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bellyup
17th October 2009, 11:53 PM
G'day all,
Threw the swag in the back of the Prado last week and went on a timber gathering trip to Tibooburra, about 350 km north of Broken Hill, not far from the border junction of NSW, Q'ld and S.A.
Returned with some Gidgee (acacia cambegei), Beefwood (grevillia striata) and River Cooba (acacia stenophylla) some interesting lumps of burl and Mulga.

The plan then was to rip them down , treat the ends and put it away for a while but it was all so green and so soft looking and I had the new shark jaws to try and the new Sorby hollowing tool rest .... what could I do, I mean really?

The Mulga was the first go, I hadn't come across a piece this wide before, about 200mm.
My first mistake was not centering as well as I might and the sides became uneven, the second problem was tool marks on the wings (it only looked soft) I hand sanded the marks out though the end result was to bow the edges inward so the profile was akin to a viking ship's hull :doh:) I still love the colour and grain. Live and learn!
The next effort was with a second grade piece of Beefwood (it really is the colour of sliced rump steak when freshly sawn), the heartwood was soft. I have tried to keep it more in a "v" shape. The end result has a form more pleasing than the Mulga bowl....much softer timber than the Mulga!!.

Right, let's give the Sorby tool rest a go now ... Big,ugly chunk of Redgum burl, very old and very dry from an old stump in the sandy creek bed.. yes, I like this toolrest, the bowl gouge can go so much further in ( I call this the Michael Jackson bowl on account that I had to wear one glove and the further in I went , the whiter my face became :D)
I was paying so much attention to the tool edge and catches as I scalloped out the bottom of the sides that I failed to notice how far over the handle had leaned till bang... the handle lodged between the "stave's" ... not even the shark jaws could keep things together...the bowl was on the other side of the shed on the ground...expecting absolute disaster I was amazed to find only one finger of timber broken off in a clean line ... C.A. to the rescue.

The Mulga bowl was sanded to 400, cooked in the microwave at 100% for 30secs. every 5 mins x 4 then finished in traditional wax... so far no cracks (200mm. w x 60mm.h)
The Beefwood bowl had the same process with the addition of C.A. to the sapwood to help stabilise cracks.(180mm w x 120mm h)
The Redgum burl bowl was finished with 2 shellac coats( hey Ed. thanks, I remembered your advice about dry timber, worked a treat!! :2tsup:) sanded in between with 0000 steel wool and finished with a very light coat of traditional wax.(180mm h x 170mm w)
Thanks for having a look.
Regards,
Bruce

orraloon
18th October 2009, 12:03 AM
They are all nice pieces. The redgum burl is a very nice piece.
Regards
John

Gil Jones
18th October 2009, 06:59 AM
Very well made natural edge bowls.

artme
18th October 2009, 08:30 AM
Well bob I think you have the natural edge thing under control. Bloody fantastic effort on your part. They are beaut pieces.:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

There is some gorgeous grain in that lot.


Haven't been up that way since '69. Gues things are pretty much the same.

Sawdust Maker
18th October 2009, 09:37 AM
Nice work

specially like the Redgum

what sizes are the bowls?

bellyup
18th October 2009, 09:47 AM
G'day Artme,
Have things changed up here in the last 40years?.... probably not, though the road down to Adelaide is now all bitumen and the road up to Tibooburra is half bitumened.
The trip to Tibooburra had me whistling an old Talking Heads song "We're on the road to nowhere".... lots of bulldust and sand on the road. Anywhere there are stands of scrub or Mulga you'll find mobs of feral goats and there are plenty of big red roo's. No rain and lots of dust - you might get some of this in Brasil, have a look.

YouTube - Broken Hill comes over pitch black during a dust storm

YouTube - Broken Hill Dust Storm Australia

Regards,
Bruce.

corbs
18th October 2009, 09:47 AM
Love em lots, nice work:2tsup:... have only recently started turning bowls and natural edge are on the list, but how do you finish the bottom of them?

bellyup
18th October 2009, 09:50 AM
G'day Nick,
Thanks for your kind words. Sizes are:

The Mulga bowl was sanded to 400, cooked in the microwave at 100% for 30secs. every 5 mins x 4 then finished in traditional wax... so far no cracks (200mm. w x 60mm.h)
The Beefwood bowl had the same process with the addition of C.A. to the sapwood to help stabilise cracks.(180mm w x 120mm h)
The Redgum burl bowl was finished with 2 shellac coats( hey Ed. thanks, I remembered your advice about dry timber, worked a treat!! http://cdn.woodworkforums.com/images/smilies/actions/2thumbsup.gif) sanded in between with 0000 steel wool and finished with a very light coat of traditional wax.(180mm h x 170mm w)
Regards,
Bruce.

dai sensei
18th October 2009, 09:51 AM
Beautiful pieces :2tsup: I'm amazed that red-gum piece held together :oo:

NeilS
18th October 2009, 10:30 AM
call this the Michael Jackson bowl on account that I had to wear one glove and the further in I went , the whiter my face became :D)


Bruce, not sure if that is racist or not, but it sure is .......... :rotfl:

Your Mulga wood piece: Personally, I like the asymmetry. The piece works for me in that respect, but I'm not sure about the profile. Made a few natural edge pieces in that shape myself way back. Not sure why, but somehow they seemed to want to end up that way all by themselves. Looking back on mine ( I burdened a few family and friends with them and still get to see them from time to time) they now look, well, saggy.... a bit like a clay pot that has slumped on the wheel or in the kiln. I stopped making them in that shape myself after a few like that, but your mileage may be different, Bruce.

