Big Bubinga Bowl (plate?) pics

[Bill Grumbine]

Greetings all

I had planned on posting this last night, but ended up going to a meeting I had forgotten all about, and it was (gasp!) a woodworking meeting to boot! This is probably one of the most stressful pieces I have turned lately, mainly because of the wood. Most of my wood, regardless of figure, species, or whatever, is found wood, firewood really. This piece wasn't. Last month I did a demo on the various lathes offered for sale at our local Woodcraft store. While I was in the store discussing what to turn with the store owner, she points over to a series of blanks sitting on the floor and says, "There, turn one of those." One of "those" was a chunk of bubinga board, 18" square and 3" thick. Since it was highly figured, it was also highly priced, at $175.00 for the chunk.

Enter the stress. Like I said, I turn firewood. I'm not used to wood that costs any more than the effort to get it home and get it processed. But anyway, off I went to the demo, and things went very well, except that I did not get to finish this particular piece. So, I brought it home, and here it languished over the holidays and through a killer cold, until last night when it was ready to see the light of day (so to speak).

<img src="http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/bubingabowl01.jpg">

Here is a shot of the profile. It finished out at 17 1/2" in diameter and 2 3/4" high. It is pretty uniform in thickness at 1/4" thick. With it being as large as it is and as shallow as it is, I am wondering whether to call it a bowl or a plate. Of course, for the proper alliteration in the title, it had to be a bowl!

<img src="http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/bubingabowl02.jpg">

Here is a shot of the inside. It is not the best of the figure, but I spun it and spun it and just couldn't get the camera to see what I was seeing. But, if you are in the Allentown PA Woodcraft store you just might get a chance to see it. Just don't look too close. After all, it is a demo bowl. ;-)

Thanks for taking a look.

Bill

[Bernie Weishapl]

Hey Bill. That bowl is beautiful. I just finished roughing my second bowl last night. I have been following your DVD very closely. Thanks. Again looks absolutely great.

[John Miliunas]

175$$ blank????:eek: :confused: You've obviously got more guts than I and we already know you've got more skills than I, but still....:eek: Whew! A knuckle biter, me thinks. But, as I would expect from you, it certainly turned out gorgeous! Great job, Bill!:) :cool:

[Mark Singer]

Bill that is a beauty...pricey wood ...great looking piece!

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

Simply stunning Bill. If anyone could be trusted to bring an expensive blank off of the lathe looking that nice, it would be you! :)

[Bob Noles]

Bill,

A sweet job for sure, but then again, what would anyone expect other than perfection from you :D

Thanks for showing it.

[Brad Schmid]

Another beautiful piece Bill:cool:
Really nice, I like it alot.

[Bill Stevener]

Hi Bill,
A very nice turning indeed. Generally when one is pondering over the thin line between a turning being a bowl or a plate, the answer is easily solved. If one ladles soup in to it, it's a bowl, if one places a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on it, it's a plate. However, with the cost of that piece of wood, I would just keep it dusted and call it a Piece Of Art.

I wonder how many minis I could get out of that piece, for $175.00 :eek:

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Gary Max]

I gots it figured out---its a Centerpiece.
Heck I would have to make payments on that blank.
Bill it looks like you did a great job both turning and finishing it.

[Jim Becker]

Beautiful piece, Bill.

Bubinga holds a special place in my heart...the "avoid it" place as it's the one wood I have found myself to be very sensitive to when I turned a platter just a little smaller in diameter than this one last year. I LOVE the look, but any sensitivity concerns me. Perhaps I'll try again now that I have a better solution for nusance dust for my head...and tight wear nitrile gloves to keep it off my skin. Or better yet...just enjoy the bubinga turnings of others.

[Dick Parr]

That is a great turning on a beautiful piece of wood Bill. For a Demo piece:eek: you did a wonderful job.;)

[John Hart]

I think I'll just keep cutting the neighbors trees down after midnight...It's a lot cheaper!;) Nice looking PlateBowlArt Piece Bill. :)

[Karl Laustrup]

My Oh My!!!! That is one beautiful whatever you want to call it. I think, as Gary said, it's a centerpiece.

Is one to surmise that the bowl/platter/centerpiece was recieved well?

Karl

[Jim Dunn]

Not deep enough for Andy's ice-cream bowl:). But a very nice job on a pricey piece of wood. Bill, you did it more than justice.;)
Bill one question please, was that blank dry? I'm guessing it was. In fact it was probably older than I am, at it's price.:eek::eek:

Jim

[Mike Ramsey]

Beautiful Bowl Bill! I love the form.

[Robert Mickley]

Wow, thats some purty stuff, amd pricey too at $25.92 a board foot. :eek:

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Boy....................you get $175.00 blanks to turn and I get $3.99 Black Pen Blanks to turn for them. You think they are trying to tell me sumpin'?

Naw......They're telling you what we all know. You have the ability and skill to pull it off...............Even on a DEMO bowl.

Superb!

Bruce

[Andy Hoyt]

Nice "Bowlatter" Bill.

Just the right size for a couple of pints of "From Russia With Buzz™"

[Curt Fuller]

Bill, that's another beautiful bowl. Of all the knowlege, insight, tricks of the trade, etc. that I've picked up from your posts and your CD I think the most valuable thing is that every time I read or listen to you, you make me laugh.

[Travis Stinson]

Super! I think I would have been afraid to even mount that to the lathe, much less touch a gouge to it!:eek: :cool:

[Ernie Nyvall]

Sorry, but knowing YOU were nervous makes me feel better.

It's a beautiful piece Bill. Thanks for showing it.

Ernie

[David Mueller]

Bill, that is one fine piece of turnin' I vote for Sushi platter. Make me feel compelled to finally tackle a 3x6x6 piece of bubinga I've had for the last 6 months. Couldn't decide what to do with it, bowl or shallow box? Now I'm anxious to find out what's inside. Thanks for always being an inspiration.

[Rob Bourgeois]

Good job I like it. I can't imagine you being nervous about turning it.

geesh...that wood is worth more than I paid for my lathe. Turning that wood on my lathe would be like my 13 year old old truck which had a blue book value that varied with the amount of gas in the tank. :o

[Adam Howard]

Bill,

That looks super! I'm a huge fan of Bubinga, and if you ever want some more blanks (a bit cheaper), I might be able to give you a contact, but I'm not sure if he has any that are bigger than 12x3.

Just PM me.

I do love the form, and Bubinga is definitly in my top 5 of favorites. I love everything about it.

Great work!

[Bill Grumbine]

Thanks everyone for the comments and kind words! Yes, things like this do make me nervous. I did not have to pay for the wood, but someone did somewhere along the line, and I would hate to make a very expensive funnel (which has been known to happen in the past).

It was very well received Karl, although I don't know where they will put it in the store. It takes up a lot of room.

Jim, it was as dry as the proverbial bone. Hard and dry. It cut well, but not those long shavings that I really enjoy coming off a piece of soaking wet maple or cherry.

Adam, I will keep your offer in mind. Thanks.

I would normally sign off with something like "back to the lathe", but I am among the walking wounded for now. It is not a good idea to get your hand too close to the thing you are swinging the hammer at with the other hand, especially when the surface you are striking is not a regular shape. So, I have a day or two off while things get better. I have lots of little things to do in the shop.

Bill

[Lars Thomas]

As is typical from you - beautiful work! Lars

[lloyd morris]

Bill,

Bowl or plate it is beautiful. I love it's simple clean lines. You do wonderful work.

Lloyd