Manzanita Burl Flame Twisted Iron Beer Tap

Well – here’s the start of our new manzanita burl lineup … a flaming beer tap, a turned fiery burl perched atop an iron spindle hand forged by Dana Osterman.

This is the first time I played with manzanita – and it’s REALLY cool … it’s hard and apparently full of inclusions that can easily blow up in your face on the lathe but hey that just makes it more interesting right?

I’m ordering more of this – I have two bigger burls in storage I will be pulling those out after we get past a few other projects and starting to play with them. I’m ordering more chunks and scraps to play with more projects like this also.

This is really interesting, i turned it and it’s not entirely dry as it rested a veining like texture came up in the surface within only a few days. The different colors dry at a different rate and actually like legs of wine up a glass develop a feel to the piece.

This particular piece was nothing more than just a chunk I put on the lathe to see what would happen. I thought at first an egg, then thought perhaps a pen holder egg … then Mike informed me it looked like a flame put it on a beer tap. Next our local blacksmith wandered in and said YEAH – beer tap and away it went with him. A few days later a twisted iron shaft was forged and fixed to my flaming manzanita tip.

Simple project – all kinda accidentally whatever … turned out very cool!

-- Eric M. Saperstein, Master Craftsman www.artisansofthevalley.com