My Neighbor's Big Calabash Bowl

[Roger Chandler]

This is the last piece of that red maple burl from my neighbors yard that came down due to storm damage last year. I roughed this out 17 months ago, and finish turned it yesterday. It needed all that time to dry properly.

I showed it to the neighbor lady next door {Jan] and she loved it! I was not sure what the bowl form I was going to do was, and had considered an ogee shaped bowl, but decided to go with a calabash form. I did not know this until our conversation, but Jan was born in Hawaii, as her family was military, and they were there for over 10 years. Her mother, who passed away back this summer had purchased a calabash bowl while living there in the 1970's, and it got smashed and destroyed during the move back to the mainland, and she was heartbroken over losing that bowl.

When Jan saw the bowl and the "Hawaiian Calabash Style Bowl" I put on the bottom inscription, she teared up, and was so appreciative......a tree that meant much to them, and a bowl from it with a form her mother loved. She and her daughter both just were so happy.

Bowl diameter is 14 inches. Pics taken with my iphone 11.

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[Bill Bukovec]

Well done! What was the wall thickness after roughing?

[Brice Rogers]

Very nice, Roger!

[Frederick Skelly]

A kind Christmas gift for your neighbor.
Merry Christmas!
Fred

[Roger Chandler]

Well done! What was the wall thickness after roughing?. The roughout blank was 15-1/4” diameter, so I left it 1.5” thick from the rim to the bottom. The finished wall thickness is about 3/8” consistent thru the bottom. I did not want to get this one too thin, as this wood had a punky spot in it, so leaving enough I could sand and work with it was important, and for this large a bowl, it needs some heft.

[Dueane Hicks]

That IS Nice!

[Bill Jobe]

Beautiful bowl, Roger.

[tom lucas]

nice bowl and story to boot.

[Roger Chandler]

Thanks for the comments!