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The pictures may show products that have been sold, but something comparable can usually be made. Some of the weirder,
artsy items are one of kind, they owe a lot of their character to the stresses the tree experienced. If you visit
me at the Michigan Renaissance Festival you can see and touch the items you are considering.
I will try to show you pictures of everything I make. If it is round and made of wood, I can usually figure
out a way to make it. I have made croquet mallets, drum sticks, and other items on special order. What I make
the most of are:
Mugs
Goblets
Plates and Platters
Bowls
Pretty, but non-functional art objects
| Pink Ivory Goblet - 9 1/2 inches |
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| This is a smooth, dense, beautiful, African hardwood. My wife already laid a claim to it. |
| Afzelia Burl Bowl - 9 inches in diameter |
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| This beautiful burl comes from Africa. I bought a piece that became a bowl and 2 goblets. |
| Spalted Maple |
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| This is one of 4 turnings from a log attacked by mold. About 9" in diameter. |
| Spalted Maple |
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| Third in the series. Once I started on these I couldn't stop. |
| Natural Edge Bowl - Sassafras |
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| A six inch bowl with a nice symmetrical curve. |
| Chip and dip - turned from one piece of wood |
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| This is honey locust a very hard domestic wood with lots of character |
| CEO's retirement |
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| When our CEO retired I made him a walnut bowl and an executive shot glass. He sent me this picture. |
| Ringed bowl - Honey Locust |
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| A variation on the chip and dip - a bowl with a "saturn" type ring around it |
| Ball on a stand - desk ornament |
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| One of our managers wanted a wooden "softball" and this was the result out of mulberry. |
| Natural edge bowl - Apple |
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| This 6 inch bowl was turned from some apple that sat in the wood pile a couple years. |
| Tall Tulip Poplar bowl |
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| What is normally a bland wood was changed when the tree was struck by lightning and water leeched in |
| Cherry Bomb? |
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| I was feeling artsy again. Turned from a triple crotch of cherry and looks like an exploding bomb. |
| Another triple crotch cherry turning |
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| This kind of turning is purely decorative, but it feels good to look at it and say "I made that". |
| Afzelia Burl goblet - 10 inches tall |
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| One of the goblets I made from the piece of burl. My wife likes them so they must be good. |
| Afzelia Burl set |
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| I hoped this set would stay together. The first day I displayed them a person bought them for $600. |
| Mortars and Pestles - Honey Locust |
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| My wood supplier asked for a 10" tall mortar so here it is compared to a standard 5" tall mortar. |
| 11 Inch Maple Bowl |
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| Some more of that old maple. The guys who counted the rings said it was about 300 years old. |
| Turning - Box Elder Burl |
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| The texture, color, and figure all appeal to me. |
| Spoons |
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| People kept asking for them, so I used a branch that came off my beech tree and experimented |
| Oak Bowl |
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| A nice simple kitchen bowl |
| Box elder bowl |
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| This shows off the red streaking common in Box elder. |
| Cannister - Maple |
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| This is about 6 inches high, perfect for sugar on the table, or just for pretty |
| Maple container |
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| Sort of a flying saucer shape, perhaps I was channeling Fox Mulder when I did this one. |
| Lidded Bowl |
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| A nice bowl of oak with a fitted lid. |
| Natural Edge Apple Bowl - 8" in diameter |
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| The bark had to be stabilized with super glue, but it was worth it for the look. |
| Natural edge apple |
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| A different tree gives a different color and look, even if it is the same species. |
| Honey Locust Mug |
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| Honey Locust is a very dense wood. |
| Rotten Maple log turning - 10" high |
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| The center of the log rotted out and after turning the top split. This is what the wood wants to be |
| Kingwood goblet - 9 1/2 inches |
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| A relative of rosewood. Definitely one of a kind, since this was all the wood I had. |
| Walnut Bowl |
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| One of several bowls with "crotch" figure I got from a 15 inch log I cut in half. |
| Mara goblet - 9 1/2 inches |
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| Another African wood, somewhat similar to walnut. |
| Black birch bowl |
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| The bark is like birch but dark and the wood looks like apple. Nice stuff to work. |
| Rotten maple log turning - 9" tall |
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| Lighter in color than the ones above, this turning came from higher on the tree. |
| Honey Locust Goblet |
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| This goblet is about 8 inches tall. I like the color contrast. |
