Quilted Bigleaf Maple Platter

Quilted Bigleaf Maple has rare wavy figuring that looks like ripples on water.  Highly prized for its beauty, it is often used when making guitars and musical instruments. Imagine Brian's anticipation as he prepared to make a platter from this very special board.



Brian scribed a circle with his compass and cut the board with his band saw.  He was able to keep a portion of the bark intact as a feature of the platter.

The maple circle was mounted on the lathe with the faceplate so that Brian could turn the shape of the platter.  Bigleaf Maple is a light golden colour which contrasts with the reddish brown of the bark edge.

Once the graceful shape of the bottom of the platter was completed, Brian cut a dovetail to insert a chuck.  This allowed him to mount the other side of the platter so he could turn the top.

There were many steps of sanding, polishing and oiling which resulted in a smooth finish to enhance and protect the beauty of the wood.



Quilted Bigleaf Maple Platter



The process from the raw maple board to this exquisite platter was satisfying as the true and natural beauty of the quilted figuring was revealed. 

The complex and intricate patterns of the wood are completed by the texture of the bark edge. It is indeed a work of art.

Wooden Tea Candles

You may wonder what happens to the pieces of wood that remain when Brian turns a bowl or platter.  They are piled in the corner until he decides to make some tea candles.  The beautiful edges of burl or figured wood are not discarded but turned to add a bit of light to your table or room.

Brian mounts each piece of wood on the lathe and shapes it to best display any grain or bark that is present.  A hole the size of a tea candle is drilled into the centre of the wood.

The raw edge of the maple burl tea candle is an exact match to this magificant burl bowl.  A perfect complement as they were part of the same maple burl.