Natural Edge Cutting Boards

More prep work for the upcoming Market Day event on the 18th has me finishing up some really nice looking natural edge cutting boards. Wood species include ambrosia maple, butternut, cherry, hard maple and more. I'll have lots of different sizes and prices of boards there....along with bowls, vases, jewelry, bottle stoppers, cheese knives and much more...see you there!

New Online Store! - Goodsmiths.com

Towards the end of last year, I was told about a new online store that would be going live sometime in early 2012 that would cater to people that handcraft their pieces. The name is http://www.goodsmith.com/ and they call themselves "The Marketplace for Makers". It's even a local company which I like even more. The site launch was delayed a bit, but it's live now and I've just recently started to update some items on the site. There are some pretty cool advantages to Goodsmith over Etsy.com, anyone that is a "maker" should check it out.

Please take the time to browse my wares at https://www.goodsmiths.com/maubow I will continue to have pieces at The Mansion in Des Moines, but this online store will enable people outside of the area to purchase a piece. Below are a few of the most recent items added. I'll be adding more and more items as I have time. Thanks, Jeff

Spalted Maple Log Tables

Way back in the spring, a good friend told me he could build a new computer for me. I needed one and he had the know how and would enjoy doing it. I asked how much and he said he and his wife really liked the tables I had made for my Sister-in-law last year. I received the computer back in July...I don't like rush into things....

OK so I know it is now almost October, it took me awhile to find some logs big enough to make them, but I just finished them up last night. They will be in town this weekend to pick them up. Like I said I dont' like to rush into things...

They are all right around 17" tall The middle one is the largest at about 15" from corner to corner. The legs are steel tubes painted black with rubber feet. The finish is 10 coats of my home brew danish oil. I thought about poly, but didn't want the wood to look shiny...coasters will be needed for sure! I have a crotch section from this same log that I hope to make a coffee table out of as well...

Sneak Peak

I'm about half finished with my latest project and though I'd give you a sneak peak since it's been so long since the last post....The hunk of wood is some ugly spalted maple...the oil has been applied...finished pics will come next week if all goes well this weekend.

Thick Maple Bowl

I was pretty excited when I cut into this piece of maple. There are bark inclusion and some incredible grain. It's about 7" in diameter and 4" tall. There is a small bead just on the bowl's rim that includes a burnt accent line.

This piece will be available for sale next weekend at the ArtStop event. (Also see previos post)  This picture isn't the best, so you should stop by and put your hands on it to see how great it looks and feels. You will also see lots of other new pieces too!

Spalted Maple Natural Edge

I'm almost out of my first wood score from just over 2yrs ago. I saw a HUGE maple that had been cut into good size chunks and I took as much as I could. Some of it rotted, but some of it spalted nicely and these two bowls are from some of the last of it. The big one is 11" and the smaller one is about 8" There were some punky areas that let to some tear out, but I don't think it takes to much away from them. I can't believe the bark stayed on...no CA glue was needed to help either.

Maple and Cherry Cutting Board - A First For Me

I'm in the process of cleaning the garage once again and I cam across some maple and cherry cutoffs I picked up for 25 cents each at Woodsmith last winter. I had plans to make a cutting board way back then for a Christmas gift. It got piled under stuff and I forgot about it.

Glued it up last weekend and sanded it smooth and soaked it with mineral oil this weekend. It's small, 1.25" think and 7" by just over 12", but I will be making bigger ones soon. I found some more scraps tucked in the corner last night too....more boards to come!  I'll get back to the lathe soon too.

 

Spalted Maple

I've been turning quite a bit this past week as the weather has cooled off a little. Here are a couple spalted maple pieces. This wood is some I found along the road almost 2 years ago! I used the log which was about 2 feet wide and long to cut up blanks for quite awhile before finally cutting it up too.

The small bowl is 7" wide and about 5" tall and the platter is 12" round and about 3" tall.

Torched and Carved Maple

So I saw this ugly chunk of maple on the floor just before Christmas. I thought I could try something new with it. It was hard as a rock and instead of fine curlies, lots of dust came off it while turning it. I finished it almost a month ago, but I'm not sure what to think of it. The interior has 6 coats of Arm a Seal gloss and the rest has a few coats of danish oil. The exterior is wire brushed and I torched the bottom, but it's tough to see that in the pics I have. I did the carving on the top with my rotary tool and a burr.

I attempted to get back into the more rustic turnings that I've done in the past. This one has more work done to it after turning than anything I've done in the past. I have another similar piece in the works and hope to improve on the idea going forward. What do you all think about it?

Spalted Maple

Finally had some time at the lathe in the shop...this one is spalted maple, 8" wide and about 3" tall. Finish so far is just one coat of danish oil, but more finish sanding and some more oil are in its future. The wood was punky and I almost gave up on it. Originally the blank was just over 16" square and the 4" or so were to far gone to save as was the other side of the log. Still this one has some great spalting in it and I was very happy to get back at the lathe.

Maple Natural Edge

I started turning this piece over a year ago. I screwed a faceplate onto a hunk of maple and started to shape it. I had to abruptly leave the lathe to tend to something else and by the time I came back it had cracked and warped. It took off the faceplate and threw the chunk of wood onto the floor. A few months later while emptying the shop of curlies, I uncovered it again. I threw it back on the lathe and now it was so hard my tools were dulling every 2 minutes. It was a rough form by this time so I decided to experiment with ebonizing maple. It took the vinegar/steel wool concoction well but only to a gray tone, not black. Discouraged I tossed it onto the wood pile once again.

Fast forward about 8 months, regrettably that is how long I waited to clean out the curlies again, I put the maple back on the lathe. This time for some reason it cut like butter and the final shape took form in no time at all. By this time the ebonizing made the voids darker along with making the natural rim look like bark again. It did take a little glue to hold it all together in the end, but I am pleased with the outcome. It is about 12" in diameter and 5" at it highest.

I only wish I had taken pictures throughout the process. Why it didn't end up in the fireplace I will never know, but I'm glad it didn't.

Lesson learn, patience can lead to good outcomes.

New Closed Form Shape

I finished this a few weeks ago, but I'm not sure about the shape of it. It's about 7" wide and 4" tall with danish oil finish. I'm trying some different shapes and this is just one of many that I have in my head and on paper too. What do you think?

Thicker is Better

I've been spending quite a bit of time looking at European turner's websites lately. Many tend to turn thick sided bowls and vases. Because of all the pictures I've looked at I've grown to like the look and decided to try it myself. Many turners believe the thinner the walls the better and more skilled the turner is. In my opinion, a thicker wall makes the piece look more natural. Below are a few of the thicker bowls I made recently.

After posting this, I saw a discussion about the thickness of wood turnings on SawMill Creek, an online woodworking forum, and I started a similar on Family Woodworking, the best online woodworking forum!

Maple 13"wide and 6" tall

Maple 11" wide and 5" tall

Three elm bowls 7-8" wide and 3-4" tall