Ambrosia Maple Bowl

Beautiful piece. The picture looks like the wood has taken on a slightly purple color. Is that correct or just an artifact of the photographic process ? I don’t blame your wife for grabbing it up as a decoration for the house.

I don’t know what you mean by Friction Finish. The piece looks great, the only reason to pick another would be to be more protective of the natual colors.

-- Bill Roberts -- Steal one idea it's called plagerism. Steal a bunch - it's called research

Wow, this turned out great!

-- James - What's your excuse this time??

Wow, Rich!

You are right about the grain pattern, it is beautiful. I really like the contrast between the Maple and the Lace wood.

Your friction finish, was it done by using the shavings from the turnings? I use this method and it really adds a sheen to the piece.

Lew

Sorry about the colors. The maple is actually natural colored, I took this with my blackberry and it couldn’t compensate for the blueish green walls.

The friction finish is what pen turners use. It is shellac with emulsified wax in it. You apply it with a cloth or paper towel and apply enough pressure to heat the wood. It is quick and can be combined with a base layer of pure shellac or BLO. Some even use CA under it. The big problem I have with this finish is that it is soft. It will probably be okay for a bowl sitting on a shelf, but I have noticed that pens that I have turned will loose their luster fairly quickly. I may try spraying lacquer while on the lathe.

Lew, I have never tried the shavings, will have to do that. I do burnish with a paper bag after sanding, which is supposed to be like 1200 grit paper?

Thanks for the kudos guys, still learning, but am having fewer items flying around the workshop!
Rich

-- Rich in Richmond

This one is a real beauty, Rich. Great job!

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Very nice bowl…...... I am envious.

As for the finish, I have use some friction finish, mostly on smaller sized items. For bowls I like good old wipe on poly, but I am no expert on finish…that’s for sure.

What does interest me, is what tools you used for hollowing? I have not done too much hollow work, but would really like to try a form like this. My hollowing is limited to a few boxes and goblets.. The tools I have right now just won’t go over the tool rest far enough to try a turning of this nature….. ????

Great Job !

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

Thanks Brian,
This isn’t truly a hollow form, just bowl shaped inside. I am in awe of the turners that can produce a true hollow form of uniform thickness. I am not there yet. I use a tool Sorby makes that is fairly long, the metal shaft of which is flat on one side. The working end has interchangeable scrappers that you can use. The main one used for turning the inside is about 1 inch long and 1/4” wide with a radius turned on the cutting edge. You use it as a scrapper, working from the middle out. I pre-drill to the proper depth before I start to hollow it out.
Rich

-- Rich in Richmond

Beautiful bowl Rich and an outstanding shape. I almost always burnish with shavings on my turnings, it does a great job.

-- Mike, American in Norway

I love the ambrosia, nice shape. I turn a lot of bowls and stuff, I really like to put a layer of mineral oil on after burnishing with the bag, this brings out the grain, then while still on the lathe I hold my hand against the wood for friction, this brings on a nice shine with the mineral oil, kind of speed dries it. Then when everything is off the lathe and finished, I like to use a blonde shellac for lighter woods and the garnet for darker woods, when I apply them I use an old ( clean) piece of sock or t-shirt. I put on vinyl gloves then I use the rag to apply a little mineral oil, then the sam rag to apply a 2# cut of shellac, rubbing it in until the shellac kind or starts resisting. Then when the whole peice is done, I let it dry, I fold up the rag stick it inside the gloves, this keeps it from drying and use it again. I do this up to 10 times occasionally sanding with 300 grit every 3 or 4 coats. This is a cheapy cheapy form of french polish that leaves a nice deep shine that is hard and protective, At the very end I sometimes put it on the buffing wheel.

-- As the Saw Turns

P.S.
Sometimes I just use mineral oil and then Bees Wax, while it is still on the lathe. the beeswax is soft but very waterproof. It has a nice natural soft feel, I use it for bowls I think will be handeled frequently.

-- As the Saw Turns

Thanks Andrew, I will try that on my next bowl.

-- Rich in Richmond

Great looking bowl. I love the design and the way it flows. Yes the holes are worm holes. The oil and mess from the worms is what forms the ambrosia. A lot of people also refer to this as wormy maple.

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

Outstanding bowl. An insparation to all turners. That ambrosia maple has great charector and color.

I like the lacewood cap. It sets the piece off nicely. Haven’t tried that yet. Maybe soon.

Thank you for the finnish info. That will come in handy.

Keep up the great work.

Scrappy

-- Scrap Wood's the best...the projects are smaller, and so is the mess!

On my turnings I use 2 sorts of friction polishes. EEE Ultra Shine and Shellawax
the EEE is an abrasive wax that continues your sanding from 600 grit to 3-4000 grit. you use this first and then put on the shellawax which is like shellac but in a friction polish form which is so easy to put on, and it dry’s instantly and you only need 1 coat.
read a bit more about it here
http://www.ubeaut.com.au/eee.htm
http://www.ubeaut.com.au/shell.html

This is australian so I’m not sure if you can get it in the US but I very highly reccomend it if you can get it

PS. I am not affiliated with Ubeat polishes in any way

-- BRODY. NSW AUSTRALIA -arguments with turnings are rarely productive-

This is eye candy wow great bowl

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

This came out fantastic, nice details.

Beautiful wood.

-- Whether You Think You Can or You Think You Can't, YOU ARE RIGHT!!!

Wow! Fantastic bowl. The design is as great as the wood you used.

-- Kent Shepherd * The goal is-----More Tools!

Rich;

Spectacular bowl. Simply beautiful.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

The Ambrosia is from a Beetle. It’s called an Ambrosia Beetle. It burrows in and out After it leaves a fungus goes in the holes and as the sap goes up and down the tree it causes the streakes that you see. The colors are caused by the fungus and a process almost like a black line spalt.

It does make some beautiful colors. My whole kitchen in NJ was wade with Ambrosia Maple.

The Ambrosia panels were made with bookmatched panels that I cut.

My son David pictured is now 13 and we are having a class at our mason Dixon Woodworkers Club on Shaker Tables in October. David is going to make an Ambrosia Maple table.

The bowl is beautiful. I can see why your wife grabbed it.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †