Care of card/doc - critique please
Mike Schwing from Md.
>This will set alongside a bowl at a silent auction to go along with the high bidder as a care/use card. Comments/advice sought and welcomed.
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Care of your wooden bowl
The bowl that accompanies this printout is made from the wood of a black cherry tree. This particular tree fell over in a thunderstorm in the summer of 2004 in the woods of Loch Raven Watershed in Baltimore County. The tree was cut into sections by me with a chainsaw and then later on bandsawn to round, then shaped into a bowl on a lathe.
The finish that was put on this bowl is an oil based finish that hardens as it dries. It was then buffed on high speed wheels. The finish was not intended to be used with food service, but it is considered non-toxic should use choose to use your bowl for serving salad. This piece of cherry had such nice character that I intended the bowl for display only.
The nice shine of the bowl will be immediately dulled by contact with water, but it will not harm the bowl. Once dulled, it cannot easily be returned to the shine it had when you first received it.
If you do choose to use your bowl for food service, please clean it with nothing more than a mild detergent on a sponge or dishcloth � but no scouring. Rinse with warm water and dry immediately. Do not soak and do not put the bowl in the dishwasher because it will crack. To renew a bowl that has gone dull you may try mineral or walnut oil, but it will be a short lived fix.
If you choose to use the bowl for display as intended � furniture polish, pledge, butcher�s wax, etc� all are fine for cleaning and polishing. Water based polishes will dull the finish.
Your bowl (and all wooden bowls) will warp and distort with the change of seasons. Fruit woods such as this cherry bowl will move more than other hardwoods so you may notice that the bowl is more round in one season compared to the other. There is nothing you can do to prevent this.
This bowl will darken appreciably over time. It will take on the nice dark tone of antique cherry furniture. To accelerate this, sit the bowl in the sunshine for a few hours and give it a suntan. (it works)
If you ever wish to have the bowl repaired or the finish restored, I can do so for a fee. Or if you might like additional bowls, feel free to contact me. They make great gifts. I may be reached at mschwing@hotmail.com
Mike Schwing
