Couple of Bowls with Decorative Plugs

[Tom Hartranft]

Experimented adding some contrasting-color exotic wood plugs to two small bowls. Plugs only used on outside walls.

Bowl on left is spalted maple with alternating 1/2" and 3/8" diameter Padauck plugs every 45* turned down flush to sides of the bowl. One plug added on bottom for another contrast.

Bowl on right is Flaming Box Elder with alternating 1/2" and 3/8" diameter Purpleheart plugs every 45* standing proud of the bowl sides and rounded over. The Box Elder wood was punky so I kept a thicker bowl wall than I'd normally do to avoid failure in the lathe.

Used lathe indexing to set up plug hole drilling every 45* after basic bowl shape was completed. Cut all the plugs with plug cutters; rounded the heads of the Flaming Box Elder plugs with hand sanding before gluing into sides of bowl.


Tom

http://i482.photobucket.com/albums/rr183/tjh_020/1308%20Plugged%20Bowls/IMG_2272Small_zps3fc4f396.jpg (http://s482.photobucket.com/user/tjh_020/media/1308%20Plugged%20Bowls/IMG_2272Small_zps3fc4f396.jpg.html)

http://i482.photobucket.com/albums/rr183/tjh_020/1308%20Plugged%20Bowls/IMG_2270Small_zps2c883383.jpg (http://s482.photobucket.com/user/tjh_020/media/1308%20Plugged%20Bowls/IMG_2270Small_zps2c883383.jpg.html)

http://i482.photobucket.com/albums/rr183/tjh_020/1308%20Plugged%20Bowls/IMG_2275Small_zpsb65e6772.jpg (http://s482.photobucket.com/user/tjh_020/media/1308%20Plugged%20Bowls/IMG_2275Small_zpsb65e6772.jpg.html)

[Bill Hensley]

That's a clever idea. I see the potential for some interesting embellishments. I think I'm leaning more towards the flush finish though.

[Tom Hartranft]

I think I'm leaning more towards the flush finish though.

Agree ... after making and looking at the two kinds of 'plugged' bowls, I doubt I'll ever make another like the raised plugs on the Flaming Box Elder bowl.

Still toying with other ways of incorporating flush plugs on selected turnings as embellishments.


Tom

[Thom Sturgill]

Make a glued up pattern piece and turn that for your 'plug'. There are several patterns used by segmented turners that would lend themselves to the idea. Check out some of Malcolm Tibbetts, and other segmented turners work for examples.