SW Bowl

[Glenn Hodges]

This sycamore bowl is 9.34 inches wide X 6.25 inches high. I know the mouth is a little to large, but I wanted the inside to be as smooth as the outside. The band around the outside is malachite. The finish is tung oil solution and then buffed, comments welcomed.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Glenn......that's absolutely beautiful! I don't do the spinny thing yet....still trying to finish the new shop but with the quality of your work setting the bar so high.......When I do start the spinny thing, I don't think I'll post pictures here. How do you apply the malachite? Beautiful!

[Glenn Hodges]

I follow the directions in the last edition of "Woodturning Design". I turn a grove, about 3/16 of an inch deep, put in the malachite, big pieces first, CA glue them, and then follow this with smaller pieces, and then with the dust. After this is dry I then sand. Do not use accelerator or use it sparringly on the crushed stone because you will get the white fuzz, so it is best to not use it. You can buy crushed malachite or whatever you choose to use or crush your own. Thanks for your kind and nice comments.

[Wolf Kiessling]

This sycamore bowl is 9.34 inches wide X 6.25 inches high. I know the mouth is a little to large, but I wanted the inside to be as smooth as the outside. The band around the outside is malachite. The finish is tung oil solution and then buffed, comments welcomed.

I like everything about the bowl, Glenn, particularly the malachite band. But then, I'm totally into surface decoration. I, myself, favor turquoise.

[Jerry Clark]

Beautiful bowl Glenn. The banding really sets it off-- I have been thinking of trying the same on a bowl.

[Michael Stafford]

Glenn, that is wonderful! There is absolutely nothing wrong with that bowl! It is beautiful! I will have to try that technique sometime, thanks for sharing.

[Mark Singer]

Terrific and original!

[Doug Shepard]

Glenn - very nice! I'm curious about the malachite as I'm planning on setting some into the front of some jewelry box drawer pulls. Is that natural malachite or the reconstituted stone? I've been eyeing a few sites that sell the recon stuff but haven't been too sure how it would compare appearance-wise with the natural. If that's the recon stone, how did you find it to work with? It looks very nice.

[Glenn Hodges]

I appreciate all your favorable comments, thanks. Doug, this was a piece of malachite that I crushed in a mortise and pestle that I bought from a gold miner in Montana. It is made from thick iron. I have only used the real stuff, so can't answer about the other kind, sorry. Maybe some others can help.

[Doug Shepard]

Well essentially it is reconstituted as that's what they do to make the recon stone. The only real difference is that you did the process yourself instead of buying that way. Think I'll go ahead and take the plunge with the recon malachite. Thanks

[Dick Parr]

Outstanding Glenn! That is a beautiful bowl.

[Jim Ketron]

Nice Job Glenn!

[Jim Becker]

Very nice, Glenn! Nice shape and the inlay looks wonderful. In fact, I think it was the perfect way to set this turning off since the wood is fairly plain and conducive to the accent that the stone provides..."busy" wood and "busy" inlay don't always work as well, although there are exceptions, such as Stephen Hatcher's work where the figure in the wood becomes the "picture's background". Speaking of which, his article on page 8 of the Spring 2005 issue of Woodturning Design details his artistic inlay technique and is pretty much a "must read" for anyone interested in that form of embellishment. There is also good advice for selecting stone...hardness is one of the keys to success. (His website also has a technique article posted)

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

Interesting turning, Glenn. I like the inlay. How hard is it to sand?

[Glenn Hodges]

Don, malachite has a hardness of only about 3 and the sandpaper is about 8 or so. It was not a problem to sand. Before I read the article I had tried inlaying some stone that was to hard and had a difficult time sanding. If you stay with a low hardness stone you will be OK.