From Burl To Bowl
The greatest pleasure of a woodturner is to see the transformation that occurs as a burl is turned on the lathe into a bowl. A rough bark-covered growth on the side of a tree reveals the variation of colours, marbled twists of grain and the mysteries of bark inclusions and imperfections.
I fasten the burl to the lathe with a faceplate and use a sharp tool, a gouge, to shape the wood as it revolves very quickly on the lathe. The fine figuring and complex grain are revealed. I then turn the burl around and form the inside of the bowl. I often have a shape in mind but I take an intuitive approach and work with the composition of the burl until the final form is completed. It takes up to a week to work through the stages of sanding, polishing and oiling to make a lustrous, hard, food-safe finish.
Sugar maple trees are valued in Muskoka for their vivid autumn colours and the joys of pouring syrup on our pancakes. Prized maple burls, when turned, become a work of natural art.
