Offset Embellishments with Cherry Sphere

[David Delo]

Just shy of 3.5" cherry sphere with a couple slices taken. Roughed out the beginning freehand and then used jig to get the arc perfect where the slices were going to be. Offset the blank and cut slices with a vortex tool and then finished the right side with the jig. Parted of the left side and held it with vacuum chuck and finished it off freehand. Sanded and finish with walnut oil. I'll buff it up in a few day. Kind of pleased the way it turned out. Working my way up to making a cartoon face on one these spheres in the future.

337729337730337731337732

[Doug Ladendorf]

Pretty cool David. Nice gentle arc to the "smile" on the sphere.

Doug

[Wes Ramsey]

I like it. For try #2 you should bleach it and dye it yellow. Call it Pacman :)

[Dave Fritz]

Can anyone tell me what the figure running down the middle is in the second and fourth picture? I find it in cherry and never can figure out what it is or where it comes from in the tree.

Nice job on that. Beautiful display piece.

[David Delo]

Can anyone tell me what the figure running down the middle is in the second and fourth picture? I find it in cherry and never can figure out what it is or where it comes from in the tree.

Nice job on that. Beautiful display piece.

Dave, I'm not an expert in wood nomenclature but I think these are called ray fleck figure. I think they get exposed from the way the board was originally quarter sawn. I think around 75 degrees exposes these flecks. I'm guessing so if anyone else knows what's up, I'm all ears too.

[Roger Chandler]

Can anyone tell me what the figure running down the middle is in the second and fourth picture? I find it in cherry and never can figure out what it is or where it comes from in the tree.

Nice job on that. Beautiful display piece.

I have seen this type figure in sycamore, cherry , and some maple......I always called it lace grain, for lack of a better description. I think it can occur at most any part of the tree trunk.

[Wes Ramsey]

I have seen this type figure in sycamore, cherry , and some maple......I always called it lace grain, for lack of a better description. I think it can occur at most any part of the tree trunk.

This. Medullary ray flakes are present in most (maybe all?) woods, but show up better in some than others. I've heard it explained that this is a feature the tree uses to transfer water across the grain, but I don't know how accurate that is. It grows perpendicular to the grain so it only shows up at quartersawn angles, which is why you only see it in in the middle of the piece. This is one of my favorite grain features in cherry and sycamore. Others too, but those especially.

[Dave Fritz]

Right you are. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medullary_ray_%28botany%29 I've seen them in quarter sawn white oak but didn't realize they were in other woods as well. Thanks so much.

[Doug Ladendorf]

I have seen this type figure in sycamore, cherry , and some maple......I always called it lace grain, for lack of a better description. I think it can occur at most any part of the tree trunk.

Lace grain makes as much sense as any and pretty descriptive. I've also seen it in ash and just recently cedar. It may be the particular view through the grain that exposes this particular figure.

[Dok Yager]

Nicely done David. I like the symmetry. I have a few pieces with lace type grain in them, one Sycamore bowl in particular.