A Maple Burl Platter: The Perfect House-Warming Gift

 

This weekend we were visited by a group of women, who were having a few days of fun and relaxation at a neighbour's cottage.  This was great incentive for Brian and me to take stock of his recent work, decide on pricing and tidy up the workshop.  It is a big stretch to make the transformation from workshop to studio and we were happy to see the quality of the pieces Brian has produced so far this winter.  Brian always enjoys giving a tour of his workshop.

The look on Beth's face tells the story of how excited she was to find the perfect house-warming gift for her daughter and son-in-law.



The platter began as a slab from a huge maple burl.  Brian scribed the circle and used the band saw to make the round.



The faceplate was screwed into the face of the burl and it was mounted on the lathe.  The slab was so heavy and large that Brian supported it with the tailstock as he turned the bottom.

Once the bottom was rough-turned, the expansion chuck was attached so he could turn the face of the platter.

The burl turned at about 800 RPMs as Brian carved the shape of the top of the platter with his gouge.  It takes a steady hand especially on the irregular bark edges.

Now it was time to turn off the bottom of the platter using the vacuum chuck to keep the platter centred.  The finishing of the piece takes about a week as coats of oil are applied, allowed to dry and then buffed to a perfect shine.  Brian's skill and years of experience create a hard and durable food-safe finish.

I called Beth and she said that her daughter and son-in-law loved their gift.  She knew that a large platter would be used often in their new home as they enjoy entertaining and take pleasure in how they present food to their guests.

This stunning platter, with its interesting grain, variations in colour and irregular bark edge will be a beautiful addition to their home.

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.

Yellow Birch Burl Bowl

Brian has had a busy and creative week as a wood turner.  The workshop is back into production and he is excited about the quality of the burls he has to turn. Brian's wood supplier told him that this burl was from Algonquin Park.  How appropriate that it returns to the Huntsville area. Brian studied this large yellow birch burl and decided to make a shallow bowl.

Brian attached the burl to the chuck and with a sharp gouge, shaved away the wood as it turned on the lathe.  The wood chips collected as the graceful shape of the bowl was revealed.

The burl was buffed and the the first coats of oil were applied to show the beauty of the wood.

 

Brian put five coats of oil on the bowl, allowing it to dry completely between each coat.  This creates a hard and durable food-safe finish.



The finished yellow birch burl has become an exquisite bowl with intricate grain and texture and a natural bark edge.