Won't Hold Soup

Vaughn McMillan

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I'm planning to head home in about a week to go take care of my wife after she has knee surgery, and I expect to get some shop time in while I'm there. Because of this, I figured I needed to get off my duff and post a few pics of pieces I turned when I went home back in July.


This is a piece of English walnut (or at least I think that's what it was) that Jim Burr sent me last year before I headed to NM. It sat in my shop for 7+ months, and even though it was waxed, it checked pretty badly. Since it was gift wood, I would have felt guilty just throwing it away, so cinched up my Kevlar knickers and decided to see what I could make from it. Wasn't sure if it'd survive the ride, but in the end, it did. It's about 8" in diameter, finished with Formby's Tung Oil Finish and Renaissance wax.


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Since it won't hold soup, I brought it to the office intending to use it as a candy dish, but within a week's time, one of the software engineers here asked if I wanted to sell it. I told him that since the wood was a gift, I was planning to keep it for myself. A few days later, his wife happened to be at the office and she saw the bowl and fell in love with it. When he told her he'd tried to buy it and it wasn't for sale, I could see she was disappointed. The next day, I took the bowl into his office, handed it to him, and told him to surprise his wife with it. (I figured Jim would approve.) She was blown away, and insisted on cooking me a huge (and delicious) Pakistani dinner. I got three meals out of it.
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That's a Cracking Bowl Vaughn.

Would have been tempted to fill the voids with some metal.

I considered it, but it has become so common these days that it has lost its appeal to me. Also, I was just home for a brief visit, so time was working against me.
 
i just checked with all of the authorative authorities, and you will be happy to know vaughn, that even though the bowl will not hold soup, it is perfectly suited for popcorn. good work young man!
 
You got a pakistani food connection over there too? Wow! Mariam has competition now.

Ok, I can see why she fell in love with the bowl. It is beautiful and the cracks only added to the beauty.

Hope all goes well with your wife's surgery and she heals quickly.
 
I seem to have an extra fondness for wood articles that show some of their history---Things like cracks, bark, spalting, twists in the wood.

I really like your story about passing the bowl on to someone who will love it. That sounds just like you!

Enjoy (I enjoyed the pics.)

JimB
 
Thanks for the kind words youse guys. I was glad to see this bowl go to someone who appreciated it. I've got another one or two pieces to show you all as soon as I get the photos organized.

You got a pakistani food connection over there too? Wow! Mariam has competition now...

You're right about the food connection, but it's not competition to Miriam, it's more like a backup/standby source for huge portions of good, spicy food. :D (Plus, this lady is very nice, but she doesn't have Miriam's spark.) ;) Four of the five software engineers I'm working with are Pakistani. They're all fun guys to work with. I even learned what a pakol was yesterday. Friday is casual day at the office and Jawad wore one with his shalwar kameez and waistcoat.
 
I'm glad it went to a worthy cause and always advocate giving stuff away:D!!! I did one like that and filled it with coffee...should have bought Starbucks stock, it took about a pound:eek:! Really glad it came out nice and I'm gladder it went to cool people:highfive:. Some gifts are better regiven...like fruitcake!!:rofl:
 
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... Some gifts are better regiven...like fruitcake!!:rofl:

My family had a Christmas fruitcake that was regifted for about 10 to 12 years running. A running log of who had received it was kept on the inside of the metal lid, and the only rule was that you could not give it to the person who gave it to you. :D There was no risk of anyone eating it, especially after ants got into the cake tin and were dispatched with Raid. (It still lasted a few years after the ant incident.)
 
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