Brian's First Burl Bowl

About twenty years ago, Brian made me this unique burl bowl and it remains one of my favourites. Burls are irregular growths that form on the side of trees in response to injury, broken branches, mould or insects which cause stress to the tree.  These rounded, bark-covered knobs are highly prized for their erratic patterns and peculiar grains.

This maple burl is very special because Brian cut it from a maple tree on my family farm.  He was walking in the bush and saw the gnarled growth on the side of a tree.  Brian was able to cut it off without injuring the tree and turned his first burl.  The result is a vessel of highly-figured unexpected beauty.  Our family farm has been sold but I have this extraordinary bowl as a reminder of my roots.

Turning Ash: Bowl and Baseball Bat

Brian has turned white ash only a few times in his life.  Ash is straight-grained, open-pored, and strong, with a high level of shock resistance.  These characteristics make it the wood of choice for baseball bats, canoe paddles and hockey sticks.

The colour of ash heartwood tends to be pale white or yellow but the dark brown sapwood of this ash bowl give it a distinctive, interesting look.

Its appearance immediately makes me think of a baseball bat. 

Brian's introduction to wood turning was in his Grandfather's workshop, where he had his first opportunity to use a lathe.  Brian was 8-years-old when he turned this baseball bat.  It was just the right size for a young fellow and both of our sons played with it when they were boys.  Maybe when our granddaughters are older they will be the third generation of Markham's to hit a home run with Brian's bat.

Spalted Maple Tray

A few weeks ago Brian & I walked into the curling club and saw this slab of spalted maple leaning against the wall.  Brian loves when people approach him with logs, burls and interesting wood and ask him if he can do anything with them.

When the dead limb of the maple tree in Deane's back yard fell, it was cut into pieces.  Most were stacked for firewood but this one was set aside because of the interesting, contrasting colours of the decaying heartwood. As wood sits in damp conditions, an organic process occurs where dark lines run though the material.  The spalting process ceases when the wood is dried.

Brian wasn't sure if the maple slab could be turned, as the decaying process may have been too far along but he attached the circular faceplate and screwed it onto the lathe.

As the maple slab rotated on the lathe, Brian used a very sharp gouge to shave away the layers of wood and establish the final shape of the bottom and top of the platter.  The centre was a bit soft but with careful, thin shaving and buffing, a smooth finish was achieved. 

The first application of oil is always fun because the contrasting colours and spalting in the wood become very evident.  The oil is applied on the lathe as the tray rotates to evenly coat the surface and allow the heat of the friction to force the oil deep into the wood.

The bottom of the tray is very distinctive with a small round base and contrasting colours.  Many coats of oil were applied with time for them to dry between applications.  This establishes a very durable, food-safe finish.

Deane and Wendy were amazed with the beauty of the finished tray.  They do a lot of entertaining and look forward to serving cheese and crackers on the platter made from the branch of their backyard maple tree.

Cherry Salad Bowl with Veneer Inlay

Back to work after the New Year's break, Brian has made a very large cherry bowl which is perfect for serving Caesar Salad to a crowd.  He turned the bowl on the lathe first, then made a recess the exact size of the wood veneer inlay.  The inlay was glued into place on the upper edge of the bowl, then sanded and oiled.

This photograph shows the bowl drying after the bottom was turned off.  It displays the grain  and figuring of the wood and the contrast of the inlaid veneer.  This bowl will become more beautiful in time as cherry develops a richer colour as it ages.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!  We have had a wonderful Christmas season with family and friends, with fun in the snow, ice fishing and skating on the lake.  2011 promises to be a year of creativity for Limberlost Woodturning as Brian continues to love his time in the workshop.

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.