Spalted Maple bowl ...

[Ron Smith ... Richmond, VA]

Just a small bowl I turned this morning out of a piece of spalted maple I had in the shop. So far I've had good luck not needing to stabilize the wood before, or during turning. There are some soft spots, but they haven't been too soft to work through. This small bowl, 4 1/2" X 2 1/2" was fun to turn, just to have something light and compact on the lathe. It's easier on me than having those big chunks of cherry, walnut and maple on there, trying to get them balanced enough to turn. The darn lathe keeps wanting to wander around the shop for some reason. It's hard to follow it around and get a good clean cut at the same time. Just using a Danish Oil finish on this one. One of these days, I hope to have a real lathe, but for now, the ole' ShopSmith will have to suffice. Thanks for looking and happy turning.

[Tom Sweeney]

You turners sure do turn out some neat stuff.

I'm in the middle of cutting up a maple tree with a lot of spalting & figure in it. Unfortunately there isn't much good wood left - it's mostly rotted. I got a few small peices for boxes so far.

I don't have a lathe but I think that you did real well with that little piece.

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

Very nice Bowl Ron! Great looking piece of wood. I really like the design, something different, and very unique. Kinda resembles an old brass Spitoon I have laying around.;) Don't get any ideas though, that bowl is WAY too nice to be spittin' in! :D
Thanks for sharing the photo, and keep up the nice turnin'!

[Ron Smith ... Richmond, VA]

for the feedback fellas.

Kevin, the spitoon was the look I was going for, since it's going to my brother to use in his "cowboy" family room. They have two brass spitoons, one at eack end of the bar, on the floor. I thought this little fella could sit on the bar and hold something for him, too.

[Ken Wright]

and I always prefer a Danish finish. IMHO it always brings out the best in the wood .....

[Jason Roehl]

Pretty funny...I had just worked on a bowl that started out looking like that shape only with a wider rim--until a catch forced me to turn away all of the rim. My neighbor popped in for a visit before I had taken off the rim and said, "Oh! Turning a spitoon, huh?" I hadn't even though that about the shape until he said. Gave me a good chuckle.

Looks good! Keep turning!

[Jim Becker]

Nice job, Ron. It's a very interesting shape and I'm sure it presented some challenges as you hollowed the interior to match! Keep up the good work...:cool: