shallow bowl with epoxy edge

[Ron Ainge]

Here is the latest turning and piercing that I have done. This is a piece of Cottonwood with a marine epoxy ring added to it and then I pierced the epoxy. The bowl is about 10 inches side to side and 2 inches deep. Comments and critique is welcome.
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[Peter Blair]

Wow! Ron that this piece is really fantastic!
Is marine epoxy different in some way? I would have thought that it would 'gum' up your tools.
Can you share a little more about what tools you use to do the piercing?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Well that sure is different! I like it! Cool way to combine different mediums! I really like the carving!!

[Jerry Wright]

Very nice, and a neat idea and execution. Is the marine epoxy flexible enough to withstand the seasonal expansion and contraction of the cottonwood?

[Russell Eaton]

Very nice. The piercing looks like a lace trim around the bowl. Good job.

[Allan Ferguson]

That is indeed unusual and I like it.

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is a beauty Ron. Nice carvings.

[Ron Ainge]

The epoxy is made be West Systems and it is a marine epoxy, I don't know if other type of epoxy will work since this is the only one I have worked with. The drill I use for the pierceing is similar to a dentist drill only it is straight and does not angle off to one side like the dentists. this bowl is only about 3/16 inches thick so it very flexible and the epoxy will stand a lot of flexing. This is the second one like this I have made and I have had no problems with either one so far.

[David DeCristoforo]

The carved/pierced rim is very formal and seems out of place on such a rustic piece of wood. I would love to see this done on a "fine" piece of material that would be more in keeping with the elegance of the rim. Outside of that little "issue", this is flat out gorgeous!

[Russell Neyman]

Nicely done, Ron. Question, though: How do you deal with the expansion/contraction differential between the two materials? Have you done this before, and have you ever had a separation at the seam? Did you "spline" the joint?

[Doug W Swanson]

That's really neat! The color of the epoxy is so subtle but the piercing is outstanding! Great job!

[Alan Trout]

That's an awesome piece. Very well done.

Alan

[Jerry Wright]

Dave - do you mean like a natural edge rim on an elegant long stemmed goblet? :)

[Michelle Rich]

I have never seen pierced epoxy, that I remember..interesting work

[Ron Ainge]

Nicely done, Ron. Question, though: How do you deal with the expansion/contraction differential between the two materials? Have you done this before, and have you ever had a separation at the seam? Did you "spline" the joint?

This is the third bowl that I have made like this and so far I have had no problem with the wood movement. The epoxy seems to move with the wood and with the change in the moisture level in the atmosphere here in Colorado it can be substantial on some days. I have not had any separation of the seam and the first one that I did is over 18 months old now. When I pour the epoxy into the void I have cut into the blank I put a light coat of sanding sealer into it to prevent the color from bleeding into the light color woods but I do not put a spline into it because I turn these pieces real thin which I think adds to the mystique of the piece.