Spalted Maple Burl Bowl (22WS18) SOLD

This bowl came from an enormous 250-pound maple burl from Montana. The burl is shown cut into two halves, being trimmed, and attached to a lathe. The burl was highly decayed, and it took a lot of work to find a solid piece for turning. This piece had many small checks, some larger cracks, and showed interesting patterns from spalting. This is a pre-decay condition where fungi start their biological action. The darker lines in the bowl and the lighter patterns are the result of this process. Spalting adds unusual colors and patterns to wood, but also can soften it. The light blotchy patterns are also due to fungal action. Many of these occurred along tiny cracks and grain lines. The softer areas were stabilized and sealed with cyanoacrylate resin. All the checks and tiny cracks were also stabilized and sealed. This bowl has a natural live edge. This bowl was turned using handheld tools on a lathe from semi-green wood, dried for several months, and sanded to 400 grit. The bowl is slightly distorted from warping during drying. This adds a natural look that I really like, but also required re-turning the base. The bowl was sealed with two coats of pure tung oil, hand sanded after each coat, finished with a mixture of walnut oil and beeswax, and buffed with lamb’s wool. This finish is considered food safe so this bowl would be suitable for serving and displaying food. If needed, the finish of the bowl can be rejuvenated by applying a thin coat of walnut oil, wiping with a soft cloth, and letting it dry. The natural oils in the wood will keep this bowl shining for many years. Sugar maple is a hard strong wood so this bowl should provide hundreds of years of use.

 

 

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.