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.

Black Walnut Table with a Bark Edge

Brian was inspired to make this beautiful table when he purchased slabs of a black walnut tree. Even in its raw form, the character of the wood shone through. Black walnut trees are straight-grained with a rich chocolate heartwood and creamy white sapwood closer to the bark.  The bark of the black walnut tree is grey-black and deeply furrowed. 

  

Brian used two boards, milled from the same walnut tree, which had defined figuring, intact bark and were free of cracks.  He cut the boards closer to one edge, leaving about 6 inches on the narrower side.  These smaller pieces were used for the skirt of the table.  Brian glued the two pieces, clamped them together and fashioned legs out of black walnut.

The result is a beautiful table with a lustrous finish, rich colours, unique grain variations and a live bark edge.