Red Maple Crotch Bowl (22SF33)

The red maple crotch used to make this bowl came from Grand Marais, MN. Red maple, also known as swamp maple or soft maple, is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern and central North America. It is rarely seen as far north as Grand Marais. This tree was old and taken down due to decay and its closeness to a home. A photo of the trimmed crotch (attached to the lathe) is shown. The wood turned well but the softer areas experienced some minor tear out. These areas were hardened with CA resin and sanded smooth. The sap wood is light cream colored and contrasted with the darker heart wood of the log centers. The three centers of the branches are included in the bowl and did not crack during drying. The wood was turned green and slowly dried under controlled conditions. The sap wood showed nice figuring including curl (or chatoyance), especially in the areas between centers. All the wood from this tree contained unusual dark patterns that looked like small sail boats, especially in the lighter sap wood just under the bark. This is unusual and could be caused by insects or bird pecking during the growth of the tree. This is a nice feature of the wood. I always try to preserve the bark on bowls because my goal is to show the complete beauty of the wood. Bark is an important part of the tree. This bark was solid and red brown in color. It nicely contrasts with the white sap wood in the bowl. This 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 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 can be used to serve or display food, although it is best used as an artistic piece. The bowl is stable and should last for hundreds of years 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.