The Beefwood piece: To my eye, this shape is working much better than the first. The centenary/parabolic (http://images.google.com.au/images?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4GGLL_en&q=parabolic+arch&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=a0naSq2QJYH46QObscmbBg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA) curve (the curve created when a piece of chain is hung between two points) works well on natural edge pieces. Perhaps the foot could have been narrower/deeper (like this (http://www.woodturner.org/resources/bb/a_g_gallery/Carpenter/10062_2.jpg)Warren Carpenter piece), to give the piece more levity.... suggested by the wings....:U

The Redgum burl: Some nice air there:

Forget about air guitar,
Air bowl is better by far.....:cool:
Bruce, hope you didn't mind the critique, given that you hadn't posted your pieces in the dedicated critique thread.

.....

bellyup
18th October 2009, 10:50 AM
Thanks Neil,
Yeah, If Harry Connick Jnr. is lurking..... I'm only joking, ok?

I'm pleased for the critique and I agree with you. I'm working on a Gidgee bowl now (or is it working on me?) and trying to get exactly as you suggested a'la Warren Carpenter. I usually sit them on the mantle piece for a few days and think of ways to refine things... it's amazing how your own opinion changes as you look at them every day.
Bruce.

NeilS
18th October 2009, 02:49 PM
I usually sit them on the mantle piece for a few days and think of ways to refine things... it's amazing how your own opinion changes as you look at them every day.
Bruce.

And, when they become a bit familiar, put them away for a while so that when you get them out again you can get a second opinion, as it were, seeing them almost for the first time with fresh eyes. Artist will often do this before making their final selection for an exhibition. I've had both pleasant and not so pleasant experiences doing this...:U...:doh:...:o...:C

....

masoth
18th October 2009, 05:00 PM
Bruce, you said "Thanks for having a look.", and I say thanks for showing - I like them all.

soth

Luddite
18th October 2009, 08:54 PM
G'day Artme,
Have things changed up here in the last 40years?.... probably not, though the road down to Adelaide is now all bitumen and the road up to Tibooburra is half bitumened.
Bruce.

Bruce,

If the road to Tibooburra is now half bitumened, things have changed up there over the past 20 years!! I spent quite a while on Folwers Gap Station in the mid 80s and the road was all bull dust from just outside Broken Hill all the way to the border.

I loved that country. I remember mustering into the hills and thought it was the most isolated but beautiful country I had ever been to, probably still is. It is very unique. Happy memories. I need to go back some time soon.

Anthony

artme
18th October 2009, 09:58 PM
I think it's a CATENARY curve Neil.The Brooklyn Bridge was designed with such a curve.

NeilS
19th October 2009, 11:00 AM
I think it's a CATENARY curve Neil.The Brooklyn Bridge was designed with such a curve.

Yes, your absolutely right Artme. Catenary from the Latin for 'chain'.

Another senior moment.... and I should have known better than my auto spell checker. Not that I blame it. The spell checker may not have catenary in its database, but having built a few catenary arch kilns (like this (http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pinerootpottery.com/images/Kiln%2520Building%2520images/Rock%2520Fence/Catenary%2520arch.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.pinerootpottery.com/rock_fence_pottery_wood_kiln.htm&usg=__VFDTT2ssUoa094E5N8afPbYvnh4=&h=525&w=700&sz=89&hl=en&start=9&sig2=tfo5ol1n4RR9-rWYb3r9FQ&um=1&tbnid=Z_QX8165KtkFZM:&tbnh=105&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcatenary%2Barch%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4GGLL_en%26sa%3DX%26um%3D1&ei=p6fbSvDUHYvC6gOEm_yhBg)) in my time, I did, and should have got it right...:doh:

.....

Ed Reiss
19th October 2009, 11:49 AM
Hey Bellyup...been looking at the lot for a couple of days now and am having mixed feelings about the first 2 styles...something I can't quite place my finger on.

The last one, the redgum burl looks tops...fine job on that.:2tsup:

Allan at Wallan
19th October 2009, 01:05 PM
They look good to me Bruce.:2tsup:

Well done.

Allan

Manuka Jock
19th October 2009, 04:48 PM
Hey Bellyup...been looking at the lot for a couple of days now and am having mixed feelings about the first 2 styles...something I can't quite place my finger on.

They remind you of a fairground ride you took after too much candyfloss and hotdogs Ed ? :-:?:D



I like them all Bruce , fine finish too :2tsup:

bellyup
19th October 2009, 08:55 PM
Thanks Ed, Alan, Jock, NeilS and all.
I appreciate the honesty and the compliments - if we don't make mistakes then we don't learn - if we don't learn then we don't grow and then are destined to make the same mistakes again.
Thanks Ed for your previous advice about sealing dry timber with a shellac - (that lump of burl must be 100+ y.o. and came off an old stump that had been through a fire...it was made to be a candle holder for a pillar/church candle, I thought it would look very "Halloween") the shellac really did the job well.

Corbs - I'm far from the best person to ask about finishing natural edge bowl bases, as you know there are too many great turners here who could advise on a better way - F W I W - all I did was to mount the bark to the face plate and turn to a round, turn a tenon off the prepared "base" then go from there. At the end of proceedings I reduced the speed and turned the tenon off with a thin parting tool angled slightly in toward the bowl -it worked better than I thought it might. They could be a real bugger to mount on a Cole chuck!!
Thanks again everyone,
Bruce.