Here are some pictures of a natural edge maple burl hollow form I completed this weekend. This is more of the same burl Bill Grumbine gave me. I thik this pice is more representative of the kind of figure and "swirl" you get in a maple burl.
This is the first time I've tried turning a natural edge hollow form. To be acurate, it's about the third "real" hollow form I've ever turned. But when I first cut up the burl, I really didn't want to loose the character that the bark gave this piece. So I decided to keep it "natural". It is a bit more tricky thank I originally thought, but not impossible.
Forming the outside was east. Simple bowl gouge work, followed by shear scraping. The internal hollowing was all acomplished with a Scorpion Hollowing tool. I think this was a real test of the tool. Overall, I am very happy with way it peformed.
One neat little trick I used on this hollow form was one I picked up from reading Pen Turning websites. The holes left by borers can easily be filled with ca glue and saw dust. But they stop looking like holes. I wanted to maintain this illusion. So I used some dust from a charcoal pencil (used in sketching) and mixed that with sawdust. A drop of thin CA glue was all it took to solidify this mix.
Natural Edge Maple Burl Hollow form Specs:
Outer dia.: 6 3/4"
Max. Height: 7 3/4"
Wall thickness: 1/4"
Base dia.: 2 5/8"
Sanding Method: Dry sanded to 2500 Grit.
Finish: Watco's Danish Oil
Final: Buffed with Beall System (minus the Tripoli)
I look forward to your comments and critiques.
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