#12 Claro Walnut and Curly Maple - a blend of classic and contemporary

[John Keeton]

This lidded bowl is 9.5" wide, by 5" tall to the tip of the knob/finial. The walnut has BLO and shellac, and the topcoat on the maple and walnut is Deft satin brush on lacquer. I intend to rub it out and apply a couple more coats. The walnut sucked up the finish!
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This piece is very different than my normal tastes. For flatwork I tend toward a blend of Shaker and 18th Century style, with fairly traditional or classic lines. A leap toward contemporary is a bold move for me. The blend of the ogee form, and the contemporary finial is different - and may not appeal to many. But, I kind of like the look!

The curly maple is from a piece of 3/4" board stock I had. Everything went really well with this piece except for the knob/finial area. The walnut base of the knob was originally larger and was the tenon on the maple. Getting a clean cut against the maple was tricky for me, and I ended up with a small amount of chatter just in very close under the rim of the walnut. I couldn't do much with it because I couldn't lower the surface of the maple any more in that area. It isn't really noticeable unless one looks for it. But, I know it is there!! I guess I just add that to my list of things learned!!

This is turned from a piece of the Claro walnut I bought from Mike Smith, Century Tree Turnings, in N. Car. It ended up having beautiful grain, but getting a smooth surface wasn't easy. The pics above don't really show off the grain, so here are a couple of better pics.
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And, this one is a "surprise" for Doug Swanson!!

I can't wait to see what you make next (and next time, just surprise us without asking for input!)

Doug

No input on this one. It is what it is, though I would appreciate any comments and suggestions that may help on the next one!!

Thanks for taking the time to look!

[charlie knighton]

very nice, John

[David Christopher]

John, that is beautiful, and your favorite woods,,,it sure looks like you are having fun doing something you didnt want nothing to do with a few months ago...LOL

[Baxter Smith]

Very nice (and different) and I like the finish. After seeing your previous picece I picked up a quart of the Deft satin lacquer yesterday along with another quart of antique oil. I think I will try that on my last plum vase that just has the shellac. I wasn't real happy with the spray gloss lacquer but that may have been my application. Glad you opened the lid to show off the walnut!

[Mark Hazelden]

John, I really like the lines of this piece and the grain of the walnut is wonderful! Nicely done.
I assume that is an insert for your signature? Maple perhaps?
I can't figure out what finish "BLO" is. Help?

Mark

[Chris Stolicky]

Will you stop already!!!

No, really, good job. It looks like you are a real natural turner. Too bad you took so long to start!

[Matt Ranum]

Will you stop already!!!

I'm beginning to think the wife kicked him outa the house and he lives in the shop.

[Curt Fuller]

John, first let me say that I think this is an exceptionally nice lidded bowl. There's nothing about it that I don't like.

As for design, or style, it has always been my opinion that crossing the lines of style, breaking out of the traditional look, is what differenciates the craftsman from the artist. The more you break the rules, the more freedom you have to create something unique. So I like what you've done.

The knob/finial technique you've used has always given me trouble. The only time I try to turn the lid and knob as one piece is if it is one piece. Whenever there's a glue line something in the Murphy's Law of turning seems to always make it difficult to keep the line crisp. For that reason I always drill a hole and insert the knob if I'm using a different wood. It just seems to work better that way, at least for me.

Again, that's a beautiful lidded bowl.


One other thing, Ill be interested to see if the nice fit between the lid and bowl holds out. With two pieces of face grain wood, one or both almost always moves with time creating a bind and gap fit.

[Doug W Swanson]

And, this one is a "surprise" for Doug Swanson!!
No input on this one. It is what it is, though I would appreciate any comments and suggestions that may help on the next one!!

John,

Thanks for the 'surprise'.

I think you did a great job again. The form may be fairly simple but sometimes simple is better. I really like the woods you chose and the colors of the walnut.

Very nice job!

Doug

[Pete Jordan]

Wow John!

You are moving at warp speed! I have never seen anyone so hooked and I fell hook, line and sinker.

Excellent job!

[Prashun Patel]

Really wonderful, JK. I've been following yr posts and progress. I continue to be impressed!

[Toney Robertson]

I like it.

I will also be interested to see if the lid continues to fit that well as time goes by.

With the lidded bowls that I have made the lids never fit perfectly after a while and that is when I used the same species for both the lid and bowl.

You took a risk using two different species and an inset lid. While VERY attractive, the inset lid gives you no way to hide even a slight warp.

Toney

[Bernie Weishapl]

John that is beautiful. Really nice form and the finish looks great. I like the finial/knob.

[Thom Sturgill]

Lovely piece and the 'contemporary' finial fits well. Keep up the great work, John.

Mark, BLO stands for Boiled Linseed Oil'.

[Steve Schlumpf]

John - very nice work! I really like the mix of styles and the creation of a piece with a contemporary feel to it! Beautiful wood combination! I like the design of the knob. The style and color of it gives the piece an oriental feel as well as adding to the contemporary look.

Very nice work! I appreciate the imagination that a piece like this takes!

Looking forward to seeing what's next!