Turned Vessel from Spalted Box Elder Maple

Here is a vessel I turned recently from a very interesting piece of spalted Box Elder Maple. This tree fell in my back yard - probably 18 months ago and had started to deteriorate.

As certain types of woods break down, fungus and insects can cause some of the coolest designs - dramatically different shades of wood color, dark lines, worm holes, all kinds of characteristics which make my wood projects unique, and special.

Here is a small vessel I turned from a 12 inch log, split in half. I simply started the roughing out in the shape of a bowl, but left the top rounded. I hollowed out the inside using a small spindle gauge - go very slowly, so that you can identify the desired chisel position, while avoiding catches. I found it helpful to position the gauge inside the vessel, while it was stopped, so I knew position, angle, etc. Then I backed the gauge out slightly, started the lathe, and moved in lightly to cut.

Here is the final result:

New Wood Turnings

Here are a few new projects completed on my wood lathe. Primarily concentrated on spindle turning, or turning between centers. As a beginner, this seems a safer, easier way to get the feel for the various turning tools.
These two are basically pieces of art work, meaning I created them for the thrill of doing so, and solely to enjoy. They were fun to create, and I love the feel and color of the wood itself. I saw a picture in Richard Raffan's Turning Wood book, of three turnings inspired by Irish and Middle Eastern Towers. These were inspired by that photo. They were created from a seasoned limb from a Black Walnut tree in our yard. The branch hung over our roof, and had to go.....straight to my garage! Now it sits in my living room!

Here is another shot of two small pieces turned from a burled oak from my backyard:

I thought they might make pretty neat Christmas ornaments. I will say, if you can get your hands on burled and weathered wood, you'll be amazed at the colors, grain and overall look. I'm attracted to the more gnarled pieces and enjoy creating unique pieces.