From the tree to the table - but it aint fruit!

[TTIT]

Actually remembered to take a pic of something before I collected it for once. This also meant I had to remember to take pics while I was wrecking it! It's only a bowl is a bowl is a bowl but some newbies might be interested.

Pic 1. Late last year, a mate found this burl on a Brigalow tree - rarer than gold fillings in hens teeth!! Had to have it!!
Pic 2. I wish I had turned it green instead of waiting 6 months - a bit of cracking and as hard as the hobs of hell now.
Pic 3. Having a light-weight lathe on castors makes this sort of turning pretty scary. After a few swipes with the roughing gouge, I thought some counter-weights might be handy. I usually turn a centre pip on the base so I can sit the piece on a dowel marking point, then just position weights with holes aligned to the holes in the faceplate until I get a reasonable balance.
Pic 4. Taking shape and still out of balance a bit but manageable.

[TTIT]

Pic 5. Finished base. I left the centre pip to use when tidying up the foot later.
Pic 6. Shaping the top. Wanted to keep raw edge ALL the way around which meant leaving the rim pretty chunky. Won't be to everyone's taste but it's how I wanted it. Taking it any deeper was going to open up to the large resin hole seen in the bottom so I stopped hollowing early too. Won't want to drop it on the toes!!!!
Pic 7. Mobs of CA in the bigger cracks and a couple of coats of Danish oil.
Pic 8. It's now in the woodworking section of the local show - don't often get to show my work off in real time.

[powderpost]

Well done TT.... Large burl bowls present a few interesting challenges don't they??? :)
Jim

[Gil Jones]

Nice sturdy bowl from an interesting burl (lucky find).

[La truciolara]

An eucaliptus burl... what a wonderful smell when you turn it.
Nice job. :)

[TurnedAround]

Darn it! You Aussies get all the good trees.;)

Beautiful piece. It has given me an inspiration for a piece of black gum burl out in the back yard.

Thanks for showing the process.

Larry

[fred.n]

Nice work TT
good to see the process from start to finish:)
best of luck with the show

[OGYT]

That's gorgeous! Good job... and thanks for the tutorial.
OGYT

[hughie]

Pic 2. I wish I had turned it green instead of waiting 6 months - a bit of cracking and as hard as the hobs of hell now.
Pic 3. Having a light-weight lathe on castors makes this sort of turning pretty scary. After a few swipes with the roughing gouge, I thought some counter-weights might be handy. I usually turn a centre pip on the base so I can sit the piece on a dowel marking point, then just position weights with holes aligned to the holes in the faceplate until I get a reasonable balance.


:D I see you have a MC1100 or its equivalent, me too. I have spent some time getting mine stable, very familiar with the MC two step waltz :D

Damn fine piece of timber and all the best at the show.
hughie

[CameronPotter]

Nice work.

I think that you and I have similar tastes as it seems that everytime you post something I think it looks great... :D Problem is that my lurrrv counter (greenie abacus) says that I have to give more love to others first. :cool:

Seriously nice work though. I have also spotted a burl that I need to go and hunt down (and dry) - this may have given me the inspiration to actually do it. :D

Cam

[TTIT]

Seriously nice work though. I have also spotted a burl that I need to go and hunt down (and dry) - this may have given me the inspiration to actually do it. :D

Cam

Don't leave it too long Cam - my best successes with burls have been when I've turned them green. With looped burls at least, the resin veins allow so much air in that they dry much quicker than normal timber and turning them green seems to relieve the stresses and stop the cracking.
My current program is to hunt wood all winter and turn all summer but from now on any special burls like this will be at least rough turned immediately.

[Toasty]

Looks great!

When you harvest the wood, do you do anything to the wound left on the tree?

[CameronPotter]

Thanks mate,

I will keep that in mind.

Cheers

Cam

[TTIT]

Looks great!

When you harvest the wood, do you do anything to the wound left on the tree?

Don't see much point in cases like this one Toasty. When a Brigalow gets to this size it is pretty much end-of-life anyway and the burl itself leaves that section open to insect/fungal attack regardless. Half the root system was exposed by erosion too so it really didn't stand a chance.
I drive an average of 1000k's a week out here and am amazed at the amount of timber, mainly Brigalow, that's dying off with the current drought. I always imagined that these 'Desert' timbers would survive any dry spell but apparently they just have a better system of regeneration once the drought ends, hence their abundance and short life span.

[TTIT]

best of luck with the show
Fred.n must have been one of the judges;) If my head get's any bigger I'm gonna go ass-up!:D:D:D Prize-money too!!!:eek::eek::eek: Does that make me a pro????:cool:

[CameronPotter]

Well done mate! As usual tried to I've a green and failed. However, if I remember I will come back to this one. That is great news and a top result. Only problem, I'm jealous :o and as a pro you are going to have to play in a different league now. ;):p

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Prize-money too!!!:eek::eek::eek: Does that make me a pro????:cool:

If 'tis anything like our comp, only when it comes to the entry fee for next years' competition. :(

I see the idiot puzzle won more than an honorable mention too! :D Good stuff!