| Rotten maple log turning - 6" tall |
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| From every side this one looks different, form smooth to totally weird. I like it. |
| Amboyna Burl Goblet |
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| This is a one of a kind goblet. My wife grabbed it as a decorator. I love the color of this wood. |
| Oak |
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| A deep bowl turned on the end grain. About 7 inches in diameter. |
| Mulberry Mug |
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| Every wood has its own unique color and look. Mulberry comes out sort of yellowish. |
| Spalted Oak urn - 10" tall |
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| I call these urns, but you can call them covered vases, or whatever you want. |
| "Straws" and Cigarette Holders |
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| Some more new items using fancy hardwoods. You can sip and smoke in style. |
| Hickory Flute Champagne |
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| This goblet is very slender and 9" tall. Too bad most hickory becomes firewood. |
| Willow turning - 7" tall |
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| The log had a weird bulbous shape on it, so that became the top of this turning. |
| Cebil goblet - 9 1/2 inches |
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| A dense African wood. The trees are small so they don't make good lumber, but great for turning. |
| Oak Bowl / Box |
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| A lidded bowl about inches in diameter. |
| Purple Heart Platters |
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| This is the natural color of this wood. These platters are 12" in diameter. |
| Purple Heat Dice with Turquoise inlay. |
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| OK, they were not done on a lathe. But I thought they were neat. |
| Canteen |
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| This was a special order. Make two bowls, glue together, add leather and brass. Easy?? |
| Urns or Jars |
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| These jars are 12 to 14 inches tall. I made them of walnut and maple. |
| Rotten Apple |
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| This turning was made from an apple log that had rotted out in the middle. |
| Walnut |
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| Yes, I like working with this wood when I can get a good piece. About 14" in diameter. |
| Hollow Vessel |
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| A nice piece made from spalted maple. A hollow vessel, isn't pracitical, but looks nice on a shelf. |
| Hollow turning of oak and moradillo |
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| This oak is from a 350 year old tree that came down in a storm. The top supplies contrast. |
| Walnut Bowl |
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| This bowl is 15 inches in diameter. It came from a 250 year old tree. |
| Cork Screw Willow |
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| Willow trees with all those curly little branches, can also produce wood with curly figure. |
| Tulip Poplar |
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| The tree was struck by lightning, but lived, this led to cracks and strange colors. |
| Juniper Vase |
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| This wood is very sticky and difficult to finish, but looks nice when done. |
| Natural edge juniper bowl - 6.5" in diameter |
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| I really like the contrasting colors in the juniper. The wood is very sticky to turn, but aromatic. |
| Cherry Turning |
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| Hollow shape, about 11" in diameter. Some more of that nice spalting. |
| Walnut Bowl |
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| About 8" in diameter and about 4" deep. The color is nice and dark from laying on the wet ground. |
| Jar or Urn |
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| The wood came from a pile of firewood at a the Mayan Ranch in Texas. No one knew what it was. |
| Walnut Bowl |
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| About 8" in diameter, this bowl is from newly cut Walnut. Sap wood is white, the heart wood black. |
| Ambrosia Maple Vases |
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| 13 inches tall. The ambrosia beetle kills the tree and leaves behind the dark stain. Beetle juice? |
| Walnut Bowl |
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| 14" in diameter this bowl displays crotch figure(feather grain to Victorians) where 2 branches met. |
| Willow bowl |
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| This is another piece of willow burl, but this section didn't develope any spikes. |
| Covered Bowl or Urn - Whatever you want to call it |
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| This container is made of cherry, the lid is white ash, the knob is purple heart. |
| Pine bowl |
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| I had a pine log, rather soft, but it worked OK. Needed a lot of sanding to get a smooth finish. |
| Large Elm Burl |
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| I thought this looked like a brain on a pot. So this is called "Your brain on pot" or just "Brain". |
| The other side of "Brain" |
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| Once again, I thought a second picture would give you a better idea of what this piece is like. |
| Walnut Goblets |
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| These goblets are 9 to 9 1/2 inches tall. Great for feasting with the "Royals" or the in-laws. |
| Honey Locust Trophy |
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| This was a custom order. About 14" tall, this was turned from one solid piece of Honey Locust. |
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A non-functional art object:
My mother-in-law liked this one and since it came from a piece of her tree, I gave it to her for Christmas.
