diameter: 8 3/4"
height: 2 1/2"
shipping weight: 1lb 14oz (when asking about shipping costs, please don't forget to give me your zip code)
finish: one application of natural stain then 4 thin coats of dewaxed shellac then 4 coats of high gloss spar polyurethane (with UV blocker) topped by two coats of clear flat enamel to take the shine off.
COMMENTS: I really like the grain pattern on the inside rim of the American black ash at the top and both pieces of walnut crotch around the rim. The sycamore on the right side as nice ray flakes. Other than the issues mentioned below, this is a terrific looking bowl with some nice omega curves.
I ALWAYS POINT OUT ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE COMMENTED ON. THESE ARE (UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED) THINGS THAT DO NOT DETRACT FROM THE BEAUTY OF THE BOWL, BUT I WANT TO BE SURE I GIVE A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION. SO ...
Two things, neither one bad by itself, combined in an unfortunate way on this bowl. First, I sometimes use one wood over another so that a section on the bottom is a different wood than the one on top. Second, on this bowl I decided to turn the middle somewhat thinner than I normally do. I like the resulting thickness of the bottom, BUT ... in getting it down, I didn't realize until it was too late that I had turned the piece of osage orange in the middle right down so far the dark under-wood showed through in a very unattractive way. Similarly, but only as a minor thing, the yellowheart just inside the bottom of the rim was also turn so far down that the underwood (mahogany) shows through in part. There is also an unsightly glue line in the upper right of middle where the wenge meets the bloodwood. Because of these flaws I've priced the bowl as basically a give-away.
Also, the spalted elm pieces on both sides of the bottom have worm track, but this is wood character, not a flaw.
VARIOUS VIEWS:
this view shows the worm tracks and the black-line spalting in the elm pieces
