Two-fer Test / Elm Natural Edge Bowl w/ Beaded Foot

[David DeCristoforo]

A few months back, I posted some pictures of a large elm tree that grows on the street next to our cafe. Around the middle of this summer, a branch broke off this tree. It fell on a much larger lower branch and that one broke too. They both crashed into the street. Fortunately, this occurred early on a Sunday morning so there were no cars parked there. Had there been, there would have been no avoiding serious damage. The city got the fallen branches "cleaned up" before I ever heard about it.


A few weeks ago, some guys from the city came by to let us know that they were going to be performing some serious trimming on this tree and that the street would be closed on that day. I jumped all over it and they gladly agreed to let me have any of the wood I wanted. Part of the plan was to take off the large upper burl so I was especially interested in that.


When the day arrived, my son and I were there, ready to load up as much wood as we could. We were somewhat unprepared for the furious maelstrom that was to ensue. These guys were not messing around. They had a nuclear powered tree shredder the like of which I have not seen. This thing was capable of rendering a two foot diameter limb into dust on seconds. My vision of these large limbs being carted off the the local wood dump or rolled off the the side of the street where we could leisurely cut them up vanished. My son and I had to scramble to actually get any of the wood. We managed to talk one of the cutters into whacking off several sections of the larger limbs and we did end up with some decent pieces.


The sad part is that they discovered that this whole tree is decayed through the center. The city arborist was there and he decided that the entire tree posed a hazard and would have to be removed. So before the burl was removed, the trimming was aborted. We were told that it would be rescheduled for sometime next spring and that they would be taking down the whole tree. This is not something we were pleased to hear. This tree is a wonderful presence. It adds so much to our location and we will be very sorry to have it gone. It's no "ancient kauri" but it's over 150 years old. I have to admit to some lusting over those burls but not to the extent that I would want to lose the whole tree.


Again, I have been promised "as much of the wood as I want". Well, I want a lot of it! Even the smaller limbs which were decayed in the center still had a lot of very usable, sound wood. The upper burl definitely has some decay in the center but the guy that was up there said it looked like it was confined to the pith so there should still be some very nice stuff in there. The lower burl is, very likely, completely sound.


We are planning this time and we will be armed for bear when this tree comes down. The city said we could cut pieces with our own saws as long as we wear hardhats and stay out of their "safety zone". They will drop pieces on a trailer for up to take elsewhere to be cut up.


OK… long story to get to this bowl which is turned from a piece of the elm. I wanted to see how this wood would look and how it would turn. And, of course, I wanted to see how my new "Rube Goldberg Belt Tensioning Device" would work out. I am happy to report that the device worked well and this time, the Dynamotor made it through the entire bowl! And this ain't too bad lookin' wood. I'm not at all sure what the call this form except a natural edge bowl with a beaded foot. It's the first time I have attempted a form like this although I have seen many fine examples.

Oh... I almost forgot... here's the pic.

241980

[Roger Chandler]

That is a right nice form, David. Hope you are able to get all that tree you can handle. Also glad to hear you are at least on a workable basis with the concrete monster.........hope you can scrounge up a decent motor and VFD before too long. I like working with elm.....although the elm I have worked with......at least the American elm is a bit grainy when dry like the piece I had. Chinese elm has a lot of great grain and can make some beautiful projects.....I have several pieces of that to get to in the future.

I like your beaded foot........nice job!

[Nate Davey]

Beautiful piece of wood and I love the beaded foot. Glad to hear the lathe was up to the task!

[Dale Bright]

David, that is an interesting story about the tree and you have made a very nice bowl from the wood. I really like the nice curve, the foot and the contrast of heart and sap wood. Well done, sir!

Dale

[Reed Gray]

Elm can make some beautiful wood. Too bad there isn't a local business that could mill it up into lumber. We waste too much. When I was doing the UC Davis Whole Earth Festival, I was told about some 30 inch diameter mulberry trees that were taken down and chipped. Criminal offense to me.

robo hippy

[John Beaver]

Very nice bowl David.

With the big lathe you're going to have to start making really big "sticks".

[Baxter Smith]

Interesting story. Beautiful contrast between the different layers David. (Nice curves too). Any clue as to what type of elm?

[Harry Robinette]

David
It's great to see a beautiful piece coming off the Rube G.he'd be proud of the system.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Wow DD, some great color in that tree and you made the most of showing it off. I'm glad the lathe and motor pleased you since you did so much work to make it happen.

[Kathy Marshall]

That's a great looking bowl David! Great looking wood, much darker than the elm I'm used to. Hope they remember to tell you when they take the tree down so you can fill up your trailer! Love the contrast of sapwood and heart wood.

[Richard Jones]

That's elm?

[Bernie Weishapl]

Beautiful bowl DD. I like the form and foot.

[Ted Calver]

Very nice. That wood sure fooled me. I had it pegged as walnut.

[Curt Fuller]

That's a beautiful bowl David. And good to hear you're getting the concrete behemoth under control.

[Darren Jamieson]

I really like the shape and finish of this bowl but I got to say Elm???? are you sure it isn't walnut? I have never seen elm so dark before but I am no expert.

[Doug Herzberg]

Color me suspicious. Six months ago you post photos of this tree and talk about burl envy. There was even speculation in that thread about how one might inflict a disease which would require even Davis city officials to concede that the best future for the tree was a place in your "to do" pile. Now, suddenly, something is causing it to decay from the center and the formerly intractable city fathers agree with you that the burls must be yours.

Seriously, David, that's some really pretty wood and a fine looking whatever it is. The shape reminds me of a flower or the glass "tulip" shades for period wall sconces. I'm sorry to hear about the tree and know you really will miss it. I hope the city will allow you to participate in the selection of its replacement and that the new tree grows quickly to fill the void.

The Dutch Elm disease got to Colorado Springs in the last decade. Here, the wood is being milled by a flooring company, so it will continue to serve a useful function for many years. I have some "Chinese" elm weed trees I need to trim. I can only hope they are as pretty as yours.

[David DeCristoforo]

Thanx for the comments. We are assured that this is an "American" elm. The tree is estimated to be over a hundred years old and is one of several large old trees prized by the city. Davis actually has a "tree walk" and visitors can get a map from the C of C. The very dark color is unexplainable at this point. Perhaps simply from the conditions here, the tree's age, or whatever. But it is definitely an elm.

I have to admit to some concern that my lust for the burls might have affected this situation in some way. You never can be quite sure about these things. but I can assure one and all that I would have never chosen to have this tree cut down simply so that I could acquire the burls.

As to having the monster lathe "under control", that must be taken with some reservation. My contraption is workable in the sense that it allows the motor to come up to speed before any load is applied. But it is a comical dance. It reminds me of seeing the late and very beloved blues great Jessie Fuller. Jessie was a kind of one man blues band. He always played a huge twelve string guitar and wore one of those around the neck things that bristled with harmonicas, kazoos and various whistles. He also had a high hat that he operated with one foot. The other foot was occupied by a homemade contraption he called a "footdella". It looked like a piano with the keyboard removed. Most of the time, it was hard to tell if Jessie was kicking the footdella to get sound out of it or just to make it work. But that's kinda how this device of mine feels. I can tell you with certainty that I will be changing it over to a VFD setup as soon as resources allow.

PS There's some videos of Jessie and his footdella on youtube. Worth the time to check them out…