Ambrosia maple

[Robert Marshall]

I've been rough-turning a stock of maple chunks this Spring, and here's one on its way from the lathe to a DNA bath, then bag-drying. (This process has worked for me, most of the time, to eliminate cracking. Maybe it's superstition, but why fight it?)

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This 10" rough-turned bowl came from an old maple that was evidently home to a lot of ambrosia beetles. The dark streaks are radiating out from the core of the tree; a cross-cut of the trunk would look like a dark-brown starburst.

I'll probably be finish-turning this in a couple of months or so. A week-long DNA soak, then bag-drying until it stops losing weight. I'll try to remember to post a photo when it's done.

[Steve Russell tucker]

That looks Incredible Sir!

[Don Frank]

Wow, I can't wait to see that one finished.

[Robert Marshall]

That looks Incredible Sir!

Most of the credit goes to the beetles!

[Prashun Patel]

Sweet. Looks like a bird's wing. Sure you don't want to put it on the lathe and round over the rim a little? I get some cracking when I'm that close to the pith.

[Robert Marshall]

Sweet. Looks like a bird's wing. Sure you don't want to put it on the lathe and round over the rim a little? I get some cracking when I'm that close to the pith.

I hear you. I wonder if a large hose clamp (steel, screw-tight band) placed around the rim, after it's taken out of the DNA bath and starts the dry-out cycle, would reduce that risk? I want to keep as much of that ambrosia marking as I can.

[Prashun Patel]

If it were my bowl, I'd take down the top about 1/2" - 1" and I'd round it over.

You have plenty of character there. Also, is that Ambrosia or is it spalt?

[David Delo]

Also, is that Ambrosia or is it spalt?That's a good question Prashun. At first look I thought it was spalt. Had some similar pieces that I cored last year that I coated but every pieces ended up cracking all over the place. Probably should have just gone ahead and just once-turned them. I'll be interested to find out if Robert's DNA bath will work on these. I'd tend to believe this bowl is going to crack. Hope I'm wrong but please update us Robert.

[Robert Marshall]

If it were my bowl, I'd take down the top about 1/2" - 1" and I'd round it over.

You have plenty of character there. Also, is that Ambrosia or is it spalt?

I believe it is ambrosia markings. There are the characteristic beetle tunnels, in the areas that are colored.

Here's a close up from another chunk in the same batch of maple; it shows the tunnels.

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[daryl moses]

Looks like ambrosia maple to me I would wager the farm that it is. I cut a maple down this Spring and was surprised and happy to see it was infested with Ambrosia beetles. Not as marked up as yours but it had the same characteristics. I think I've turned 10-11 bowls a couple of vases, gave a couple of pieces away and still have half the tree left.

Good looking bowl BTW, and yes, it will crack fairly easy if left to dry to fast. Keep an eye on it and use liberal amounts of CA glue at the first sign of a crack.

[David Delo]

That's a sweet looking piece Robert. Can't wait to see the finished piece.

[Jamie Straw]

Wow, what a beautiful piece of wood! +1 on taking off some from the rim and rounding it over. I've had that driven into my head by a pro bowl turner. Can't fight Mother Nature with a hose clamp.:D

[Robert Marshall]

Being fairly new at turning (little over a year), I value the advice of those here who've been there, done that, time and again.

Regarding this ambrosia maple bowl, the consensus advice was to take the rim down about an inch, and round it over. Today, I took the bowl out of its DNA bath, and did that, removing about an inch of rim, and rounding the rim. Then back into the DNA bath, for a few more days.

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I will post more photos, when the bowl gets finished.

[daryl moses]

Looking good, can't wait to see it when finished.