This beats the heck out of burning a piece of wood — especially with the figure I found in this one. Lots of spalting and being a piece of crotch wood it has very pronounced dark heart wood on multiple faces. I left it a bit thick because the bottom was a little soft and I was apprehensive about losing the piece. I’m pretty sure it is walnut with a whole lot of sap wood. I also like the lopsided rim. I could have brought it all in on itself but it wouldn’t have the same effect.More Views and comments

More stone dust to play with. This was a father’s day gift and I have been anxious to try it out. It is more brown than red but it still looks great. This was a piece of road log that was picked up while walking the dog. Lots of sap wood, bug holes and the like which it needed so it would be just a piece of red oak. I actually pulled the Dremel out and widened some cracks so I could also fill those to add a little consistency to the piece.

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I have been turning a lot of crotch wood lately. I love the surprise of finding out what is inside – sometimes a gem, sometimes a disappointment. As Forrest would say “turning is like a box of chocolate”.  This wood is unknown as someone dropped it off in front of my shop one day when I wasn’t around. I really like the little knot hole. Being a crotch it has different figure going all the way around and it was hard to show it all so I spun it by hand and did a short video clip.

I originally saw Dipa Das turn this shape and then Al Furtado make his spin on it. I got pretty excited and tried one myself. I didn’t expect the first one to turn out so I used some junk wood which I suspect is locust. I wish I had used better wood because it turned out almost perfect. I already have ideas for the next one which will be the same only totally different.

Sometimes I feel the need to just use up some stuff around the shop to make room for more. I had a small chunk of maple log quarter that I was able to get this small bowl out of. Also there was a cut off from a decorative band sitting on the bench in the way so I inset that. I also had a piece of cherry board I kept moving around so that became the lid. It’s not the best looking piece but not a bad piece either. I’d rate it passable.

This is my favorite natural edge bowl to date. The overhang on one side just makes it stand out. I just love the grain in the Sycamore but have not decided whether I should put any sort of finish on this or just leave it naked. I really don’t know how I ended up with this shape — I was in the zone! Hopefully I can duplicate it because other people want one now and they can’t have mine!

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I call this part of the G-string collection. This is the 3rd natural edge bowl I have turned from my pile of Sycamore — all with irregular shapes. I find it exciting to turn something that is not all round for a change. Of course with a bowl like this I resorted to tons of hand sanding as not to disturb the bark. The Sycamore holds the bark pretty well and I have not had any fly off as I have with other woods. This one has a spray lacquer finish.

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I did my standard Birthday routines — went to the wood store to pick up a nice (expensive) board of Sapele, got a haircut and then off to the shop to spend some quality time with a cooler of beer and dangerous tools. This bowl is made from that sapele but has a ring of coal in it — that’s right, coal. These are not your soft charcoal briquets but hard coal that my son uses in his blacksmithing forge. It almost looks like onyx.