In Transition measures 10” wide on the long axis, 8” on the short axis and stands 6” high. The average
wall thickness is 3/16” and weighs 9 oz.

Bowl blank from a tree harvest in January 2008 the piece was turned green and to final form and wall thickness then allowed to air dry for 2 weeks before finishing. Final sanding to 400 grit and finished with 5 coats of Watco Danish Oil, buffed with white diamond and waxed.

The calabash sits on an independent walnut base.

This piece is currently on display display at the MFA Gallery in Annapolis, MD. Through June 22 as part of a juried show of the Chesapeake Woodturners.

I recently obtained a a few limbs from a maple tree that was being trimmed in the local area. Not quite large enough for a bowl I decide to try an end grain vessel with a natural edge. Even managed to keep some small pieces of the lichen that was growing on the bark.

The piece was turned green to a rough wall thickness of about 1/2” and then dried using paper grocery bags. For my basement shop I use 3 bags to start – rotated every other day for the first week, then 2 bags for one week and then one week air drying in the shop. This brought the rough turning from 30% moisture content to around 12%. The vase was returned to the lathe and returned to a wall thickness of around 1/4” and sanded to 400 grit.

Finish is 5 coats of Waterlox Tung Oil satin finish – took 4 coats before the maple stopped absorbing all the oil. After curing for 3 days the vase was buffed using the Beal buffing system.

Thanks for looking

The Deck the Walls Exhibit and Show at Maryland Hall in Annapolis runs from Nov 9th through Dec 24th. Sales from this show benefit Maryland performing arts. You can find them at www.marylandhall.org.

Anyway, so I created two different turnings for the event shown here from your viewing pleasure.

Bowl #1 – Shallow natural edge bowl in Manzanita Burl approximately 6” in diameter and a little over 2.5” tall.
First two pictures show the front and the back of this turning.

Bowl #2 – Green turned from a piece of Ornamental Cherry from a tree removed from a neighbor’s yard. The bowl is approximately 6” in diameter and about 5” tall.

Both bowls have a Tung Oil finish and were buffed and polished using the Beal Buffing System.

Thanks for looking.
Cheers – Mike

Project is a birthday gift for our eldest son. Poker chip case project is an adaptation of the one in Woodsmith Magazine (one of my favorites) Vol. 27 Issue 158. The top panel is the same Carpathian Elm Burl veneer that I used for the mirror project posted earlier last year. The wood is Kentucky Coffeebean one on the hardest and most contrary woods I’ve worked with yet. Finish is several coats of rubbed China Oil (Tung Oil) and the case is lined with green felt. Chips are casino grade with the ESPN Poker Club logo. Really enjoyed the project and learned several new techniques in the process.

Thanks for looking
Mike

One year in the making – hard to believe.

My wife wanted a glider for the front porch so I took a basic garden bench and added a glider base.

Wood is Burmease Teak

All joint are mortise and tenon. Each is pegged for strength and all holes are plugged
with plugs cut from matching teak.

Finish is 4 coats of China Oil.

Enjoy and thanks for looking

Mike

We needed a mirror over the sofa when we decorated our family room. My wife’s theme was metal and wood. The wood part fell to me. We agreed on a design that was published in Woodsmith magazine. I have never really done a veneer project before so the challenge was exciting. The frame is poplar and the main veneer is Carpathian Elm Burl with Tulip wood banding. The corner blocks are Tropical American Mahogany (TAM) with an emblem surrounded by edge face mahogany veneer. Moldings were crafted from TAM using a router table and a round over bit.

Mirror is finished with Danish Tung Oil and 3 coats of a 1lb. cut shellac.

Veneer was attached using a hand operated vacuum pump and plastic bag designed for crafting skateboards.

The mirror is a centerpiece on the sofa wall and always gets noticed by friends and family when they first see it.

Total construction time approx. 40 hrs.