Figured maple dished platter

[John K Jordan]

A good friend gave me a chunk of fiddleback maple. This is the first time I've turned such wood - I want to get some more!

This is number 7 in a series. I made this one to take to a friend in Italy.

This is about 9" across and 2" high, dished almost 1", finished with maybe six applications of "danish" oil, buffed. The chatoyance on this wood is incredible. When I saw what it was going to look like (using the naptha wipe method) I got a little nervous on the finishing cuts hoping I didn't mess up and ruin it!



JKJ

[Dave B West]

That is beautiful. The grain pattern really turned out well. It appears to be infinitely deep.

[daryl moses]

Very nice John, love the grain pattern on Fiddleback.
Makes me want to go turn a platter.

[Martin Drummond]

Beautiful piece, great work

[Peter Blair]

Wow John. I really like it when the wood reveals such character. I seldom (read never) find anything like this. Thanks for sharing.

[John K Jordan]

Wow John. I really like it when the wood reveals such character. I seldom (read never) find anything like this. Thanks for sharing.

My friend told me today he had that board for 30 years! (He has some of the most fantastic wood I've ever seen. And what an amazing craftsman.)

JKJ

[David Delo]

I'd give you a double blue ribbon John. 1 for the wood itself and another for the execution.

[Eric Gourieux]

John, I agree with others. That's a beauty. I like the shape and how you centered the grain. Beautiful piece.

[John K Jordan]

Thanks everyone for the kind words! This was a collaboration between me on the lathe, the Good Lord who grew this amazing wood, and the fantastic guy who sent me home with a chunk of it.

These are fun and fairly quick to make, held and turned exactly like a shallow bowl or platter except for "cutting air" near the corners. Mostly done with a small bowl gouge. I hold with a Glaser screw chuck and shape and finish cut the bottom and outside first, sand and apply some finish, then reverse and hold with 50mm jaws expanded in the recess. (I put some detail around the recess in the base to draw the eye away from the recess.)

As the top thins, I often get a little rippling where the corners vibrate a bit but this is less when turned at high speed. I don't power sand, but remove the ripples with curved cabinet scrapers then sand a bit by hand as needed, using a Magic Rub eraser as a sanding block.

JKJ

[Bob Bergstrom]

Wow, beautiful wood. Really like the square shape.

[John K Jordan]

Wow, beautiful wood. Really like the square shape.

Thanks, I love that shape. I was inspired by some square plates with rounded corners from 4/4 stock by Frank Penta. I wanted them to stand off the table a bit so I use 8/4 stock. I liked the squarish shape but made the sides more rounded, following an arc. I turn these with the corners sharp then round them by hand with a sanding block.

[Marty Schlosser]

Nice turning and certainly a beautiful piece of wood.

[Ken Glass]

John,
Excellent turning on a Beautiful piece of fiddleback Maple. I love what nature can do with Maple. Well done....

[dave nichols]

that's beautiful, good job