The process of making a bowl is most rewarding when it begins with cutting the burl from the tree. A call from a woman in Novar about a dead yellow birch tree with an enormous burl on it was followed up with Brian's visit with the chainsaw. This 3 foot section is just part of the total burl.
The burl was too large to turn on the inner section of the lathe so after the faceplate was attached, it was mounted on the outboard side of the lathe. It weighed about 100 pounds.
With a very sharp gouge, Brian turned off the outer bark and shaped the bottom of the bowl.
The figuring and spalting of the bowl was revealed as it was shaped and buffed.
Burls are irregular growths that naturally occur on trees with variations in colour, grain and bark inclusions. Brian turned the inside of the bowl, buffed it and gave it many coats of a food-safe finish.
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| Yellow Birch Burl Bowl |
The finished yellow birch bowl is exceptional with a natural edge, beautiful figuring and a graceful shape. The original owners of the tree visited Brian's workshop and decided that it must return to their home. Their excitement as they left the workshop with the finished bowl was satisfying as they could truly appreciate the process from burl to bowl.
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