| Black Walnut Mug |
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| Walnut has a classic beauty all its own. |
| Wooden rings |
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| For 2021 I am adding wooden rings. I had a lot of free time so I learned a new skill. |
| Natural edge apple bowl - 9" in diameter |
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| Another interesting piece turned upside down from a regular bowl to create an oval appearance. |
| Juniper container |
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| Nice piece made from a juniper root. It is sitting on a birdseye maple platter. |
| Spalted Maple |
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| Same log, different design. Spalting adds unique character. |
| Spalted Maple |
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| Fourth turning, I hope I find another log like this next year. |
| Display at home |
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| My wife grabs some of my better pieces. Here are some displayed in the dining room |
| Office at my real world job |
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| I put some of my items on display in the office so people will know what I am talking about. |
| Beech bowl, Natural Edge |
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| I used a small crotch where 2 limbs met. This creates interesting figure and color |
| Leopard Wood Platter |
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| Also known as Snake Wood - the grain is spotted or scaley depending on what you choose to see |
| Natural Edge bowl - Cherry |
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| This is from one side of a crotch in the tree, about 7" across |
| Natural edge crotch figure - cherry |
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| This is the other half of the crotch figure that made the bowl above. |
| Ornamental Plum |
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| A nice little bowl I made 30 years ago and found recently on a shelf |
| Small ash plate or saucer |
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| Another item I made 30 years ago and found recently |
| Mortar and Pestle |
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| People asked for these so I used some hard maple and copied a style from some old pictures. |
| Shallow bowl about 11" in diameter |
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| Turned from Honey Locust - has some nice crotch figure |
| 7" bowl of Honey Locust |
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| This wood was moldy so it shows a discoloration or spalting |
| White Cedar Bowl |
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| This is not as aromatic as red cedar and is very light in weight. |
| Maple Mug |
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| This is from an extremely old tree with lots of spalting and tension or fiddleback grain. |
| Maple Feasting Goblet - 9 inches |
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| Another piece of that beautiful old maple. Age and weathering add character to wood and to people. |
| Oak Bowl |
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| This is a nice piece of white oak, about 14 inches in diameter. |
| Cannister - Cedar |
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| A red cedar cannister, about 10 inches tall. Not for food, maybe cigars for the cedar smell. |
| Urn, Maple |
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| A classic urn shape, made from some very old Maple. |
| Container - Tigrillo |
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| The striped wood is called Tigrillo. This footed urn is about 8 inches tall. |
| Box elder burl bowl |
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| This is from the same tree as the burl on the left. |
| Natural edge - Thorn Tree |
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| The thorn tree in our back yard died. The trunk was very convoluted and this was the result. |
| Bowl |
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| Another piece of my thorn tree; cracks, bark, gouges, just plain ugly, but that's why I like it. |
| Oak scoop |
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| What happens to a mug that splits in half. It might become 2 scoops. |
| Rotten maple log turning - 10" tall |
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| This turning didn't split after turning. I like what nature can create. |
| Apple bowl |
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| This bowl was turned with the curve of the tree. Quite a difference. |
| Tulipwood goblet - 9 1/2 inches |
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| Another beautiful relative of rosewood. I had enough to make a pair of these. |
| Walnut Goblets |
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| There's a lot more chance for variety in making goblets. These range from 6" to 8" tall. |
| Red Cedar turning and vase |
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| Turning this is great for clearing the sinuses and freshening up the workshop. |
| Rotten maple log turning - 9" tall |
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| For this one I didn't turn a raised lip, but rolled the opening into the center. |
| Osage Orange goblet - 8 inches |
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| A very pretty wood from America. It was once used by the Osage Indians to make bows. |
| Walnut Bowl |
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| Another bowl from that one beautiful log. |
| Cherry mug |
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| A nice standard sized mug (14-16 oz.). A small branch added character. |
| Walnut urn - 11" tall |
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| Heart wood and sap wood give the urn alternating colors, complete with a knot. |
| Maple Goblets |
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| These were turned as a pair for a wedding. They are close to being the same. They are 8 1/2" tall. |
