First natural edge bowl

[Rhossydd]

First natural edge bowl since getting back into turning again.

Made from a bit of firewood (Holly) picked up on holiday. It was still rather green, but I chickened out at a wall thickness of about 4mm, but still thin enough to be slightly transparent. Not too sure than the low sheen finish works well though.

 

[CHJ]

Good choice of wood for getting back into the swing of things, bet you had some satisfying curly shavings from that.
Hopefully it will stay reasonably white as it dries out.

You may find that the sheen level changes as it dries

 

[Rhossydd]

Thanks, most of the interior was cut with a Simon Hope 8mm hollowing tool, so very fine shaving ;-)

It's had a couple of coats of Cellulose sanding sealer, melamine lacquer and final rub over with some Briwax. I'm quite please with the feel of the piece 'in hand', but I wonder if going for a full high gloss might have been better. On the other hand I'm not sure that would have been possible with the fairly high moisture content at the moment.

Any idea whether it's exposure to air, UV or just age since cutting that causes Holly to loose it's brightness? In the past I can remember working with newly cut Holly that was quite brilliant white when first worked, but this one seemed not to have that luminosity.

 

[CHJ]

...Any idea whether it's exposure to air, UV or just age since cutting that causes Holly to loose it's brightness? In the past I can remember working with newly cut Holly that was quite brilliant white when first worked, but this one seemed not to have that luminosity.

Older wood appears to be more creamy than white I've found.
I think that Holly harvested in summer is more prone to discoloration, I've had it turn all shades of blotchy blue/grey just as if it had been bruised. I suspect it is more to do with sugars etc. in the sap than air or light exposure.

 

[woodfarmer]

Really nice clean shape. think the first holly bowl I have seen. never yet made anything so thin I think that is my dominant utilitarian side showing through

 

[Grahamshed]

That looks really nice. Holly good.