I think I am in love.

[Bruce Lewane]

After struggling to turn a Zirocote blank I decided to give myself a break and turn an Olive and Padauk glue up I had.
Love that Olive. Sweet smelling, kiln dried it still curls off the tools.
Now if I could just afford more of it.

320800

[Blair Swing]

Very nice form and flow, well done!

[Randy Red Bemont]

Just beautiful. Love the grain pattern in that olive wood.

Red

[Olaf Vogel]

Just beautiful. Love the grain pattern in that olive wood.

Red

So. Farmers in Northern California are treating out olive groves because of excessive water usage.
ive been wondering how to get my hands on those...anyone have connections in that area?

[Bob Bergstrom]

Olive grain is gorgeous. Must make you hungry turning. Do the shaving taste better than oak or hickory.

[mark kosse]

Beautiful wood and work.

[Stan Smith]

So. Farmers in Northern California are treating out olive groves because of excessive water usage.
ive been wondering how to get my hands on those...anyone have connections in that area?

I live in northern CA and I'm not seeing that happening here. There are numerous olive groves, too. We are having a drought, but olive trees are more drought tolerant than some other trees. It might come to the point where the orchards are taken out though.

[Robert Marshall]

I would like to know how this was made. It appears that a solid olive block was shaped into a bowl, cut horizontally into three pieces, and then glued back together, with segmented padauk rings between the olive pieces.

Is that how it was done? If not, then tell me, please!

[Ronald Blue]

That is a very nice piece. Olive wood indeed has a unique and beautiful grain. Nice job all the way around. What finish did you use?

[Bruce Lewane]

The olive was actually 3 pieces cut out of the same board and stacked in the order they were cut which (surprise to me) gives the impression it's just a block of wood cut in 3 pieces. The padauk was just inserted between and glued up with medium CA. Six or so months ago I stumbled upon the work of Jim McPhail and got hooked. He is a master. http://youtu.be/f6Ly6pUQdAE-------http://www.jimmcphail.com/files/Download/LayeredBowls.pdf Two things I have learned. When gluing I use an old credit card to spread the glue evenly completely across the piece for a good joint (gaps in the joints are a pain to fix) and when turning you have to be aware of the different properties of the woods you are using. When you make a pass with a gouge the hardness or softness of the material changes and cuts differently which makes it very easy to get hills and valleys as you go.
As far as finish goes, 2 coats of Deft rattle can sanding sealer, 0000 steel wool, 4 coats of Deft Rattle can Lacquer with a rub down with the steel wool after the second coat. I have used Deft for 30 some years. Rattle cans, outside when it's 95 degrees can't be beat. I'll finish it off with a coat of Renaissance wax in a week or 2.
Oh, thank you for the comments. It was a fun project. Always nice when they work out.