Although not truely my "first" bowl, these are the first I've turned that I like and feel good about signing my name to .
Chinese Elm, 8"x3", buffed out Watco
Cocobolo, 5"x3", buffed
I really like the look of elm, but not the feel. The grain is too open for me. It needs a grain filler, imo. I've got a few hundred pounds more of the elm to turn for practice. Also, I need to sand more and mix in some sanding in a direction other then the way the lathe spins. Also I need a better way to finish out the bottoms. I think I'll be working on a vacuum chuck this weekend. Oh and I buffed these pieces out with the Beall system... HOLY COW does that put a nice sheen on cocobolo!!!
Comments and directions welcome.