Mesquite bowl with some NE

[Curtis O. Seebeck]

Here is a mesquite bowl I made this past weekend. One of my other passions is hunting Native American Artifacts (arrowheads) and I made this for my arrowhead hunting buddy to put on his coffee table to put some of his lesser quality arrowheads in.

It is 8" diameter by 2 1/4" tall with 3/16" wall thickness. The finish is Minwax wipe on gloss poly.

Only honest comments and critics accepted! (Don't blow smoke up my skirt in other words!)

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a340/MesquiteMan/MesquiteNE2-2.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a340/MesquiteMan/MesquiteNE2-3.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a340/MesquiteMan/MesquiteNE2-1.jpg

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Curtis.........I like the form and that wood is gorgeous!

No smoke!:eek: :D

[Bernie Weishapl]

No smoke here Curtis cause that is a beauty. I love mesquite wood. Nice form and finish.

[John Shuk]

My 5 year old was on my lap when I opened the thread. He said WOW Dad will you make one like that. His usual response is to just wander away saying nothing. Trust me it is a compliment!
I think its really nice too.
It all comes together nicely.

[Mark Cothren]

Curtis, thats looks smooth as silk. I love the rich color of Mesquite. I haven't turned any yet, but sure love the look of it in pictures.

I can easily picture a bunch of arrowheads in it. I think it will work great for that. The partial NE gives it just enough of a rough edge that it will fit perfectly with the arrowheads.

[George Conklin]

(Don't blow smoke up my skirt

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a340/MesquiteMan/MesquiteNE2-2.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a340/MesquiteMan/MesquiteNE2-3.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a340/MesquiteMan/MesquiteNE2-1.jpg


So,,, do you wear this skirt while you turn?:eek: ;)

Sorry, Curtis. I like everything about it.

I have a question though. Was this a dry blank or green. If it was green, did you turn it all the way down to the finish size or did you rough it out and re-turn it after it dried. I've heard mesquite dosen't move much.:)

[Jim Becker]

I really like this piece, Curtis. The combination of the defined rim with the partial natural edge really makes for an interesting turning...especially for its intended use. The mesquite you used really works, too...the grain follows the form very well. Nice!

[Curtis O. Seebeck]

George,

It was turned in one setting from a green blank. Mesquite DOES NOT have to be twice turned. I have made lidded boxes with tight fitting lids from dripping wet mesquite. Months later the lids still fit perfect.

Mesquite is the most dimensionally stable wood in the world according to Texas A&M University which is considered THE authority on mesquite.

That is why I like it! I am too impatient to turn something and then have to let it set for months to finish it!!

[Cody Colston]

No smoke blowing here, Curtis. I really like that bowl although I don't know a thing about correct form, etc. I just know what I like.

I have to admit that I'm partial to Mesquite, but the simple form you chose along with the bark on the rim is perfect for storing arrowheads. The bowl somehow invokes the look of an antiquity.

Thanks for showing it.

[George Conklin]

No smoke blowing here, Curtis. I really like that bowl although I don't know a thing about correct form, etc. I just know what I like.

I was thinking the same thing. I have no idea about correct form. It's either I like it, or I don't:rolleyes: .

I do respect those that do know about art and form.:)

[Bill Boehme]

Curtis,

I love mesquite. Too bad that these other guys don't live in Texas. Earlier this year, our club spent a couple weekends cutting mesquite and harvested around 60,000 pounds. These were all very large -- there was even one that was about four feet in diameter. But, enough of that -- I love the piece of wood that you turned.

Since you asked for honest criticism, I will mention some of the things that I do that are comparable to what I see in your bowl and that the experienced turners I know have pointed out as things that I could work on to enhance the beauty of my turnings.

First, there appears to be a bit of tearout on the end grain in the top picture. Maybe your scraper was a bit dull and caused you to use too much pressure to make it cut. One of my habits that took me a long time to get past was making the side of the bowl just below the rim nearly vertical sort of like a cereal bowl. For a utility bowl, that is fine, but for a decorative bowl, it usually looks lighter and more attractive if the sides have more of a V shape. I had to work on this one quite a bit and watch Bill Grumbine's video a couple dozen times before things sunk in for me. I can't say that it would make your bowl look better, but it is something that I feel has helped my turning. Sometimes though the size and shape of a piece of wood dictates what the end result will look like.

Next, on the outside of the bowl, I see some subtle discontinuities in the curve. To clarify what I am saying, close to the top edge the curve is very gentle and the same applies close to the bottom. Where these two gentle curves would intersect, the curvature has a smaller radius (i.e., it is a tighter curve). My understanding of form is that the curve is more appealing when it gradually and smoothly transitions from a smaller radius to a larger radius in a monotonic fashion -- that is, it continuously changes one way or the other without going back and forth between large radius and small radius. This is a very difficult to achieve in the real world and I have not quite mastered this, especially on the inside of bowls. It seems as though I have a series of flats connected together with curved intersections. I usually don't notice them until after the finish has been applied and the tenon parted off and then I feel less than fully satisfied with the final results. I can't tell anything about the inside of your bowl from the pictures so you probably don't have my problem.

I hope that this critique has been constructive and beneficial. I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but these are just some of the things that I have been taught and that does not necessarily make them right.

If you have had any of the bark fly off while turning, I learned a trick from the experienced turners in our club -- apply some thin CA along the cambium layer. Also to keep the glue from spreading and changing the color of the wood, give it a light spraying with some quick drying lacquer before using the CA. You can then either sand or turn the lacquer away.

I am beginning to panic -- my supply of mesquite is down to less than 500 pounds. Once you have turned mesquite, other wood is just ....... "wood".

Bill

[Ernie Nyvall]

I like the partial natural edge, especially for what it will be used for. I do see what looks to be tear out as Bill noted, but over all I like it.

[Curtis O. Seebeck]

Thanks guys for the comments. I appreciate it. It is a funny thing how pictures can play with reality! I was shocked when I read Bill's comments about tear out. That is one area that I am VERy picky about and for the life of me, I could not figure out what he was talking about, mainly because I am looking at the actual piece instead of the pictures!

Going back to the picture, I see what does apear to be some minor tear out to the top right side in the first picture. It is not actually tear-out but rather an area where the finish apeared to really soak in and not build a film like the rest of the bowl. Also, it needs to be buffed in the inside but I don't have any bowl buffs!

Anyway, I took it back to the shop and lightly sanded the inside and applied another coat of finish and all is uniform now.

Thanks again for the comments. It allowed me to make a nice piece even better!