Cottonwood - Went Soft Today

[Dave Hoskins]

Finished this up today after it warmed up a bit. Nice little cottonwood pedestal bowl for someone's candies or nuts. The diameter is 7 1/4" with a base diameter of 3 1/4". The height is 3" with a depth of 1 3/4 " and the volume measures at 2 cups to the brim. Used my usual walnut oil to seal the wood and buffed it with that tripoli stuff. The finishing was done with lemon oil wax with 3 coats rubbed in and then buffed again with just a buffer pad.

 

[Bill Arnold]

Nice looking bowl, Dave! It might b softer wood, but looks firm enough to keep the nuts corralled.

 

[Toni Ciuraneta]

Looks great! thanks for showing it. From what I've read cottonwood is also used for carving. Curiously enough I I google "cottonwood" to find the spanish translation it says "álamo" but if I do it the other way around it translates a "poplar" (also called Tulipier here). I've done some carvings in poplar, but its greenish stripes disturb the perception of shapes IMHO.

 

[Dave Hoskins]

Thanks all. Cottonwood is definitely related to poplar. When settlers in the US were heading west, they always used cottonwoods as a means to know where water was. They might have do dig a little but it would be there. They also used the wood to make bowls and other handy utensils.