Cherry Burl Bowl

[Bill Grumbine]

Good afternoon all

I am sitting here watching the rain pour down outside me office window. It will not be long before the grass is poking up above the sill either. I have neglected my yard duties in my frantic rush to be ready for a show this past weekend. It was an okay show, nothing to brag about. I made enough at it that I will do it again next year, but it was a far cry from the artist tour show I have done in my own shop - err, studio for the past two years.

One piece that did sell, and the one that saved the day, is this cherry burl bowl. The pictures I have are not the best, but I took them on Friday night before the show and after a week of long days and broken machines. To say that I was in a hurry would be a bit of understatement.

<img src="http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/cherryburlbowl01.jpg">

This piece of cherry burl got "lost" in our move a few years ago. I came across it while looking for some potential pen wood. It was sitting in a box with a bunch of scraps. I was looking for some last minute pieces that could be turned to finish right away, and this one became an instant candidate. The wood had been harvested close to 10 years ago, so I knew it was dry enough.

<img src="http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/cherryburlbowl02.jpg">

Here is a shot looking down inside. The shape is okay. I wasn't real happy with how straight the sides come out, and was seriously contemplating putting it back on the lathe to get a bit more of a curve. SWMBO forbade me to do so, fearing a disaster. She said it looked fine, and I should take it the way it was. I did like the way the wing came out. That was a real challenge, as the upper right edge was a bit punky and full of bug holes. It required several applications of CA glue to hold it on. Something in the wood acted as a natural accelerator too. When I squirted the glue into the crack, smoke came out and there was a hissing, crackling sound, and glue foamed up out of the crack like it does when accelerator is sprayed on right away! I almost broke the first two fingers on my left hand while sanding. The paper slipped, and I got caught in the "propeller". Ouch! They hurt for an hour or so, but nothing broken, not even skin.

The finish is Watco Danish Oil only. There was no way I was going to buff this thing, what with all the inclusions and the rotten bits. Overall size from tip to tip is approximately 12". The bowl is about 7" or so, and wall thickness is about 1/4" throuhgout. I am supplying details from estimates and memory, as I did not get around to measuring it, and I truly did not expect to sell it, as I had tagged it very high. But, sell it did, and for cash money, so I am a happy turner.

Thanks for taking a peek.

Bill

[Dominic Greco]

Bill,
I don't think the sides are too straight. I think it looks fine!

This bowls sounds like it was a bit of a pain to turn. I imagine that buffing it would have been a bit sticky to say the least. You would have been pulling bits of lint out of those inclusions for weeks!

But in the end it sure turned out sweet looking. Even better that you managed to sell it so quickly.

Great work my friend!

[Daniel Rabinovitz]

Bill
It looks really nice.
It approaches realm of the artsie buyers.
Daniel

[Dick Parr]

Very Nice bowl Bill! As always.....

[Jim Becker]

Bowls that sell for more than expected just point out that turners are their own worst critics! This is a good piece and I'm sure that the buyer will enjoy it...the character of the material is very nice, especially the way the burl and the figure of the limb combine.

[Charles McKinley]

Hi Bill,

Great looking bowl. Selling it for more than planned is even better.

Chuck

[Jason Tuinstra]

Bill, I can see why it sold so quickly. That's a really unique and nice looking piece. I can only imagine the work that you have into something like this. Thanks for snapping some shots and sharing them with us.

[Martin Shupe]

Bill,

I think that is the bowl you showed me during my visit. I thought it was a beautiful piece, but not being a bowl guy, I probably didn't say that. Now I will. It is really beautiful, and I am not even a bowl guy. Congratulations on your sale. You probably should have asked for more than you got.

You turners are all the same. First you seduce us flat guys into making things we need for flat furniture like knobs, legs, and center columns. Then, when you get us hooked on turning, you get us addicted to collecting large piles of tree stumps, because we know resistance is futile, and one day we will be sucked into turning bowls by the hundreds, and you can never have too many tree stumps in your pile.

I feel the round "bowl" side starting to pull on me....

[John Miliunas]

Extraordinary, as usual, Bill! After seeing the stuff you do, then looking at my own, I kinda' wish I still had a fireplace. Obviously, someone else thought the same thing, as it's been replaced with some Greenbacks in your pocket! Good job.

[Todd Burch]

Beautiful Burl Bowl Bill!

With a bowl like that, you could make a cabinet with a hole in the top, like a dry sink, and the bowl could sit in it and would have its own lip.

[Bill Grumbine]

Thanks guys, for all your kind words. I am thinking of making a few more like this one. I do not have any more pieces of cherry this big right now, but I do have some smaller ones. Martin, this one was turned after you were here, but it bears a resembalance to the maple burl one that you saw. We'll get you turning bowls yet! Resistance is futile. You already have lathe.

Bill

[Anthony Yakonick]

Nice turning Bill, but I do see what you mean about the curves.
Now I've said that not to criticize Bills turning but to spur some discussion on turning design. Also Bill and I "cut our teeth" in turning at just about the same time and in the same area and I'll bet our early influences are the same.
Bill, what would you think about a little inward curve towards the top from just below the mid section?

Anthony

[Lars Thomas]

Bill, as usual, your work is outstanding (in it's field ). I kinda agree with you about the props coming out too straight. But what do I know?? I'm sure it's new owner has it proudly displayed. Lars

[Bill Grumbine]

Thanks for the responses guys. Anthony, you are dead on with what I was thinking might have worked a little bit better, if I understand you correctly. If the top were curved in just a bit from the bottom so that the bottom had the largest diameter of the bowl section I think it would work just a bit better. I guess we do have some of those same influences!

Lars, the wing actually needs to be straight and flat on this one, although there are many times when that would not be so. I was referring to the straight sides of the bowl itself. The effect is to have the bowl "growing" out of the branch.

Bill

[Mark Stutz]

Bill,
This is another outstanding (in your field! ) piece of work. As an absolute novice in the spinning world, I cannot even imagine standing next to something like that spinning at 800 RPM. I also have a difficult time imagining what it looked like when it was pulled out of the box, and how this form was concieved.
Since I know you don't have anything else to do when you do one of these in the future, a before and after PIC would be fantastic. I still refer back to your tutorial post several months ago and find it very helpful. Thanks for all your contributions.

Mark