mesquite bowl

[Robert McGowen]

Hi All,

I have not been able to turn for 4 weeks now due to elbow surgery. I was finally able to get some shop time in today though. This is the first time I have tried using turquoise as an inlay and I found it fairly easy to do. I started out to make a traditional bowl, but a large piece of bark on the back side where the sap wood is determined the shape for me. :) I am going to wait a couple of weeks before I finish off the bottom to make sure the wood doesn't move and I have to touch things up. I have not had any problems with mesquite going from a tree to a finished piece in the same day, but you never can tell.

Mesquite, 11" x 3", sanded to 400, Danish Oil finish.

Thanks for looking. It feels good to be back in the vortex!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Very nice Robert! Did you use CA to inlay that turqoise?

I'm thinking about stealing your lamp idea for my MIL.

Would you entertain a phone someday to get some details.

[Ernie Nyvall]

That four legged starfish in the grain looks cool and I like the turquoise. Nice job.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking bowl Robert. Ernie beat me to it. I like the starfish in the bowl also.

[Terry Quiram]

Both are nice but I really like the shape of the bowl with the sap.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nice looking bowl Robert! Love the color contrast between the wood and stone! Really like the form and finish! Glad to are able to start turning again! Hope you are healing fine!

[Curt Fuller]

That four legged starfish in the grain looks cool and I like the turquoise. Nice job.

That was the first thing that caught my eye too. That's some pretty wood and I like the subtle inlay. It's just enough to set it off.

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Hey Bobby...(don't ya just hate it when I do that?:mad: ):D He he he.:p Very Nice. Cool wood and I love the form you used.:)

[Dennis Peacock]

Beautiful Robert.!!! and here's to a very quick recovery from your surgery.

[Tom Sherman]

Very nice Robert, the star in the bowl is cool.

[Pete Jordan]

It turned out great! I would like to try that inlay some time.

[mike fuson]

Nice looking bowl Rob. Now go get the scraps from it and lets fire that grill up.:D

[Allen Neighbors]

Cool bowl, Robert. Excellent use of the grain and sapwood. Turquoise on Mesquite is AWESOME!

[Joseph Peacock]

Wow!!! Nice bowl Mr.Robert!!!!;) :D :cool:

[Brett Baldwin]

Good looking bowl Robert. I'll throw in my hat for the starfish pattern catching my eye as well.

[Robert McGowen]

Thanks for looking at the newly crowned "Starfish" bowl! :)

Yes, the inlay was done with medium CA and what was termed "medium" sized turquoise. I remembered somewhere is the back of my mind to get the area around the turquoise as smooth as possible before sanding. If you don't, then you will leave the turquoise, which doesn't sand nearly as easy as wood, sticking out of the newly sanded down area around the groove. I shaved the turquoise down with a flat scraper until I just hit the wood to take off the excess CA off of the wood.

The thing I learned about the inlay: Make sure that the filling is above the groove after it is glued in. That way you can shave it smooth with the wood. If you try to skimp on material, you will have little voids, or see the material through a layer of CA. The turquoise, for me anyway, seemed to shave off as a fine white powder. If you misjudge and hit the wood, you will instantly know it!

Happy turning! :)