Natural Edge Bradford Pear Bowl

Vaughn McMillan

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After a few attempts, I finally got this one finished. It's Bradford Pear, about 10 1/2" by 8", and about 4 1/4" tall at the high wing. The blank (from eBay) had a scrape on the bark, leaving one bit of the edge barkless. I made an attempt to graft some spare bark into place after I rough turned it, but it's by no means seamless. It looks like a hunk of bark glued into a gap. (It's hidden pretty well in the pics, but it's pretty noticeable in person.) Ah well, it was good practice, and I'll sell it as a "second". The finish is my regular Antique Oil and lacquer combo. I haven't decided whether to buff it yet. I kind of like the slight matte finish in this one, but it'd also look nice glossed up.

Bowl 037 - 04 800.jpg Bowl 037 - 03 800.jpg Bowl 037 - 01 800.jpg

Comments and suggestions are welcome and accepted. :wave:
 
Thanks Pete. It was green, so I DNA'ed it. It moved a bit more than I expected when it dried, so came out a bit thinner than I had planned by the time I got it trued back up, but I like the thinness (about 3/16").
 
Vaughn, that is a beaut for sure! :thumb:

Amazing how you got that thick bark to hang on for the ride.

Pear wood is used here for the Japanese turned dolls.

Cheers! :wave:
 
Thanks for the comments, all.
...What speed did you turn it at? Did you use anything special to keep the bark from flying off?...
I don't remember exactly what the speed was, but I think I was somewhere in the 800 RPM range by the time I got to the finishing cuts. (Somewhat slower earlier in the process, though.) I didn't use anything on the bark other than making sure my gouges were sharp. I thought of putting CA glue on it, but wasn't sure if it'd discolor the rest of the wood if it dripped on it.
 
If you give it a coat of sanding sealer first it stops the wood discolouring when using superglue. Be careful when turning after mind, make sure the glue is dry first 'cos its a nightmare if it gets in your eyes.

Need I say I like it? anything with bark, holes or otherwise odd shapes is my style. Must say the bit of pear I have turned was a lot lighter in colour, maybe different type of pear.

Pete
 
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Well Vaughn, you're a specialist in making natural edge bowls, this one is just gorgeous. :thumb:
 
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