My favorite tool in the shop is the lathe. For the past eighteen years or so I've been using an old Delta "hobby" lathe. It has, without a doubt, served me very well. I've spent countless hours making tons of dust, shavings, and pretty cool creations. A few months ago I splurged and purchased, in the words of my South African friends, a "proper" lathe. I could go into tons of detail on all of its technical specs, but the long of the short is that it's much bigger and just about better in every way.
Up until this week, it's been sitting in the shop mocking me. Ok, let me explain. Last week I turned the legs for “The Phoenix" table using my new prized possession, but that is something I could have easily done on the old lathe. I have not had a project that would allow me to take it for a real test drive. Until now! This week I turned my largest bowl to date, which measures about 19" in diameter.
The burl came from a diseased tree that my brother and I cut down at the family ranch earlier this year. This bowl is from one of the larger burls and coincidentally is hollow. Basically it was already more or less in the shape of a bowl. The bowl is a straightforward design and shape. And while it might sound cliché, I let the wood turn itself so to speak, create its own personality. As with many burls, the graining and figure is amazing and intricate. I'm leaving it rustic with very little fussing over the perfect finish. It’s after all what the burl would want.
