"How did you do that?" is one of the questions most asked to a wood artist. I wanted to share some of my processes for turning natural edged pieces as well as using acrylics as part of the finished sculptures.
Maple Burl Vase
I love removing the bark from a piece of burl and discovering the wood formations underneath. The wood tends to be textured with sharp points. I wanted to turn a piece where I could preserve as much of the texture as possible on the outside, so when I mounted this piece on the lathe I placed it off center. This allowed me to round the back of the log without cutting into the bark that covered the texture. As I hollowed out the piece I had to be careful not to cut through from the inside. The resulting piece retained the texture of the burl nicely!
I love removing the bark from a piece of burl and discovering the wood formations underneath. The wood tends to be textured with sharp points. I wanted to turn a piece where I could preserve as much of the texture as possible on the outside, so when I mounted this piece on the lathe I placed it off center. This allowed me to round the back of the log without cutting into the bark that covered the texture. As I hollowed out the piece I had to be careful not to cut through from the inside. The resulting piece retained the texture of the burl nicely!
Maple Burl Bowl
These pictures show how I turned a natural edged bowl where the bark edge forms the rim of the bowl. On this piece I decided to remove the bark to expose the sharp points of the burl.
These pictures show how I turned a natural edged bowl where the bark edge forms the rim of the bowl. On this piece I decided to remove the bark to expose the sharp points of the burl.
Mountain Laurel Root Ball
Turning a root ball takes patience to allow the piece to take shape. As the roots get cut away, voids begin to appear and when complete, each piece has a unique style.
Turning a root ball takes patience to allow the piece to take shape. As the roots get cut away, voids begin to appear and when complete, each piece has a unique style.
Sourwood Bowl with Acrylic
This sourwood tree was diseased and the inside totally hollowed out leaving an interesting, heart-shaped center. I decided to fill the void with acrylic and then turn it as though it was a whole piece. The procedure was lengthy as I had to make many pours with each pour taking a day to cure. When I was finally able to put it on the lathe and start shaping, the acrylic gave the piece a fun design.
This sourwood tree was diseased and the inside totally hollowed out leaving an interesting, heart-shaped center. I decided to fill the void with acrylic and then turn it as though it was a whole piece. The procedure was lengthy as I had to make many pours with each pour taking a day to cure. When I was finally able to put it on the lathe and start shaping, the acrylic gave the piece a fun design.
