White Oak Burl Bowl (26WS23)

This beautiful bowl was turned from a piece of an enormous white oak burl that was cut from a 200-year-old tree. The tree grew on a farm in Elk River, MN. Two pieces of the burl are shown (note the glove for size perspective). These two pieces are about half of the main burl! The burl had a nicely textured outer surface that can be seen in the rim of the bowl. Most of the bark had come off the burl some years ago. The bowl shows wavy circular 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 sides of the bowl. The lower half of the bowl has parallel wormlike dark lines on top of a lighter sea of nicely figured oak burl wood. These dark lines wiggle part way up the sides of the bowl. There are also some (radial) rays (typical of oak) running up the sides to the top of the bowl. These are most pronounced on the outer walls of the bowl. These darker lines can be seen in the bowl blank on the lathe! 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 wood and sands amazingly smooth. I find it wonderful to just hold the bowl and 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.