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Dave Polaschek
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Chokecherry bowl (#49)
On the first of the year, a friend gave me a couple chunks of chokecherry and a chunk of Gambel oak. I rough-turned the chokecherry into bowls in the first week of January, and finished turning this one in February.
I hadn’t known that chokecherry grew this big, but the finished bowl is 7½ inches across and 2½ inches tall. The tree was growing next to a bridge that crosses a creek between my friend’s place and his neighbor’s near Taos, NM, so it had plenty of water to grow here in our dry climate.
I’m glad I got it rough turned as quickly as I did, and then dried it slowly in a bag full of shavings. There’s one crack that opened up which I filled with sawdust and CA glue, but otherwise the bowl held together nicely, even though it warped quite a bit.
It’s finished with a coat of tung oil, which firmed up the punky bits of the wood, and then a hand-rubbed shellac and tung oil finish. Once cured, it will be food safe.
If I get offered more chokecherry for turning, you can bet I’ll say “yes!”
I hadn’t known that chokecherry grew this big, but the finished bowl is 7½ inches across and 2½ inches tall. The tree was growing next to a bridge that crosses a creek between my friend’s place and his neighbor’s near Taos, NM, so it had plenty of water to grow here in our dry climate.
I’m glad I got it rough turned as quickly as I did, and then dried it slowly in a bag full of shavings. There’s one crack that opened up which I filled with sawdust and CA glue, but otherwise the bowl held together nicely, even though it warped quite a bit.
It’s finished with a coat of tung oil, which firmed up the punky bits of the wood, and then a hand-rubbed shellac and tung oil finish. Once cured, it will be food safe.
If I get offered more chokecherry for turning, you can bet I’ll say “yes!”
May you have the day you deserve!
19 Comments
Good story Dave! Usually trees growing near water here get clobbered from a flash flood or get girdled by the hungry bunnies.
Bowl looks great, lots of character. 👍
Bowl looks great, lots of character. 👍
Looks good!
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
beautiful wood. i sure wouldn't turn any down if someone offered me some......hint..... (wink) 😁
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
Really lovely bow. Like the wood a lot, something one would not find here in GA.
Ron
Pretty wood. I like how the pith runs through it, nice contrast. The grain on the bottom is interesting in that it has such a busy pattern amid patches of baldness. Makes for a striking bowl.
The grain on the bottom is interesting in that it has such a busy pattern amid patches of baldness.
That is what the wife says about my head🤠
Dave, did you pre-shape the oak you were provided? Interested in how stable that stuff is.
Dave, did you pre-shape the oak you were provided? Interested in how stable that stuff is.
Nice turning Dave, great looking bowl.
Thanks guys! I flipped the blank over two or three times trying to decide pith up or pith down before I rough-turned it. I think I made the right choice, but yeah, it had a bit of rot and it was worse in the heartwood than in the sapwood, which was weird. Most hardwoods will rot the sapwood first.
I can’t share, Pottz, as I don’t have any more of it. I was given two pieces, and rough turned them both within a week. Sorry.
Splint, I carved the oak with gouges and such while it was wet, because it had started cracking as it dried. I dug it out of the shavings today, but haven’t really looked at it. It’s harder than heck, and I’m going to have some serious work finish-carving it, I expect. Might have to dig my bowl horse out to hold it, too.
I’ll know more tomorrow.
I can’t share, Pottz, as I don’t have any more of it. I was given two pieces, and rough turned them both within a week. Sorry.
Splint, I carved the oak with gouges and such while it was wet, because it had started cracking as it dried. I dug it out of the shavings today, but haven’t really looked at it. It’s harder than heck, and I’m going to have some serious work finish-carving it, I expect. Might have to dig my bowl horse out to hold it, too.
I’ll know more tomorrow.
May you have the day you deserve!
i know dave, and if you did youd probably share whatever you have because your a damn good friend !
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
Very nice Dave!
Petey
Thanks, Pottz.
Thanks, Petey!
Thanks, Petey!
May you have the day you deserve!
I like how the simple form lets the wood show off.
I was watching an episode of This Old House which was about Tom Silva doing lathe work. He mentioned how much he enjoys it. I can see why when the end result turns out something as nice as this.
I was watching an episode of This Old House which was about Tom Silva doing lathe work. He mentioned how much he enjoys it. I can see why when the end result turns out something as nice as this.
Well played Dave! I would like to try carving chokecherry some time. Love that color...
Mike
Mike
Yooper with a Drawl
Yeah, Earl. Good to hear from you! When the wood is more “showy,” I try to keep the form simpler. Then again, given my skill level, simpler forms are also good because I can mostly pull them off.
Mike, you probably have some up in your neck of the woods. I think part of the deal with this one was that it was starting to rot while standing, so it got coloring from fungus and such. There’s some box-elder like red streaks in the piece I was working on finishing today.
Splint, the gambel oak moved, but about 1/3 as much as the chokecherry did. Other than a crack near where the pith was (I should’ve cut out the 4 center rings, rather than just 2), it held up pretty well. I’ve still got some carving to do, but hopefully the little oak bowl will be done this coming week.
Mike, you probably have some up in your neck of the woods. I think part of the deal with this one was that it was starting to rot while standing, so it got coloring from fungus and such. There’s some box-elder like red streaks in the piece I was working on finishing today.
Splint, the gambel oak moved, but about 1/3 as much as the chokecherry did. Other than a crack near where the pith was (I should’ve cut out the 4 center rings, rather than just 2), it held up pretty well. I’ve still got some carving to do, but hopefully the little oak bowl will be done this coming week.
May you have the day you deserve!
I like the design - let's the woodgrain be the focus.
Wow, the wood is so beautiful! I like the finish, too. I should try Shellac:)
No name noobie here
Thanks, Barb!
I basically French polished it, YRTi - shellac plus a drop of tung oil in the pad every now and again so it keeps moving smoothly. The nice thing about shellac is that it goes on quick and dries quick. I think I did six-eight coats in a half-hour. I’ll probably hit it with a half-dozen more coats one of these days (after the existing oil in the finish has time to cure).
I basically French polished it, YRTi - shellac plus a drop of tung oil in the pad every now and again so it keeps moving smoothly. The nice thing about shellac is that it goes on quick and dries quick. I think I did six-eight coats in a half-hour. I’ll probably hit it with a half-dozen more coats one of these days (after the existing oil in the finish has time to cure).
May you have the day you deserve!
Beautiful wood color and grain on this one!
Thanks, Steve!
May you have the day you deserve!
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