Natural Edge White Oak Burl Bowl (24WS9)

This beautiful bowl was turned from a piece of an enormous white oak burl that was cut from a downed 200-year-old tree. The tree grew on a farm in Elk River, MN. About a quarter of the burl is shown being cut, with a piece showing the small cracks along some of the grain lines, and the trimmed piece on the lathe ready for turning. I wanted to show where the interesting dark patterns in the bowl came from. Turning the bowl was a bit tricky since these cracks could lead to pieces flying off the lathe. All the cracks in the bowl were filled with dark wood dust and cyanoacrylate glue to provide a solid, smooth, and secure piece. Some of the small filled/stabilized cracks are visible in this bowl. Most wind around the bowl along grain lines, and several show interesting patterns. This burl was old, and some decay is expected. I stabilized all these areas and love the interesting dark patterns. The burl had lost its bark over the years, so the top edge of the bowl shows the undulations of the burl and has a nice texture. The bowl shows wavy growth rings that are darker brown and contrast with the golden-brown color of the wood. These wavy lines are erratic and wind around the bowl. There are also many tiny (radial) rays (typical of oak) running up the sides of the bowl. These are mostly in the upper part of the bowl. The lower part of the bowl shows the typical pigskin patterns of oak. Overall, this is memorizing and difficult to put into words. The bowl was turned using handheld tools on a lathe from green wood, dried for several months, and sanded to 400 grit. Bowls often warp a little during the drying. This is not usually noticeable but requires the re-turning of the base and bottom of the bowl. The bowl was sealed with two coats of pure tung oil (diluted 50% with citrus solvent to speed up drying), hand sanded after each coat. This finish is considered food safe, although this bowl is best suited for artistic display. Oak is a very hard strong wood and sands amazingly smooth. I find it wonderful to just feel this smoothness. This bowl will last for a very long time and improve gracefully with age.

 

 

 

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.