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Russell Neyman
06-18-2012, 8:49 PM
This bowl-in-a-bowl, which measures 16 inches across and is seven inches deep, is from a surprising wood. Now, before you scroll down and see what it is, honestly guess what it could be. Madrone? Yew? Rainforest Sealpup Yagotmewud?
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So, here's the story:

A local sawyer dropped off this huge burl back in October, when it was snowing. A few hints: it was barky and sappy, weighed a ton, and this tree can be found in most regions of theUnited States. It is not a species you'd normally turn. In fact, it's a tree that you'd avoid.

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It was a remarkably common wood, and when I heard what it was, I simply said "thanks" but didn't really think it would amount to much. Then, in May, on a slow day, I finally cut off all the spongy unuseable wood and chucked it up. OK-- what is it?

FIR! A large fir burl! It was tough to turn; the sap created heat, which dulled my edges, and we all know how hard it is to get a good finish on fir. After all, it's construction-grade wood. I turned it, and simply Beal polished it. The idea behind the design is that it's a chip-and-dip vessel for my son, and the ceramic insert is washable. The center lid is mahogany, and the cap is maple burl and brass. (Comments on the design welcome, because I'm, still not sure about it.)
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Jim Burr
06-18-2012, 8:55 PM
Russell...the pic do no justice to what I can see...but what little can be seen looks great!!

Kathy Marshall
06-18-2012, 9:22 PM
Very niece chip n dip bowl Russell! You did a great job with some challenging (and awesome looking) wood and I like the lid, I bet it would come in handy if you were having some snacks outdoors!

charlie knighton
06-18-2012, 9:46 PM
very nice Russell, great wood

Steve Vaughan
06-18-2012, 10:18 PM
Looks really nice, great design! The wood - the grain, color, etc - looks exactly like some willow I just recently turned, and that would have been my guess. That's the best looking piece of fir I've ever seen!

Bernie Weishapl
06-18-2012, 10:22 PM
Really nice looking bowl Russell. Really nice fir burl.

Eric Gourieux
06-18-2012, 10:24 PM
That's a nice surprise. You did a great job on the bowl. I do like the dip insert and the mahogany goes well with the fir. Great job on the handle. I like it

Russell Neyman
06-20-2012, 9:42 AM
At the risk of begging the question, does anyone turn fir? And has anybody encountered a burl like this one before?

The local woodworkers here are absolutely miffed by this grain. A retired wood shop teacher drove across town yesterday to look at it, and after five minutes of examination, proclaimed it to be yew. It isn't. But it just goes to show how unusual this piece is.

I've been offered a great sum for it (more than I'd charge for a full blown funerary urn) but this will be a housewarming gift for my son, who just moved in to his ffirst house. That way, it stays in the family.

Steve Schlumpf
06-20-2012, 1:54 PM
Would have never guessed Fir! First thought was that the coloring reminded me some of our local Black Cherry but the grain pattern looked different. Nice work on the Chip & Dip bowl! Your son is going to love it!!

Dave Mura
06-20-2012, 6:04 PM
Looks great!
http://chdsolutions.com/img/11d867796d85db8cad5280ac44cec7c1.jpghttp://chdsolutions.com/img/a57d48399922b03419153a9760c5ce53.jpghttp://chdsolutions.com/img/cabad3b9bc0afe08cd9ec861638ed1d9.gif