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Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998

3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

Posts

3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

#1

3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

Mike Rubes, Apex, NC

>Hi all,

After seeing so many wonderful pieces where people have used the basic bowl as the starting "canvas" from which to work, I tried to give it a small go with some analine dyes and surface treatments. The first try was this green tinted maple bowl. It is about 8 inches across and 3/8" thick.













Next up I tried to do a fairly thick bowl, but with a beaded rim and an orange inside. This wood was everybit as curly as the green one, but the pics don't really show it. The orange is also a lot more vibrant than the pic shows. It is about 8x2 and quite thick.













Last was a really nice piece of a quilted maple. For this one I went "all out" :) I mixed up a fairly light blue with the idea that this would like like water ripples. I think it came fairly close. I did a wide rim like the orange, but then used my Dremel to detail the rim. I like the swirly patterns created by the tool in the wood. This one is my favorite of the three. The way the patterns shift as you tilt the bowl is really neat. Sorry the first pic is a little blury. It is also about 8x2 and fairly thick.













I've found that I really like playing with the colors and will be doing more of that. For all three, I finished by waiting for the dye to dry and then used tried and true and then buffed with the beal system.

Comments and critiques are always welcome.

Thanks for taking a look,

Mike

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

#2

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

Tom In Red Deer

>Well done Mike,

Always nice to see the results of experiments. I like em all but my vote is for the blue one.

Tom in Red Deer

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

#3

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

Mike Schwing from Md.

>Mike I like the second one best for overall impression. The blue one - third - I think this has possibilities. The knots/burl made me think of something that might has potential - they almost look like turtles swimming across the surface of the water. Taking this and running with it, three small swimming turtles painted on the interior would actually be pretty cool. It would REALLY hammer home the idea that this was water and give the piece another dimension all together.

Do I have imagination or what?

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

#4

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

Tom Mullane

>I definately like the blue one best, but all three are fantastic...

I love the way the blue really shimmers... what dye are you using...

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

#5

Nice job Mike!

Dominic Greco at home in Richboro, PA

>Mike,

It's nice to see you experimenting and taking the "next leap forward". You've made some fantastic looking bowls here! My favorite is the orange tinted one (the blue is a close second).

I noticed that you're using your Beall buffing system more now. Might I make a suggestion? If this is a bowl that will be handled a lot, and not meant for food preparation, you might want to skip the Tripoli, and the Carnuaba at the end. Pick up some Renaissance Wax from Craft Supplies USA, or Lee Valley's Conservator's Wax.

This wax holds it luster a lot longer than Carnuaba and resists fingerprints to a higher degree. But, if you skip the Tripoli (like I do), you might want to sand to a higher grit. Like 2500 grit. Or you might try using Micro Mesh (all the way up to 12000). You get a glass smooth surface with that stuff.

See ya around,

Dominic

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

#6

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

Mike Rubes, Apex, NC

>Hi Tom,

Thanks. To be honest, I don't remember the brand of dyes. I bought them about 5 years ago from Rockler. I remember them being advertised as "child safe" as I used them originally on some blocks for my kids.

They came in a powder that I just mixed with water. I mixed a whole quart then and have used them on several projects and it doesn't seem to have made a difference in the amount in the jar!

Thanks again,

Mike

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

#7

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

Mike Rubes, Apex, NC

>Hi all,

Thanks for the kind words and suggestions. I like the turtle idea, Mike, but don't know if I could bring myself to paint this bowl :) Not yet, anyway. Maybe after it has set on the shelf for a bit. Dominic, thanks for the finishing suggestions, I hear of a lot of people giving the micro mesh a go, so I might try it myself.

Thanks again,

Mike

To cold to turn, barely warm enough to sweep in Apex, NC...

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

#8

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

Mark Kauder, Phenix City, AL

>Nice work, Mike.

I especially like the rim treatment on the red one.

Mark

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

#9

Keith Tompkins

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

Keith Tompkins

>I like these Mike. I especially like the pieces that use a bead to separate the colors of the interior from the natural exterior. Great stuff!

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

#10

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

Jennifer@Indy.USA

>Hi Mike,

I love the way you used the color with these. The figure makes a nice statement too! All three are really nice. Maybe the next three you could make opposites and color the outside? Isn't it fun to play around with the coloring and texture! The sky's the limit!

Jennifer

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

#11

Re: 3 Colored Maple Bowls (PICS)

Duane C.Leach

>Hi Mike, I'm not a big fan of dyed wood but the blue one was great. The color and defects and the grain made it look like you had inlayed the whole thing with abalone shell.

Its great

Duane