Thin and Shallow Red Eucalyptus Bowl

Vaughn McMillan

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Here's another piece of red eucalyptus...it was an odd-shaped cutoff that I figured I'd try to get something out of. Turns out it was nothing remarkable, but it was still fun because it ended up so thin.

It's about 7 1/2" in diameter and only 1 1/2" tall. I roughed it out with 1/2" thick sides, but it went oval on me while drying, so by the time I got it round again the wall thickness ended up about 1/16" at the rim, tapering to about 1/8" at the thickest part of the foot. I came within a couple hundredths of making this one into a donut. (You can see a glow of light through the foot if you hold it up to a 100 watt bulb.) It feels like a piece of paper, and it's even a little flexible at the rim. Finished with Antique Oil and buffed.

Bowl 16b - 800.jpg Bowl 16a - 800.jpg Bowl 16c - 800.jpg

Comments and suggestions are welcome, as always. ;)
 
Vaughan very nice work I love the colors in the wood. I try to get them as thin as I can for something new to do instead of just turning and I have experienced the same thing with the warping before you get to finish . Just last week I had a 12" bowl that was way out of round and when I finished and looked at it I could see through it on one side , I was about one cut from a funnel. Great job .:wave:
Ken
 
Well Vaughn, call it nothing remarkable if you will, but to me it is simply beautiful. You have a wonderful eye for form.

What is it like to cut on a wall so thin that it flexes? Do you make your final cuts on the inside or the outside, or does it matter which?
 
Vaughn....great form and finish! I like the "light" feel it projects and obviously presents. Did you have to use a "steady" to turn it?
 
That is great! :clap:

I wonder if it will warp?

I made some similar, and they were round when finihed and taken off the lathe, they are all now somewhat oval.

Cheers!
 
That is great! :clap:

I wonder if it will warp?

I made some similar, and they were round when finihed and taken off the lathe, they are all now somewhat oval.

Cheers!
I think it's done moving. [fingers crossed] It warped quite a bit drying, but it was definitely dry by the time I finish turned it. The red euc seems to be pretty stable after the initial DNA/drying period.

Thanks to all of you for the nice comments. :thumb: I keep picking this bowl up almost every time I walk past it in the dining room. The lightness still surprises me. :)
 
They are really neat, the lighness is cool, but............... my lovely wife asked me to stop making them so thin, she is afraid of using them, or dropping one, if it breaks......... :eek:
 
Dog gone it, Vaughn! Just when I was thinking 'thick' is kinda cool, you go and throw me a loop!

I think the form you have chosen with the 'thin'-ness is the perfect combination on this piece. The color is brilliant in contrast.

A very beautiful piece.:)
 
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