Coolibah Relief Wing Bowl

Wow that is some grain. Very nice piece. Thanks for sharing

I love it. Wow….......... But I have never heard of coolibah…..what is it? How did you turn this one?

-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps

I wonder if that same person would have asked Da Vinci what you could “do” with the Mona Lisa. Great looking piece. I can just imagine how my lathe would have danced around the shop with that piece.

-- Joe Brinkman, Ohio - http://blog.theaccidentalgeek.com

Nicest looking chip/dip plate/bowl I’ve ever seen :~)) beautiful work.

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

Guacamole! Gorgeous. This is a really cool piece.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com

Beautiful piece of burl. Thanks for sharing.

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

Great piece. Where would I find some coolibah?

-- Bryan, Cleveland OH

Fantastic, appreciate the effort you went through to achieve this beautiful piece. Do not let anyone eat out of that!

-- mtnwild (Jack), It's not what you see, it's how you see it.

Wow, that is awesome!

-- segmented turning kits ---> http://theSegmentedTurner.com

nice piece of wood…....

-- Brian's Table Top Toys http://home.mountaincable.net/~bgraham/

to TreeGuy Bryan, I get my burls from LeeTree Wood Works in Decatur Georgia, http://www.leetreewoodworks.com/Burls_and_Wood.htm

-- www.swirlsandburls.com

To Jerry (cabinetmaster). Here are the basic steps I use to turn a “wing” bowl from a burl cap.
1. I make sure the flat surface is flat enough to mount either a faceplate or faceplate ring with not rocking at all. The ring is becomming my favorite approach. Saves time re-mounting the chuck. I use a 5” rotary grinder with 60 grit paper to flatten the face.
2. I find the high spot on the “dome” and make this (more or less) the center of the piece, unless there is a reason not to (that is the “art part” I guess). I mount the ring using this center.
3. Once I mount the piece on the lathe, I remove the spikes from the back of the blank. I once stalled my lathe on one of these spikes, and they are scary as all get-out. Needle-sharp, very hard, and lots of them, all invisible as they spin. So, I started using the grinder to remove them. It’s fast, safe, and far less punishing than a gouge. I figure one mistake with these spikes could easily cost me a finger or even a hand.
4. I turn the back of the bowl to a shape I like, taking the wings into consideration. I also turn and finish the dovetail center to reverse mount the piece. The back is very challenging, because the cut is almost always interrupted, and I leave the natural spikes at the very edge. Still a bit scary! Keeps me focused!
5. After re-mounting, I turn and finish the inside. I find that many species have lots of fissures in the grain, and tearout is a bit of a challenge. So, these pieces typically require a lot of sanding. I really like wave-disks mounted on a drill for the sanding.
6. I usually finish with lots of coats of a wiping tung-oil varnish, then two buffing steps (using the Beall system) and finally carnauba wax buff. I have never tried any sort of stain or dye. Its just not necessary and would interfere with the natural beauty of the burl (In my humble opinion)

There you have it! I look forward to seeing you try it sometime!

-- www.swirlsandburls.com