Versa-Lam beam bowl

[laurie sullivan]

Hey everyone, Happy Easter.......

Here is a bowl a few have talked about and you don't get to see many. Tough on the chisels and easy on the pocket book (free wood). I picked it up off a home const. site around the corner. The material is Versa-Lam. 4x10. I got 3 feet. I just bought a Ci1 tool and it ate it up (the wood )

I've got 4 coats of wipe on poly and will add 2 more tomorrow.

My contractor neighbor is going to save me the Parallam he will be ordering for a job soon.

So let me know what you think.

Laurie

[Brian McInturff]

I just got one of the Craig Jackson tools the other day. Haven't had a chance to try it out yet. Looks like it and you did a great job on a hard material to turn. It looks absolutely fabulous. I would've expected a lot of tearout but I don't see any. Great Job!!

[Tom Sherman]

Looks pretty cool Laurie.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking job on a great looking bowl. That stuff is cool but like you said it is tough on tools. I made a couple just to say I did.

[Greg Ketell]

Gorgeous Bowl! I Love the wood and I Love the shape you did to show off the wood.
Great Job!!

GK

[Jim Becker]

Very nice, Laurie!

I have a few pieces of this stuff stashed in the shop...scraps from our addition...that I intend to fully take advantage of at the lathe. I did a small piece a few years ago and really enjoyed the effect. Sharpening every few seconds is necessary, but the end result is really kewel!

[Ben Gastfriend]

Really nice (fake) grain patterns on the bottom! That's a really nice bowl, and you did a really nice job!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nice work Laurie! I'm sure you'll more than a few folks asking what kind of wood this is! Good form and great finish!

[Brian McInturff]

Laurie, could you post what you thought about Craig's tool. How much of this bowl did you do with it.. Did you use the deflector?
Thanks, Brian

[laurie sullivan]

I bought Craig Jackson Ci1 carbide tool to work with stone. I have not yet try it with alabaster or soapstone. My first challenge was the Versa-Lam beam which I knew was going to be an all day job, coring out the center with HHS chisels. The beam only took an hour to rough it out and another to scrap it clean. I found the Ci1 tool an asset to my arsenal of turning tools. I did try the shield but it kept vibrating off. maybe with regular wood it will stay in place. someday, I will buy another just not to have to keep changing the different cutters.

laurie

[Nathan Hawkes]

Nice bowl! I'm curious, though, what makes it so hard on the chisels. I thought microlams were made from softwood veneer sandwiches. Is it hardwood? maybe the glue is what makes it hard on chisels?? Just curious. I'm a pretty new turner, but I'm learning as I go that some woods are to chisels as dirt and rocks are to chainsaw chains. Locust being the first that comes to mind, as bad on chisels and chainsaw chains as well!!

[Keith Cope]

Nice job Laurie!

I turned a piece from Parallam, looks great but like the LVL/Versalam it dulls tools quickly too! I am gluing up a staved parallam piece now, hopefully will get it ready to go on the lathe next weekend.

Oh, Nathan--it's the huge amount of glue that dulls the tools. The wood in these types of engineered lumber is often spruce/pine/fir etc., it's the glue that eats the edges.

Keith