Maple Burl & Bubinga Boxes

Re: Maple Burl & Bubinga Boxes

Ron in Drums PA

>Hi Dom

I think they are both really nice.

I can't help to wonder how they would look if the platform for the finial wasn't so high.

Re: Maple Burl & Bubinga Boxes

JL

>You are complaining - and why? Both are beautiful. I agree with you that the bubinga box looks more "delicate", but I think that is due to the size. The maple burl has an approximate base diameter that is about 1/3 of the overall mouth size. I think that it is in keeping with the grain pattern of the burl. It needs a larger form and base to "support" the statement of the burl. My $0.02.

Re: Maple Burl & Bubinga Boxes

Bruce McElhaney Spring Lake, MI

>Like your boxes a lot, especially the Bubinga. I've been thinking about using some Bubinga. How do you like its turning qualities? I know it finishes pretty good. Thanks, Bruce

Re: Maple Burl & Bubinga Boxes

Jennifer@Indy.USA

>Hi Dom,

Hey, these are purty! I like them both. Really nice. I love the surprise inside with the chattrerwork. What a great element. The shapes look fine to me. I don't see the issue you mention with the burl one?

Very nice!

Jen

Re: Maple Burl & Bubinga Boxes

Bernie

>Very nice, I really like the burl.

Re: Maple Burl & Bubinga Boxes

Mark Kauder, Phenix City, AL

>Very Nice, Dom. I especially like the burl.

Mark

Re: Maple Burl & Bubinga Boxes

Eduardo Sarmiento Hall-Lima Peru

>real nice boxes well done I will start to make those shapes too if you dont mind ED

Re: Maple Burl & Bubinga Boxes

Mike Schwing from Md.

>Dom, they're both beauties! Excellent job all'round!

Glad you said that...

Dan Moening in Sacramento

>I smiled when I saw the inside of the lid.

The chatterwork(?) element is a wonderful design addition indeed.

Dan.

Re: Maple Burl & Bubinga Boxes

Craig Daymon

>Wow! I knew you were a good turner, but making that bubinga bowl out of that little scrap I gave you, AMAZING! I'm sending all my scraps your way! (For those outside the loop on this, the scrap I'm talking about was big enough for a finial and not much more.)

Beautiful boxes and I like the chatter work. Something else I'll have to figure out one of these days. Did you do that using your home-made Sorby texture tool?

I think I see what you mean with the burl piece. I think it might have been a bit better with the top being just a simple arch with the finial in the middle instead of merging up to the finial. That's the way my eye seems to follow the shape.

Either way, better than I could do. Great job.

-Craig

Hi Craig

Dominic Greco at home in Richboro, PA

>Craig,

You wrote:

"Beautiful boxes and I like the chatter work. Something else I'll have to figure out one of these days. Did you do that using your home-made Sorby texture tool?"

Thanks for the compliments! Don't laugh but I thought of using the bubinga piece you gave me for the finial on the maple burl box. But I wanted a darker wood. I'll save that for a dogwood box I'm planning on turning.

For the chatter work, I used my Stewart Chatter tool (but I could have used my texturing tool if I had thought about it for a second longer! I'll try that out on my next box). It really does work. But you have to get the hang of it. It's all in the angle that the "blade" hits the wood, the height of the tool rest, and the speed of the lathe. And oh yeah, how fast you move it back and forth. (Confused yet?) Get some dense hardwood scraps and try it out. You'll see what I mean. :>)

See ya around,

Dominic

Feel free

Dominic Greco at home in Richboro, PA

>

Thanks for the compliments!

Feel free to mimic the shapes if you like them that much. Like it's been said before, you can't copyright shapes! (Not that I want to start another "plagiarism" discussion, mind you.)

But when I become a rich and famous turner, all bets are off! (Thats about the same time my hair will grow back) :>)

See ya around

Dominic

Bubinga is AWESOME to turn

Dominic Greco at home in Richboro, PA

>Bruce,

Thanks for the compliments!

I turned Bubinga once before. But that was back when I was a real newbie. So I think I couldn't appreciate it as much as I did now. That being said, I think that Bubinga is incredible to turn!

It's a nice dense hardwood that has a lot of the good qualities of cherry (I may be wrong here. But I think it's actually Brazilian cherry.) It does get a little brittle if turned too thin. So you have to be careful there. But that quality goes hand in hand with the density/hardness.

The dense end grain was perfectly suited for chatter work. If I can get some more thick stock at a reasonable price, you can bet I will.

See ya around,

Dominic

Jennifer/Dan

Dominic Greco at home in Richboro, PA

>Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad the both of you picked up on the "surprise" aspect. I wanted the person who took the time to take the lid off, look underneath, and get a little surprise. Same for the base.

See ya around,

Dominic

Hi Ron

Dominic Greco at home in Richboro, PA

>Ron,

So,....you liked the bubinga? :>) You should. You GAVE it to me at Bill Grumbine's last BBQ! I wanted to mention that in my post, but left it out cause I was in so much of a hurry.

I hastily wrote body of the post out during my lunch in between getting work together for (3) other people and reading up in preparation for my afternoon Dale Carnegie session. Now I can officially win friends and influence people.

I think that if I went for a more "Wally Dickerman-ish" shape (one to which I aspire by the way), I could eliminate the "platform". Maybe on my next couple boxes I'll try that.

Thanks for the compliments and the input.

See ya around,

Dominic

Thanks everyone!

Dominic Greco at home in Richboro, PA

>

Re: Maple Burl & Bubinga Boxes

Don Henthorn

>Nice boxes, Dom. I really like that chatter work.

Re: Bubinga is AWESOME to turn

Bruce McElhaney Spring Lake, MI

>Dom, Not sure, but heard Bubinga comes from Africa. Understand Bubinga trees can get very large. Have seen 16" & 20" wide boards listed for sale. Have to get some for sure now. . .

Re: Bubinga is AWESOME to turn

Ron in Drums PA

>Bubinga gets hugh! I've seen logs that are taller than me when the trunks where laying on there side.

I purchased a slab of bubinga that I will be making a table top into. The single piece measures 42" x 72" x 8/4. Takes four of us to move around. I have seen single slabs that where 64" x 120" x 12/4.

Re: Bubinga is AWESOME to turn

Ron in Drums PA

>Bubinga gets hugh! I've seen logs that are taller than me when the trunks where laying on there side.

I purchased a slab of bubinga that I will be making a table top into. The single piece measures 42" x 72" x 8/4. Takes four of us to move around. I have seen single slabs that where 64" x 120" x 12/4.

Brazilian Cherry = Jatoba

Craig Daymon

>Bubinga is African, not South American.

Jatoba is also hard as a rock. I've made some furniture with it. It is very nice wood, but I don't know how it turns. Haven't seen it as figured as Bubinga seems to get.

I have a site marked at home that offers Jatoba (Brazilian Cherry) turning squares, but I don't recall it now.

For great pics of Bubinga (with plenty thick enough for nice bowls, check out

http://www.gilmerwood.com

If nothing else, great pics. They have some real nice Quilted Big Leaf Maple right now and quite a bit of curly Bubinga.

-Craig

Re: Brazilian Cherry = Jatoba

John K Jordan

>>Jatoba is also hard as a rock... but I don't know how it turns.

The jatoba I have is nice to turn, very hard and dense, cuts well and takes fine detail. However, it is kind of bland, at least the small pieces I have. Makes great tops. I think it would be good for tool handles or jigs/fixtures.

JKJ in East TN

Re: Brazilian Cherry = Jatoba

Mark Kauder, Phenix City, AL

>I agree, Hard, not bad to turn, and boring as can be.

Mark