I like lychee

When I was a kid, my family would occassionally go to a local chinese restaurant that at the end of the meal would bring a out a bowl of lychee nuts. I thought these were the greatest thing ever - so sweet and exotic. I've since had fresh ones, and still love that fruit to this day.

I took a flier on a lychee blank on eBay, having no idea what the wood was like, but the price was right (maybe because no one else knew either)? I appreciate the fruit so much, that I was very curious about the wood. Turns out to be beautiful stuff. Dense, but easy to work. As is my want, I just turned a simple bowl - about 7.5" x 2.5" and finished with oil and wax.

Thanks for looking.

Nice looking bowl. I like the bead detail at the rim.

I've turned a little bit of that, and my experience mirrors yours... It's a hard, dense wood that turns nicely and holds detail well. It also polishes beautifully as you demonstrated very well. I only wish I could have gotten blanks as large as that one.

I to like lychee. I have nothing bigger than pen blanks though.

Nice looking bowl.

Nice bowl. Most of the Lychee I have is very plain grained compared to the grain in your bowl. I'll have to take a closer look at my stash and see if some livelier grain isn't hiding in there somewhere.

Beautiful Sean!! So, is this an imported blank, or does this tree grow in the states? I have eaten a bunch of lychees, too, but never gave thought to the wood.

beautiful wood. Nice job.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John Keeton

Beautiful Sean!! So, is this an imported blank, or does this tree grow in the states? I have eaten a bunch of lychees, too, but never gave thought to the wood.

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John,

I get my lychee from Hawaii. The lychee is native to low elevations of the provinces of Kwangtung and Fukien in southern China.

Nice looking wood and nice looking bowl. I have a several roughed out that I was going to try a rim like you have on this bowl. It really looks good.

Sean, I agree it is very nice looking wood and the color and grain is great! I will have to look for some to purchase some day also.

Nice bowl an the finish suits the wood very well.

Jeff

I like that bowl and color. When I see a bowl like that, I think, "I'd use that". Then I remember reading about how they drank wine from bowls in Greece and Rome, and think, "I'd wear a toga while using it too." ;) Or at least I'd put grapes in it!

The Lychee does grow decently in the states, I had neighbors with 3 lychee trees that grew fantastic in Del Rio TX. Also, a relative has a lychee tree in San Diego that grows well and produces great fruit. I would not have thought tropical fruits would do well in TX, but then you drive 5 miles across the border into Mexico and there are banana trees and oranges, lemons, limes growing everywhere. I've found that quite often the trees that "will grow" in a particular area have as much to do with established cultural norms as the climate really. For instance, who would think S. American and Indian rosewood would be growing all over Phoenix, but there it is, everywhere, along with eucalyptus and mesquite.

Respect the fruit, now respect the wood. Well done!

Sean,

Really nice looking bowl, Sean! I love lychee also, and just bought a bag of it for $20. When I was a kid, neighbors would trade mangoes for lychee and other fruit. But now it's much harder to come by.

As for the wood, I recently picked up some stumps from a gentleman who had to chop down his tree. I have yet to turn a bowl from it, though. I only hope the wood in my stash looks as good as yours!

Nice bowl Sean, and the wood displays beautifully. Never had any lychee, I'll have to try some.
I really like the rim detail, Well executed.

Really a great looking bowl and really nice wood.