LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Project Information

When VIMH said,

"Can you make a 'NORMAL, ROUND' bowl?"

I said,

"I think so."

It's round, anyhow. Normal? I don't know.

I set out with a log. Do you see the wrinkles in photo #4? I know, when I see things like that, there's something going on in there. I fichiseled the bulk of the bark off before I mounted it.



I took to it with my cool new chainsaw and squared off one end and got me a blank. Then, I mounted it on the wormscrew and started looking for a shape. I wanted to make it ROUND, without making it any SMALLER than need be.



This, again, is Jacaranda. As I said in the last piece, Jacaranda is, by and large, fairly featureless. Yet, there are spots where some kind of stress has happened. These spots are what I look for. They realy provide some interesting eye candy in this otherwise drab wood.

Keep an eye on the area at the bottom of photos #1 & 2, and around the inclusion above the bark in #4. The grain-crossing area in #s 1 & 2 also rendered some very nice chetoyance. You can see it starting to emerge, even before tool mark removal and sanding. Yes, MUCH sanding was involved, here. Dealing with so much end-grain, it can't be avoided.



MUCH sanding.



(The different tone in #4 is because of lighting, shot at night, under incandescent light.)

Polished up, even end-grain can get pretty.



I turned the bottom, knowing I probably wouldn't return to it, and flipped it into the 2" jaws, and cut out all that perfectly good wood from inside that might've made a nice bowl. (SOMEDAY, mebbees, I'll have a coring system.)
The proof that this wood is well-seasoned, after a couple years on the shelf, is in the fact that I managed to get it down to about 3/16" without cracking. I hit the bark with ***************, before I got into it.

"Goodbye, 'NORMAL.' Welcome back, Live-edge."



Two wrongs NEVER make a right. But, three lefts ALWAYS make a right.

Thank you. And, I apologize.

Gallery

Comments

· Premium Member
Joined
·
8,024 Posts
I like your version of Normal, Mark! It looks very touchable, all your sanding work payed off greatly!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
30 Posts
Nice woodturning. Thank you for the detailed work process documentation.
 

· In Loving Memory
Joined
·
365 Posts
Looks pretty normal to me Mark, for your projects that is! Nice bit of turning, I really like the final result. Well done.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
4,477 Posts
So I was following along nicely, then you hit me with "chetoyance" ...

ANNNND you lost me !



But still a beautiful bowl comes out at the end ! Nice job Bud !
 

Attachments

· Registered
Joined
·
141 Posts
Looking good Mark.
That Jacaranda is lovely wood.

Bob
 

· Registered
Joined
·
2,584 Posts
Good find Mark. Looking for anything other than a straight log is the way to go.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
375 Posts
The end result is great. Just liked you planned it right? LOL!!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
6,953 Posts
I like the shape and that lovely contrast on the side where the bark goes from top to bottom.

Nicely Done!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1 Posts
Looks normal to me! Very nice bowl.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
522 Posts
i like it mark, very fitting to your style.
 

· In Loving Memory
Joined
·
10,409 Posts
Nice job buddy.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
949 Posts
Nice Job! I really like how you present your projects Mark!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
190 Posts
Hi Mark,

Two things:

First and foremost - I officially dub this bowl "The Holy Grail" - it is your sought after but rarely achieved round bowl, and it has that cool goblet shape on the side. (How dare you label anything so unique "normal"!)

Second - it is spelled chatoyance from the French for Cat's Eye (chat=cat) - one of my annoying nit-picking quirks relates to the correct spelling of French terms used in jewelry.

Keep up the great work and remember "normality is over rated". :)

John
 

· Banned
Joined
·
18,919 Posts
always fun to be in the mark Wilson world of NORMAL,what ever that is.but its always beautiful,great job again buddy.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
4,567 Posts
Very unique, Mark!!

Jim
 

· Registered
Joined
·
37 Posts
Real nice result Mark.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
955 Posts
Thank you all so very much. Your kindness means the world to me.
And, John:
I always wonder about the spelling. I actually typed it into my search bar to get the proper definition, and didn't look at the spelling. I did that, mainly, for Joe. I got it from woodweb.com, which said nothing of a cat's eye. That's an excellent take on it, though. I like it. It's cool that, like with this piece, I can sometimes know it's in there by looking at the bark. And, oh, Mr. Persnickety, I think the word you're looking for here is "normalcy."
 
Top