| Mulberry Urn - 9" tall |
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| Call it an urn or call it a cookie jar. It depends on what you put in it. |
| Watch Necklace |
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| This is a new item made of Cocabolo. The "clock" is 1 inch in diameter, total necklace about 1 1/2. |
| Oak Goblets |
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| Oak usually has little figure. I leave bark attached or use knots for visual interest. |
| White Oak Mug |
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| Not much grain, but good and sturdy. This has been my personal mug for the last 3 years. |
| Wenge goblet - 9 1/2 inches |
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| I put this with some oak, because the grain is similar. The color is black, almost like fumed oak. |
| Tops |
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| This is a great use for small pieces of wood and lots of fun for the kid in all of us. |
| Amboyna Burl Platter |
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| Another piece from this great looking wood. It is about 12" in diameter. |
| Willow "chalice" shape - 5" tall |
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| Red fungus stains and natural gaps in the wood, give this non-functional piece character. |
| Ash Platter |
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| About 14" in diameter and 1" deep this one was cut before the Emerald Ash Borer attacked. |
| Maple Urn |
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| This is a large urn or covered jar. It is about 15 inches tall. |
| Walnut - bowl within a bowl |
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| This was all turned from 1 piece. Chip and dip, anyone? |
| Cherry Chip and Dip |
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| I like this shape. It is basically a bowl within a platter made from one half of a cherry crotch. |
| Cherry chip and dip part 2 |
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| This is the other half of the same log. Both are about 11 inches in diameter. |
| Juniper Vase |
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| This one is made from Juniper and includes a lot of bark and natural depressions. |
| Rotten Apple |
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| The log was big enough to make 2 of these turnings. This angle shows the rotted out log better. |
| Natural edge turning - apple |
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| The rough edge is bark, this is turned upside down from a typical bowl that would follow the grain. |
| Maple Burl |
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| This piece of wood came from Canada and went back to the person who supplied the tree. |
| Walnut - hollow turning |
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| This walnut grew on my mother-in-law's property. I do visit the in-laws, when motivated. |
| Walnut turning |
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| This is some more in-law walnut. I knew there was a reason I got married. |
| Red Cedar Vases |
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| These vases are about 14 inches tall. Red Cedar has more character than I expected. |
| Cherry Bowl |
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| About 11 inches in diameter this one has some nice spalting that adds character. |
| Cherry Platter or Shallow Bowl |
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| The spalted cherry was left neglected on the wood pile for 3 years of rain and squirrel droppings. |
| Walnut Bowl |
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| Nice classic shape and about 10" in diameter. A great looking piece of wood. |
| Bowls - Oak and Russian Olive |
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| Just some nice little 7" bowls. I like wood with contrasting colors. |
| Oak Vases |
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| The large vase is 15" tall, the short one is about 8". Given to the person who brought the wood. |
| Spikey Willow Burl Turning |
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| This one looked strange enough, my wife, the Buffy fan, named it "Hellmouth". |
| Natural top willow turning - 8" tall |
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| Another non-functional art object. Nice contrast between smoothly finished and rough surfaces. |
| Walnut Vase |
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| This vase is about 14" tall. The tree came down compliments of the road commission. |
| Russian Olive pipe |
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| I have only made this one, but I am putting aside odd pieces of wood for this Spring. |
| Walnut spatulas |
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| Talk about practical, you can stir your stew with style. |
| Another Spikey Willow Burl |
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| Just call this one "Hellmouth 2". I did a miniature called "Heckmouth". No picture of that one. |
| The other side of Hellmouth 2 |
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| Weird wood looks different depending on how you display it. So, I shot a picture of the other side. |
| Maple Goblets |
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| These are 8 to 8 1/2 inches tall. Some show the dark streaking caused by the Ambrosia beetle. |
| Walnut Bowls |
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| A nice shallow bowl about 14 inches in diameter. Just a very pleasing piece to look at. |
| Spalted Oak |
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| Fungus and mold did a nice job of make a plain wood pretty. |
| Spalted Cherry |
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| This was a little punky but still turnable. The damage gives it more visual interest. |
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