# Mulberry Natural Edge Bowl



## trc65 (Sep 1, 2020)

I just wish mulberry stayed this color.......

About 8x3", polymerized tung oil finish. Four coats on bowl, two coats on bark.

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 4 | Way Cool 6 | Sincere 1


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## phinds (Sep 1, 2020)

Sweet !

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## William Tanner (Sep 1, 2020)

Good job. Yes, wish it would keep that rich golden color.

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## Nature Man (Sep 2, 2020)

Impressive how the bark appears to have stayed on all the way around the rim! End product looks so nice! Chuck

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## Barb (Sep 2, 2020)

I really like how your live edge bowls turn out. :)

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## T. Ben (Sep 2, 2020)



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## djg (Sep 2, 2020)

Beautiful! I like the shape and grain. Is Mulberry hard to turn and sand? I've cut a dozen or so blanks from Mulberry firewood that I'm saving.

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## Tony (Sep 2, 2020)

Nice one Tim!

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## Graybeard (Sep 2, 2020)

Nice job, how does it change, just get brown and flat?

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## barry richardson (Sep 2, 2020)

Looks great Tim!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## trc65 (Sep 2, 2020)

djg said:


> Beautiful! I like the shape and grain. Is Mulberry hard to turn and sand? I've cut a dozen or so blanks from Mulberry firewood that I'm saving.


It is right up there in hardness with black locust (just a little less on Janka scale) and is coarser grain. Sharp tools cut it just fine, and it sands well, just dont expect to start wit 220x unless you've got a really good surface. I actually like sanding some of the harder woods as you dont get some of the "scuff marks" you get with softer wood.

It does start checking/cracking almost as soon as the chainsaw stops, so dont leave it laying around long without sealing.



Graybeard said:


> Nice job, how does it change, just get brown and flat?


That is my understanding, I haven't had any long enough for it to change yet.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## djg (Sep 2, 2020)

trc65 said:


> ......It does start checking/cracking almost as soon as the chainsaw stops, so dont leave it laying around long without sealing.....


Yes I noticed that. I've some cracks starting perpendicular to the pith cut. Don't know if these pieces will be usable or not.


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## trc65 (Sep 2, 2020)

I had some cracks on this bowl and filled them with coffee plus CA. You can see them on the right side of the pictures on the outside of the bowl. They developed after rough turning, i just turned the bowl to final thickness and filled them before sanding. Luckily, they didnt extend to the rim, or might have just thrown the bowl away.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Brandon Sloan (Sep 2, 2020)

Nice job. I’ve been busy with the move. Feels like I haven’t turned anything in a month, it hasn’t even been a week. I might be spending a lot of time on one of my fellow Texans lathes. Back to the bowl, what color does it change? I just realized you meant 3” tall. I’ve been sitting here asking myself “how in the world is the bowl only 3 inches wide”

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## trc65 (Sep 2, 2020)

Hobbit House (Paul) describes it as a "warm brown". Here is a link to his page with a before and after pic of mulberry. http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/perso...DERATE COLOR CHANGES,brown that osage goes to).

You'll be back turning before you know it, but i know what you mean. This summer when I got busy, kept looking at the lathe sitting under the tarp and had the same thoughts.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Bean_counter (Sep 3, 2020)

Looks great Tim, love the live edge!

I turn a lot of mulberry and find that it turns a golden brown over time. Not beautiful, but not ugly either.

did you find that you can run your hand across it and feel the grain once it is finished? I can never get the grain “flush” for a lack of a better term.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## trc65 (Sep 3, 2020)

I know what you mean about the grain. Definitely a difference in late wood/early wood density that seems to me to be more pronounced in mulberry. At least compared to the other woods I've used in my limited experience. 

A word I would also use is the grain seems to be somewhat "coarse" compared to others I've turned. Having said that, "coarse" is kind of a meaningless word and probably doesn't accurately describe it, but in my limited wood vocabulary it's all I've got.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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