Saturday, July 21, 2012

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.

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