The main news is that I will be updating the Store page with new bowls this week, so keep an eye out! Every bowl is unique and won’t ever be created again; So make sure you get yours soon!
What’s in the Workshop
I have been working on a great selection of bowls and some garage/workshop setup upgrades. I’ve also been working with some beautiful white oak, purpleheart, and a burl that were gifted to me by the fabulous art teacher in a local school district (I can’t say which). Working with burls is tricky due to the complex grain pattern that defines them, as well as natural inclusions and hollows, which can potentially present issues with the integrity of the forms.
Sometimes when you are a maker, you need to try new things. I did this little experiment using Purpleheart and some padauk I had left over from a different project. I cut straight lines on the edges and glued it up. It looked pretty nice after bringing it to the lathe to shape the bowl and hollowing the interior. The bowl is still holding up nicely, and the glue joint has not shown any signs of failure.
Another little experiment with some purpleheart, this time an attempt at making a bowl with a lid. Generally, the issue with these bowls is that as they dry, they become more oval, and if they dry at a different rate than the lid, it will no longer fit. I thought that because this wood was kiln-dried, it wouldn’t move as much after being turned. Unfortunately, I didn’t think about the reason that wood dries. Wood dries because the insides of trees are wet, and when you cut it open, it tries to reach equilibrium with the atmosphere’s moisture content, and the wood moves. However, the same occurs when the wood is kiln-dried; the wood soaks up moisture from the atmosphere and the wood moves. So, in short, the lid no longer fits, and I’ve learned that I should probably turn the wood twice, the first to allow the wood inside to shift and then the second a week or two after the wood has shifted so I can turn it true, and finish the bowl.