# Maple burl bowl



## MikeMD (Apr 6, 2015)

This is for you, Bellinger... 

This one was from a big tree I had gotten a few years back. Remember all that wood under the tarp, Keller...this came from that. I have a limited number of odds and ends left of this stuff...

I don't recall the exact dimensions, but I think it was about 10" in diameter. Must have had it priced too low. It sold on the first day IIRC of its first show. I wasn't sure about the tiny beads on the rim, but the buyers fell in love with it immediately. I guess that's why I do things like that every once in a while...breaks up the usual bowl form, and someone will fall for it.



 

 

 

 

 

 

C&C always welcome!

Reactions: Like 6 | EyeCandy! 9 | Funny 1 | Way Cool 6


----------



## GeauxGameCalls (Apr 6, 2015)

Gorgeous as always!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## JR Parks (Apr 6, 2015)

I think it is awesome Mike. The rim is perfectly delicate

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Fsyxxx (Apr 7, 2015)

Beautiful piece! Love the beads.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## manbuckwal (Apr 7, 2015)

Very nice, Love the wild figure in that.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Nature Man (Apr 7, 2015)

What a great looking bowl! Beautiful wood, terrific craftsmanship. I also really like the beading. Chuck

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## barry richardson (Apr 7, 2015)

Beautiful chunk of wood! Looks like it will accommodate an o-ring seal on top if necessary

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## Molokai (Apr 7, 2015)

Amazing piece of wood, nice job on turning !

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## steve bellinger (Apr 7, 2015)

Mike it's to late, i all ready posted over younder, so i ain't posting here.

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## ripjack13 (Apr 7, 2015)

Very cool. I like the bead on the rim...

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## NYWoodturner (Apr 7, 2015)

Damn fine piece of wood Mike and a turning worthy of it. I like the finish on it too.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Tclem (Apr 7, 2015)

All those oens I could have turned and you turn a bowl

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## Kevin (Apr 7, 2015)

Awesome wood. It would be hard to screw that up. I don't really care for the edge treatment you chose but that's personal preference. I would have also given it a slight outer edge relief but that's also preference. It's also obvious you hate sanding as much as me since there's tool marks screaming for attention in that moat. And finally, I think it's too thick overall, but again, personal preference. Overall you didn't screw it up too awful bad. At least you didn't ruin it totally might be a more accurate critique. You did ask . . . .

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 1 | Informative 1


----------



## ironman123 (Apr 7, 2015)

Very spalted. Nice work.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## MikeMD (Apr 7, 2015)

Thank you, all for the kind words.

Tony, I do have scraps of this stuff... Just sayin'.

Kevin, I rated your post informative. Though I wish I could have rated it funny, too. Hey, as Walkers says, it don't matter what we (turners) say (good or bad), it is what customers say/want. And cash says it all! I had this priced out at $150. Had I put a beaded foot on it (which would have looked nice in my opinion, but I didn't think of it at the time), I would have bumped the price up at least another $25. For a 10" bowl, that's starting to price itself out... And yes, there are sanding marks on the beads. Those are some tiny beads! And with up close pics like that, there's little in the way of hiding those sanding marks...


----------



## Kevin (Apr 7, 2015)

Mike I initially used a  at the end of my critique but I really wanted to jerk your chain and see if you can take it as much as you like to dish it out to others on the harsh but honest criticism so I removed the smiley. I'd say you do well with both. And I'd also say both you and your customer made out very well with each other. No sarcasm there at all.

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## TimR (Apr 7, 2015)

Nice! I like these kinds of rim details, just enough to catch interest over the norm, but it could be the wood itself sold it too.  Two thumbs up Mike!

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## MikeMD (Apr 7, 2015)

Kevin, I PREFER it when people tell me what they didn't like about a piece I made (and posted). If you like it, great, but tell me why! Too often you get attaboys but don't know what sparked them. The only way to recreate the hits is to know why they are hits. And the only way to grow and become better is to not keep making the same mistakes over and over. So, bring on the critiques. They are, after all, opinions...and everyone has one...like the other thing that everyone has!

Also, on the note of repeating mistakes, remember the saying 'Practice makes perfect.'...WRONG 'Perfect practice makes perfect'. Practicing the same things incorrectly over and over just ensures the incorrect results. I grew because I was fortunate enough to have people being honest with my work. I didn't crawl into a corner and cower. I worked harder and paid more attention until I began to impress those turners around me. Am I all that and a bag of chips? No. But I think I've earned the respect of my fellow locals. And I'm proud of that! I couldn't have gotten there without them and their honesty.

