Bella Lake Yellow Birch Burl

Our neighbour Ken brought Brian a yellow birch burl a year and a half ago from a dying tree on his Bella Lake property.  Finally it was dry enough to turn.  The result is a lustrous, richly grained vessel.

The large, round burl had irregular edges which determined the final shape of the piece. Brian screwed the circular faceplate into the top of the burl.

The plate and burl were attached to the lathe and the tool rest set into place.  With the gouge, Brian made the first cuts into the wood.  The huge burl thumped and vibrated as it turned and the vessel took shape.  Woodturning is hard work as the resistance is absorbed by the hands and elbows.

Brian turned a graceful, fluted form and then created a stump on the bottom to attach the compression chuck.  The orientation of the vessel was then reversed so that the interior could be shaped. 

Once Brian had the top rough-turned, he drilled a hole in the centre to the exact depth he desired.  The chips flew as he shaped the interior of the vessel to that depth. 

The final cuts with a finer, finishing gouge left a smooth surface. It was sanded and many coats of oil were applied.

The oil brings out the richness in the wood. The variations in colour, grain and the contrasts of the bark and raw edges are now evident.  The vessel dries between each application of oil, the bottom is turned off and it is buffed to a beautiful, food-safe shine.

There is enormous satisfaction in delivering the finished piece to our neighbour.  The natural features of the raw burl from his Bella Lake property were tranformed to a one-of-a-kind hand-crafted vessel which will be a showpiece in his home.

Wooden Bread Knives

Brian had a request last week from our son to make him a bread knife.  After a friend had used his knife and loved it, Steve wanted to give her one as a Christmas gift. 

Brian made a number of knives using exotic wood blanks such as zebra wood, wenge, imboya and mahogany.

With a spindle gouge, Brian turned the blanks between centres on the lathe.  As the wood rotated, he shaped the knife handles.  Once the shapes were completed and sanded, they were parted off.

Each of the knife handles was buffed with jeweller's rouge, white diamond and wax.

Brian glued the best Sheffield Steel knife blades into the wooden handles.

Steve had his choice of bread knives for his friend's Christmas present. He is proud to give a hand-turned gift which is a welcome addition to any kitchen.  Not only does it feel great in your hand and cut your bread or bagel with ease, but it so beautiful that Steve and his wife used one to cut the cake at their wedding.

Maple Burl Vessels

We are back from a relaxing week in the sun in Cozumel and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  Brian was happy to get back to the workshop but at the end of the day, we are snowed in and enjoying the fire.

While we were away, some of Brian's work was at the photographer.  Here are the professional photos of the pieces that I profiled in the last post.  The details of the live edge maple burl vessels are beautifully evident in these pictures.