# Elm bowl



## gman2431 (Oct 26, 2015)

Decided to try something different and make a bowl just to let it move around and warp all strange. Or at least try...

Started out with this elm that still had quite a bit of moisture in it. 

The sap wood was a serious fight and took lots of glue. Still isn't perfect but really wasn't going for perfect so said screw it and left it alone. 

The only spot I tried to repair was the big crack developing off an inclusion which I didn't want to go to crazy since this was my first shot at this. A little pepper and epoxy held it pretty good. A bunch of the eyes you can see clear through the bowl and it would have been a nightmare to chase em all. 

Just started wiping Danish oil on and will probably leave it at that. 

Bowl measures 9.5 by 2.75 with a base of 3.75. 

My wife loves it and so have a couple others who have stopped by but I'm not so sure... Maybe I'm not used to the roughness of it. 

Thoughts?

Reactions: Like 5 | EyeCandy! 10 | Way Cool 2


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## DKMD (Oct 26, 2015)

I think it looks pretty sweet! The curve looks great from here. 

How's it feel in the hand? That's one of the toughest things for me to get right.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## gman2431 (Oct 26, 2015)

DKMD said:


> I think it looks pretty sweet! The curve looks great from here.
> 
> How's it feel in the hand? That's one of the toughest things for me to get right.


Feels like wood.  

I like the proportions definitely more than some others I've done in the past. 

You guys almost got a bunch of in the hand shots. Lol. I have a Heck of a time with photos.


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## Schroedc (Oct 26, 2015)

I like the shape and the curve looks good. When it's upside down the base seems a hair big for it from what I can see but when it sits on the table it looks perfect and since you don't usually leave a bowl laying upside down it's really a non issue  

I can't tell for sure from the photos but one area of the rim with natural edge looks a bit sharp? I night consider rubbing the edge with some sandpaper or a fine rasp to soften it up a bit but that's the only thing I can think of.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## pinky (Oct 26, 2015)

Looking good from here. Gorgeous piece of wood!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Dennis Ford (Oct 26, 2015)

Love it; no critique on the bowl from me. Great wood and workmanship.
I do have some comments on what to expect as it dries further (if I understand correctly, it is not yet dry). Elm is pretty tough and resistant to cracks; movement next to your repair might be a problem but otherwise it will survive. The burl area will take on a leathery texture and some warping is likely on the remainder, most will consider it "character".

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## WoodLove (Oct 26, 2015)

looks good to me. Nice job.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## manbuckwal (Oct 26, 2015)

Great looking bowl , upside down , right side up , inside out

Reactions: Funny 1


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## barry richardson (Oct 26, 2015)

That's a fine looking bowl Cody! very pleasing shape. Elm burl has to be one of my favorites... Is the wall thickness pretty uniform? That's usually important for successful drying, but as Dennis said, it's a tough wood that resist cracking, so maybe no problem.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## gman2431 (Oct 26, 2015)

I started this one awhile ago and would guess the wood is done moving. Well at least big movement. 

I did all of the sanding off the lathe ,which was a new one for me , so hopefully it stays somewhat like it is. 

I kept the Walls as uniform as possible but the base is about 3/16s thicker. 

ThANKS for the comments! Seems it's just me who isn't a big fan of it. Lol. I truly love the wood so hopefully with time it will grow on me.


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## Nature Man (Oct 26, 2015)

Love the eyes! Very nice bowl. Chuck

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Mike1950 (Oct 26, 2015)

Very Nice- looks light and feathery- is it?

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## gman2431 (Oct 27, 2015)

@Mike1950 it actually is a very light bowl. I thought elm would be denser but it's actually very nice to work with.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Jerry B (Oct 27, 2015)

Very nice looking bowl, love the wood/grain in it 
I agree about the edge, 1 spot looks like it sharp, definitely sand it out a bit
are you planning on selling this, or ones like this in future ? If so, I'd personally make the bowl a bit thicker so it's not so fragile that it'd break if dropped.
Most customers like a bowl that's roughly 1/4" - 3/8" thick walls ...... only other wood turners/wood workers appreciate a thinned walled vessel ;-)
I started out making thin walled bowls for sale, after 2 were dropped and they cracked, I started making them thicker and haven't had any issues

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## duncsuss (Oct 27, 2015)

gman2431 said:


> Maybe I'm not used to the roughness of it.



Not sure what you mean by this ... it looks satin-smooth in the pix -- at least, the parts that aren't burly. Is it the dimples in the burl that bother you?

To me, the form is beautiful, and the finish looks great. Agree on the wall thickness -- it's just a bit thin to be a "user" -- but it would look superb on an end-table with a couple of decorative pine-cones or such.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## gman2431 (Oct 27, 2015)

Jerry B said:


> Very nice looking bowl, love the wood/grain in it
> I agree about the edge, 1 spot looks like it sharp, definitely sand it out a bit
> are you planning on selling this, or ones like this in future ? If so, I'd personally make the bowl a bit thicker so it's not so fragile that it'd break if dropped.
> Most customers like a bowl that's roughly 1/4" - 3/8" thick walls ...... only other wood turners/wood workers appreciate a thinned walled vessel ;-)
> I started out making thin walled bowls for sale, after 2 were dropped and they cracked, I started making them thicker and haven't had any issues



Everything is for sale otherwise would have a house full of stuff. Lol. 

I appreciate the wisdom on thicker wallsfor durability. I've never really thought about it to tell ya the truth.


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## gman2431 (Oct 27, 2015)

duncsuss said:


> Not sure what you mean by this ... it looks satin-smooth in the pix -- at least, the parts that aren't burly. Is it the dimples in the burl that bother you?
> 
> To me, the form is beautiful, and the finish looks great. Agree on the wall thickness -- it's just a bit thin to be a "user" -- but it would look superb on an end-table with a couple of decorative pine-cones or such.



It's the rim I don't like. Just doesn't do it for me I like them more crisp I guess.


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## Jim Beam (Oct 27, 2015)

Looks great, beautiful wood and nice form! Nice and thin.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## NYWoodturner (Oct 27, 2015)

I really like it Cody. It will make a great fruit bowl. That wood needs to be seen. You can't go wrong with elm burl.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## TimR (Oct 27, 2015)

Nicely shaped bowl Cody. Gorgeous wood. I agree with comments about weight. It's something many of my earlier bowls were like also, I think I was over-pushing myself to turn 'thin'. Comments about usability and durability are accurate when it comes to thickness. 
I also tend to prefer a more defined rim, but it's not a real detractor for this piece, more of a preference. A bowl, ideally, should be easy to hold with suitable contents by the rim, without fear of breakage, so it's a bonus if the rim has some feature that helps to hold it (an outer band, a slight rollover at top, etc) while also adding to it's aesthetics. Ok...not likely to be used like that with elm burl beauty like this, but it provides a baseline of form following function.
Do I like it overall...you bet!

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## Cousinwill (Oct 28, 2015)

Man that's a good looking bowl !! Well done !!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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