A Sweeeet Gum Bowl

[Kathy Marshall]

This was turned from a piece of Sweet Gum sent to me from Chris Burgess. The chunk of Gum was soaking wet and so sweeeet to turn!
Normally the really wet stuff that I turn dries out enough on the surface during turning, that I'm able to sand through all the grits. Not so for this piece, it was still flinging water till the very end. I did manage to get a fairly decent sanding up to 150, so I went ahead and turned off the tenon and finished the bottom. It then sat in the house in a plastic bag (slightly opened) for a couple weeks until it was dry enough to finish up the sanding. I was able to use my cole jaws to hold it to sand the outside on the lathe, but the inside was all hand sanded. It then received a coat of DO and went back in the bag for some more slow drying. I took it back out last week (after being in the bag about 1 month) and added some General Finishes Woodturners Finish and it now feels like its mostly dry.
There was very little warping, you can see just a little wave on one part of the rim. Otherwise, if turned over on the rim on a flat surface, it sits flat (no rocking). It may move a little more before it's completely dry, but I don't mind that.

Thanks again Chris for a lovely piece of wood!
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Thanks for looking!
Comments and critiques are welcome.

[Baxter Smith]

The wood is ok but the form is truly "sweet"! Great job on that curve Kathy!

[Eric Holmquist]

Great form, and I am amazed that it warped so little. Of all the wood I turn, Sweet Gum moves the most by far!

[John Keeton]

Kathy, you have these bowl forms down pat!! Very nice.

[Dennis Ford]

You did a great job on that piece.

[Bill Hensley]

Nicely done! Now the secret is out...

Ditto on your comments regarding it's sweetness. Recently turned some, still green, for the first time and I loved how it behaved.

I believe if you didn't lift your gouge you could turn a chunk into one extremely long ribbon. I was so impressed with the ribbons I made my first turning video of it.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Once again - you nailed the form! Nice work!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really nice form Kathy. Well done.

[David E Keller]

Pretty bowl, Kathy! As the others have said, it's the curve that holds my eye... Sweet indeed!

[Jack Tyree]

Perfect, just perfect.

[David DeCristoforo]

Great bowl. I'm getting inspired.....

[Nate Davey]

Sweet it is. The form is so simple in shape but so difficult in execution, and it is executed spectacularly.

[Roland Martin]

Great form Kathy, makes me want to pick it up & hold it for a while, nice job.

[Kathy Marshall]

Thanks everyone! It really was a joy to turn this stuff! I really like the form on this one and I think it's gonna stay in my private collection. If I ever get another piece, I think I'll do a Hackler and go thinnnn and let it warp at will! :D

Great bowl. I'm getting inspired.....
David, just think of a hollowed sphere with the top 1/3 missing. Of course, once you get the first one just like you want, you'll be wanting to try another, then another and another.......

[Larry Matchett]

Nice bowl Kathy. I turn a lot of sweetgum and it warps a lot. I have found if I turn to 10% boil for two hours and then put in a bag of shavings for a couple of months and then let sit for two more months and the finish. When dry it is very hard. Love the smell when I turn green. Great job as usual.