Large Honey Locust Bark Edged Bowl (22SF9)

This bowl was turned green from a honey locust log that came from the Minneapolis area. The log was about 14” in diameter and was a large branch that fell from an enormous tree. Honey locust (Gleditsia Triacanthos) is a heavy, hard wood with an attractive orange to cream color. The wood is very strong and used for furniture and fence posts. Honey locust wood has a coarse, open grain structure that can be easily seen in this bowl. In fact, the grain in this bowl is beautiful with dark and light golden colors. It swirls around the contours of the bowl producing a dramatic effect. The bark on honey locust is unusual with curled raised edges (see image). You can see this unusually shaped bark in the edge of this bowl. I love turning bowls with natural bark edges as this shows the complete beauty of the wood. My goal was to position the pith of the log in the outward curved part of the bowl. I decided to shape the top of the bowl slightly inward and then bend the wall outward, so the bullseye pattern around the pith is in the outward curve. This is a very dramatic effect in this large bowl. Most wood turners avoid keeping the pith in a bowl due to cracking during drying. I have learned how to minimize cracking, so I often keep this beautiful grain feature in bowls. This bowl was turned from an entire log. The color of the wood changes from golden orange in the heart wood to lighter yellow or cream in the outer sap wood. The bark edge provides a nice dark red-brown border to these lighter colors. The bowl was turned using handheld tools on a lathe from green wood, dried for several months, and sanded to 400 grit. Wood that is turned green will always warp a little as it dries. This adds a natural quality to the bowl, but also requires the bottom to be re-turned so the bowl sits well. The bowl was sealed with two coats of tung oil, hand sanded after each coat, and finished with a buffed thin coat of beeswax and walnut oil. This finish is considered food safe so this bowl would be fine for holding fruit or bread, although it would be beautiful as an artistic piece. The bowl is strong and should last for hundreds of years and improve gracefully with age. This is a large, heavy bowl and will be impressive on a table. 

 

 

 

All my bowls are can be returned for a full refund if you are unsatisfied for any reason within 60 days. You must only pay the return shipping.

All of my bowls come with a laminated card with images of the bowl and burl, a complete description of the bowl and making process, and the artist's bio on the back side. There is no price on the card so it can be used if the bowl is given as a gift.