Reactions: Like 5 | +Karma 1


----------



## Gdurfey (Apr 7, 2015)

Inspiring!!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Schroedc (Apr 8, 2015)

MikeMD said:


> Kevin, I PREFER it when people tell me what they didn't like about a piece I made (and posted). If you like it, great, but tell me why! Too often you get attaboys but don't know what sparked them. The only way to recreate the hits is to know why they are hits. And the only way to grow and become better is to not keep making the same mistakes over and over. So, bring on the critiques. They are, after all, opinions...and everyone has one...like the other thing that everyone has!
> 
> Also, on the note of repeating mistakes, remember the saying 'Practice makes perfect.'...WRONG 'Perfect practice makes perfect'. Practicing the same things incorrectly over and over just ensures the incorrect results. I grew because I was fortunate enough to have people being honest with my work. I didn't crawl into a corner and cower. I worked harder and paid more attention until I began to impress those turners around me. Am I all that and a bag of chips? No. But I think I've earned the respect of my fellow locals. And I'm proud of that! I couldn't have gotten there without them and their honesty.



I'm sure you did have a bag of chips after that to clean up


----------



## MikeMD (Apr 8, 2015)

Colin, I've read your post about 5 times now, and I still don't know what you mean. I AM getting older and slower...


----------



## Sirfishalot (Apr 9, 2015)

Awesome work Mike!
What finish did you use?

Thanks,
JayT


----------



## Schroedc (Apr 9, 2015)

MikeMD said:


> Colin, I've read your post about 5 times now, and I still don't know what you mean. I AM getting older and slower...



All that and a bag of chips.... The bag of chips you clean up off the floor..... I guess I went too far into left field for that connection

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## woodintyuuu (Apr 9, 2015)

MikeMD said:


> Thank you, all for the kind words.
> 
> Tony, I do have scraps of this stuff... Just sayin'.
> 
> Kevin, I rated your post informative. Though I wish I could have rated it funny, too. Hey, as Walkers says, it don't matter what we (turners) say (good or bad), it is what customers say/want. And cash says it all! I had this priced out at $150. Had I put a beaded foot on it (which would have looked nice in my opinion, but I didn't think of it at the time), I would have bumped the price up at least another $25. For a 10" bowl, that's starting to price itself out... And yes, there are sanding marks on the beads. Those are some tiny beads! And with up close pics like that, there's little in the way of hiding those sanding marks...


I had to ponder on my reply for a bit: but here is my honest critique: Too thick for me , finish is uneven, AND most important you justify your tool marks -not sanding marks by how much you sold and how quick you sold the pc. Its either done totally right or it aint! BTW the injustice you did by selling that bowl that cheap is something to consider in the future , you asked for honest critique
what i can say . The wood is pretty thats for sure .

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## MikeMD (Apr 9, 2015)

Got it, Colin. Whew...bag of chips...yeah, I guess I did say that, didn't I? 

Cliff, I always appreciate honesty...even it if isn't what I want to hear. 

As for too thick for you, I can certainly understand that. I do turn some thin stuff, but that is mostly to impress other turners, not customers. If a turning is really thin, I've found that most customers get scared that it will break. This piece, though I didn't mention it in the OP, was meant to look a bit like an 'artifact' or 'stone'. So, thicker was more appropriate for what I was shooting for. What might be deceiving is that the walls are probably about 1/2" (5/8 max). The beads are just really tiny. But if you feel the walls are too thick for your liking, I get that.

Not sure about the uneven finish thing... I use a home brew that is essentially Danish oil. I apply coats until it isn't soaking up any more, wiping off excess about 30 minutes after each coat. The finish doesn't build up, it soaks in. Then, after a couple of weeks or so, I buff the bowl out. I went back to look at the pics again, and can't see anything that looks like an uneven finish. If you could point that out, I'd be happy to look again! 

And actually, those ARE sanding marks ON the beads. Something I didn't notice until after I took the pics. Though, those ARE tool marks at the base of the inner bead. Though I'm not proud of them, without holding the bowl up to your face with a bright light shining at the perfect angle, they don't pop out like they do in the pic. Admittedly, that was a spot I had difficulty getting to...both turning (none of my tools really wanted to get 'in' there) and sanding. I obviously didn't get in there well enough for close up pics. And will just have to pay more attention to it next time. You are right, the piece wasn't done totally right.

Again, thanks for giving it to me straight. I'm not hurt by what you said. Just felt like splainin' a bit.


----------



## MikeMD (Apr 9, 2015)

Sirfishalot said:


> Awesome work Mike!
> What finish did you use?
> 
> Thanks,
> JayT



Jay, I kinda just explained it in my post above, but it is a home made version of Danish Oil. I like more protection in my bowls than what Danish Oil will give so I mix poly and walnut oil (thinned a bit with mineral spirits). Why? Because that's what I had on hand...


----------

