In the case of this bowl , what I really had to do was stand back and let the gorgeous figure in the walnut reveal itself. (Click on any image to enlarge)
Tag Archives: Black walnut
Flared Rim Black Walnut Bowl
Black walnut is an easy wood to turn and takes a beautiful polish on bare wood. This bowl was finished with my food-safe, 100% pure beeswax and mineral oil finish. (Click on any image to enlarge)
Weed Pots in February
This is what you can do with a weed pot/Ikebana vase in February. I clipped one branch each from my ornamental crab, ornamental plum, and Mountain ash trees in the back yard. The pot was turned from a “defect” in an otherwise clear Oregon black walnut board. (Click on the image to enlarge)
The walnut pot/vase by itself is 5″ tall, 1.75″ in diameter, and has a 5/8″ diameter slug of steel bar hidden in the base for stability.
Weed Pots
These are the first three I turned on my lathe in, from l. to r., black walnut, American black cherry, and white oak. They stand about 5.5″ tall. In addition to being drilled out at the top to hold dried flowers, branches, ornamental grass, or interesting weeds, the bottoms also have a cavity drilled out which is filled with steel shot and then sealed with a wood plug. The bottom-weighting provides stability. (Click on any image to enlarge)
Since the first three were made, I have experimented with other shapes and heights, as well as with some exotic woods. Below, l. to r., Claro walnut and Wenge, straight off the lathe.
I’ve also ordered various sizes of glass test tubes to be inserted into properly sized holes in the tops so that in addition to holding dried arrangements, a single rose or small flower grouping can be kept fresh in water.
Black Walnut Bowl with Maple Lid
I turned this 12″ wide, 3″ deep, black walnut bowl with the intention of also turning a lid to fit. For the lid, I used a piece of northern sugar maple with a block of walnut glued to it for the knob, and turned the two simultaneously. The lid has an indent under the lip to match the inner diameter of the bowl. The fit is such that there is a slight suction effect when the lid is lifted. (Click on any image to enlarge)
The bowl is large enough from which to serve food, such as fruit or green salads. And if it is used to serve something like pasta, then the lid can serve as a cover. This bowl, and all my bowls so far, have been finished solely with my own recipe for a “food safe” finish: 100% pure, organic, filtered beeswax combined with pharmaceutical grade mineral oil.
Here is the bowl on my new Jet 2HP lathe. I intentionally left the dust collector temporarily turned off to give some idea of the volume of shavings produced by my bowl gouge during the hollowing process.
And finally, I’ve included a photo showing the underside of the lid while still mounted on the lathe. The indent under the lip was reduced incrementally to fit, using the completed bowl as a gauge.
