Southwestern Style Olla

[Steve Schlumpf]

This piece is my interpretation of a classic Southwestern Olla, which is a large jar used for storing water or grain. This also is the last of my 5 piece primitive series in which I focused strictly on form.

Maple, 14 ½” high x 12 ½” diameter x ¼” thick. Sealed with Shellac, this has multiple coats of gloss wipe-on poly which was cut back to a matte finish using #0000 steel wool. Given a few coats of Renaissance wax, it was hand buffed to a warm glow.

Southwestern Olla v1.JPG Southwestern Olla v2.JPG Southwestern Olla v3.JPG Southwestern Olla v4.JPG
Southwestern Olla v5.JPG Southwestern Olla v6.JPG Southwestern Olla v7.JPG Southwestern Olla v8.JPG

For those of you who noticed , this is the hollow form that was on the lathe in my ‘Tis the Season 2012’ thread.

As always, your comments, opinions and critiques are welcomed!

Thanks for looking!

[Roger Chandler]

A nice piece........I like large! Are those cracks that have been filled? If so what did you fill them with? Pics 2,3,4 are what I am referring to......almost looks like pith or the way ambrosia tracks are left behind. Unusual, the way it follows the grain.......I guess it is part of the grain now that I have given it a second look. Very nice wall thickness....and the large opening.....shows it is a truly utilitarian type of vessel.

Again, your skills shine brightly, Steve!

[Doug W Swanson]

Beautiful work, Steve. The form is excellent as usual. This is the type of work I just love to see. Great job!

[Reed Gray]

I really need to do more hollowforms. I am inspired. Steve, what is the wood? Really looks like some Myrtle.

robo hippy

[Robert McGowen]

The form does justice to the title of your series. Excellent shape. Not doing a lot of solid wood hollow forms, it looks to me that this is an end-grain turning and that the pith is probably centered in the bottom. Is this correct and if so, I assume you have some plan on dealing with any issues from that or you would not have put so much time into this piece of wood? So enlighten us less knowledgeable, please!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Robert - the pith is centered and all I did was turn it fairly thin and hit it with thin CA before I soaked the form in DNA. Once dry, never had another issue with it.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Robert - the pith is centered and all I did was turn it fairly thin and hit it with thin CA before I soaked the form in DNA. Once dry, never had another issue with it.

Nice piece Steve. Glad to see thing getting a little BIGGER since you got your Beauty.
I've turned over 150 pieces now centered on the pith with minimal problems, yet everyone still seems to think you must not turn a piece with the pith in it, go figure.

[Baxter Smith]

Good looking piece Steve! Very nice wood and form. Don't envy you on all the sanding though!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

A very well executed classic SW form! Nicely done Steve!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Nicely done Steve. I do like that SW style.

[David DeCristoforo]

That's a beauty. And impressively thin for so large a vessel. Especially like the view in the second and third pics where you can really see how the figure flows around to form. I had never heard of an olla but I "googled" it and this form is spot on.

[Nate Davey]

Great piece Steve, the maple has some nice subtle graining. I drive by an enormous one of these every day to and from work

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

You're the Daddy of the SW hollow forms, Steve. This one is a beauty and doubly difficult because the opening is large and everyone will feel the inside to make sure it is also perfect, which I am sure it is.
faust

[John Keeton]

You're like a nail gun, Steve, just driving them home one right after the other!! Beautiful work, great form, and a very nice piece of wood. Kinda hate to see the series come to a close......

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Steve, this is beautiful work as usual. It has been a while since I was here but I am thrilled the legacy continues. Let me wish all here a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.