taken tonight and show just how much the color has changed. There is absolutely no dye or other coloring on this piece, it is all the effect of sunlight on sumac.

The lid will be going, there's been a little too much movement and it will barely sit on the lip (you can see in the 2nd set that it sits a little catywampus).

211995211994
211993 211992
Thanks for looking!
Comments and critiques are welcome.

[Marty Eargle]

Wow, great piece...but that sun did wonderful things for that sumac! Wood really can be an amazing entity sometimes. Shame about the lid, but I think the piece will do just fine without. Thanks for sharing!

[Doug W Swanson]

Great piece. Nice form, color, etc!

[Wally Dickerman]

Kathy, perhaps you already know it, but mesquite does the same thing. Sunlight gives it a reddish color. I first tried this with a platter. I put it in the sun for several hours. The color on one side of the platter was very different than on the other. The reddish color is very attractive on the rather plain color of mesquite.

[Kathy Marshall]

Kathy, perhaps you already know it, but mesquite does the same thing. Sunlight gives it a reddish color. I first tried this with a platter. I put it in the sun for several hours. The color on one side of the platter was very different than on the other. The reddish color is very attractive on the rather plain color of mesquite.
Thanks for the info Wally! I didn't realize mesquite could change too. It's so obvious with the sumac, then log ends turn red, the tan shavings from the chainsaw turn red, etc, but I've never noticed that with mesquite. I'll have to give it a try!

[Michelle Rich]

thanks for showing how the wood changes color over time..I think the darker, looks great. I have not heard the term: catywompus in ages. I always liked that word, good to see it has survived. :-)

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is a nice piece Kathy. Love the form and the color of the wood.

[Allan Ferguson]

You continue to post some very good stuff. Just great woods ++++

[Scott Hackler]

Nice Kathy. I also prefer it more since it darkened.

[Bob Bergstrom]

Really turned out pretty. Sometimes mother nature just out does us and colors things better. Of course she also likes thing to warp a little too.

[Baxter Smith]

Very pretty Kathy! It seems most wood improves with age!

[Kathy Marshall]

Thanks for the comments guys! I'm thinking some sumac might make a cool ornament after a little sun.

[Marc Himes]

Kathy the wood is beautiful and your turning is excellent. Have you been taking lessons from David D?