Distorted Madrone Burl Bowl

Beautiful - Its fun to watch green turnings change shape.

Boy oh Boy…. Is this a beautiful bowl! It sure has moved a bunch, I turned a White Oak burl bowl awhile back. I thought it was dry but it wasn't and it moved too, but not as much as this….

Thanks for sharing!

Very nice Greg. I really like the color. Please explain what you meant by, "If you turn the madrone more that 1/4 it will crack if you don't boil it." Do you mean if you turn it to less than a 1/4" thickness it tends to crack if not boiled? I have never tried madrone because I didn't think the grain or color had much going for it. Now you throw a burl in to that equasion and all bets are off. There's no such thing as an ugly burl turning… How long did you let this one set after turning?

Greg, do me a favor. Since you harvest a lot of stuff from our neck of the woods, please go to my latest blog and help me identify the two pieces that I posted. One I think could be oak. The other I've no clue. The pictures have some bark on them to (possibly) help.

Nice bowl!
I love the popping/crackling sound Madrone makes when it is drying… it's like Rice Krispies!

Here's some of my turnings from Madrone I got from you!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/threeseamonsters/sets/72157622912712708/

Wow, that bowl did move a lot. Is it because it is burl, or Madrone just moves a lot. Pretty cool bowl.

They say some woods are more stable than others, but of the Oaks, maples, Hackberry, and Hickories Iv'e turned so far, I find they all move quite alot when still green and drying.

What I mean is turn Madrone 1/4 or less and it will not crack but distort. If you turn it over 1/4 thick You need to relax the cells by boiling the wood. Rule of thumb is 1 hour per half inch if you are going to rough turn and let it set.

It distorted that much within 24 hours.

Madrone is one if the biggest movers.

Nice piece Greg. Did you core this?

Ken

This reminds me of abalone sea shells. Looks just like one. Really stunning wood and a beautiful piece of woodworking Greg. Thanks for sharing it.

Sweet…nice work, i will have to try one.

Beautiful wood/bowl, I've got a big chunk of mandrone burl I got from you but am yet to turn it. It looks like I'd better get to it and see what's inside!

I want to make sure that I get this right, if I turn the bowl to 1/4" or less it won't crack, but if I keep it say 1/2" it will?

Austin, If you keep it at 1/2" you will need to boil and watch it. Yes it will crack at that thickness.

Ken, I don't know what coring is. I just turned it all at once along with wet sanding. then let it dry.

Hi Greg,
Coring is the removal of the inside of a bowl in one piece. It is done with a coring tool: a curved supported cutter is swung into the bowl cutting out the centre. Check out http://www.oneway.ca/coring/index.htm#action Not only is the inside saved from becoming wood chips to be made into another bowl (or cored again to make several) but it saves time. It's very worthwhile and economical especially for burls. When I buy burls, the inside bowl pays for the burl and the outer 2 or 3 are for profit.

I see! It is how they make nested bowls right. I dont have one of those, not even a jaw thingy ma bobber. But I have lots of burl. Thanks Ken.

very beautiful

Love the burl bowl…Looks a bit like an Abalone shell doesn't it?

Nice one Greg. Interesting material.