Madrone Burl Hollowform (PIC)
Mike Rubes, Apex, NC
>Hi all,
This is a two part note :) First off, I got an early present from my parents for Christmas. My mom was able to track down a used copy of
the apparently out of print Richard Raffan book, "Turned Bowl Design". I've only started looking through it, but it appears to have some
really great information in it. As I was reading the section he has in there on foot design, I saw that he had a picture of a bowl foot
that someone else had turned. The signature on the bottom of that bowl said "W Dickerman"!! The book was published in 1987. I really
thought that it was really neat :) It's funny how the timing of these things come about because I'd recently finished a piece that
had Wally in my mind as I was working. My wife and I had the great pleasure of meeting Wally and his wife in Portland last summer and
I got to see a bunch of his work up close. As beautiful as his pieces are when you see the pictures, in person they are just amazing.
One of the woods I've seen Wally use is madrone burl. Not something really common here in NC :), but I was able to get a few small pieces
of it from Gilmer Hardwoods in Portland. So, in the spirit of "imitation is the most sincere form of flatery", I turned this madrone
burl hollow form based *loosely* on some of the pictures of Wally's work. It is about 2 inches across and 5 inches high. Thickness
varies from around 1/4 at the base to 1/8 near the middle and top. The overall shape I am pleased with, but the collar just misses for me. I
was shooting for something with a very smooth curve to match the body, but the top ended up looking like it sort of just "melted" on. I think
something with a more definite shape to the collar, with sharper edges would have worked better. I also think that the widest part should have been just a little bit higher.
Madrone burl was really nice to work and this stuff took an incredible polish. I've got one "tall" piece left that might yield an interesting vase or something. Finish is Tried and True and then buffed with the Beall system.
Thanks for taking a look, all comments and critiques are welcome.
Mike
Been turning a lot, more pics to come from Apex, NC...
