Elm Turnings

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

I wanted to share these Bowl I turned from the Elm Tree's that I had recently taken down at my Folk's Place. These had been standing dead for over a year, and once I revisted my Bowl Gouge Technique and got that straightened out, I was able to turn these very smooth with no end grain tearout. I have heard that Elm can be "persnickety" to turn, but I have had very good luck with it..............OK, it can get on your nerves at times, but sharp tools and patience prevailed! ;) The first bowl is 6 1/2" in diameter and 3 1/2" tall. The second bowl, which has a very nicely spalted section, that is very solid, no punkiness, is 7 1/2" in diameter and 4" tall. I decided that with the thicker walls of the spalted bowl, a bowl edge treatment would look nice, so that is what led to that detail. I wanted the larger bowl thick, to have a hefty feel to it. Both bowls have one coat of Antique Oil finish on them, and I think I will take the Beall Buffing System to them when I get around to ordering that. I am happy with the results of these bowls, and one will be a gift to my Folks so they have something to remember their Elm Trees. As always, comments, and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks for the opportunity to share my work with you! :D

[Brad Schafer]

Well, it happened. Here I was, minding my own business admiring your work and the wife walks in. "Say, that's pretty," sez she. "What is it?"

I explained it was one of your nice turnings made from elm. "Elm?" sez she. "I didn't think it was worth a hoot except for firewood. Don't you have some elm to take down? Maybe you could make something out of it instead of just firewood."

"But I don't have a lathe," sez I.

"Well, maybe you should get one."

I DON'T WANT A LATHE! I don't even have a decent TS yet! :(

More beautiful work,


b

[Joe Tonich]

Well, it happened. Here I was, minding my own business admiring your work and the wife walks in. "Say, that's pretty," sez she. "What is it?"

I explained it was one of your nice turnings made from elm. "Elm?" sez she. "I didn't think it was worth a hoot except for firewood. Don't you have some elm to take down? Maybe you could make something out of it instead of just firewood."

"But I don't have a lathe," sez I.

"Well, maybe you should get one."

I DON'T WANT A LATHE! I don't even have a decent TS yet! :(

More beautiful work,


b

"Well, maybe you should get one."

Man, I NEVER hear those words at MY house!! I just DUCK quick when I tell her I bought a new tool! :p Your a lucky guy, you got a "Keeper"!!
What lathe are you thinking of getting?? (You KNOW your thinking about it! :D :D :D :D )

Joe

[Joe Tonich]

I wanted to share these Bowl I turned from the Elm Tree's that I had recently taken down at my Folk's Place. These had been standing dead for over a year, and once I revisted my Bowl Gouge Technique and got that straightened out, I was able to turn these very smooth with no end grain tearout. I have heard that Elm can be "persnickety" to turn, but I have had very good luck with it..............OK, it can get on your nerves at times, but sharp tools and patience prevailed! ;) The first bowl is 6 1/2" in diameter and 3 1/2" tall. The second bowl, which has a very nicely spalted section, that is very solid, no punkiness, is 7 1/2" in diameter and 4" tall. I decided that with the thicker walls of the spalted bowl, a bowl edge treatment would look nice, so that is what led to that detail. I wanted the larger bowl thick, to have a hefty feel to it. Both bowls have one coat of Antique Oil finish on them, and I think I will take the Beall Buffing System to them when I get around to ordering that. I am happy with the results of these bowls, and one will be a gift to my Folks so they have something to remember their Elm Trees. As always, comments, and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks for the opportunity to share my work with you! :D

Kevin,

Check out the Woodcraft thread below. You will be impressed with the Beall System, I was! Nice bowls! One Q., are they sitting on the tennon or is it still attached? I have the Jumbo Jaws and they are real nice to use for finishing the bottoms.

Joe

[Jim Becker]

Kevin...this turning thing for you is getting way too good! Great bowl and really nice choice for the blank with that spalting.

-----

Brad...resistance is futile. :D

[Tom Sweeney]

I love the spalted bowl - looks great! I notice that you are keeping the foot of your bowls relatively large in diameter. It's funny but I've gotten some feedback that they should be 1/3 the diameter of the largest part of the bowl. But I keep liking the way bowls look with a larger foot. Of course as I've said before I've been accused of having no taste. Great job as usual.

I'm in the middle of turning what I think is some willow. That's really tough with tools that are not real sharp - sounds like it's similar your elm.

Oh yeah & Brad - Your toast - don't worry about your TS - since I started turning mine is just an expensive benchtop storage unit. :rolleyes:

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

Joe , the Tenon that the bowls are sitting on is just a scrap I used to raise the bowls for the photo to better show the foot detail. I reversed chucked these and finished the bottoms.
Tom , on some things, I like the larger foot portion of the base. I have read also that the foot "should" be 1/3 the overall diameter of the bowl. But then again, where is THAT written in stone? That is just someone's idea of how the proportion of the bowl SHOULD look. For me, I turn what I like and think will look good.............I have never been one to follow the norm................after all, "Unless you're the lead dog, the view never changes!" :D
Jim , thanks for the compliment on the choice of the blank for the spalted bowl. It takes some getting used to getting the orientation of the blank on the lathe to get the most out of a given section of wood. SWMBO thinks I am losing it when I sit at the bench with a blank for a while, turing it this way and that, looking at it, and measuring, and looking again, and turning it..........and so on...........she says, "My God, it just a piece of wood!" Ah, she has SO much to learn! ;)

[Jason Roehl]

Of course as I've said before I've been accused of having no taste.

Hey, Tom, careful now. I'd say you've got good taste--after all, you liked my beer (as did some others whose taste is definitely NOT in dispute)!!!
:D :cool:

[Terry Quiram]

Hey Kevin

Way to go!!! Those bowls are real nice. Clean lines and nice proportions. I like Elm, it buffs very nicely. You will have to get a set of bowl buffs to get inside your bowls.

[Noah Alkinburgh]

Very nice Kevin!

BTW, I didn't run out on you the other night in chat, my computer just decided to turn off on its own. Blink, off it went :mad: Oh well, it just finished off my day LOL....

Nice to see you got your bowl gouge technique down. Now if I could figure out why my stuff doesn't come out like that when I jamming it in the wood, sputtering in inchorently, and muttering curse words under my breath. JK really :D

Noah