Turning a Madrone Burl Bowl -- Part 5

I generally turn the bottom with a ¼" detail gouge (see Fig. 15), but you could also use the small half round and spear point scrapers. I then sand and finish the bottom of the bowl and remove it from the maple jaws. With a small woodburner, I sign the bowl.

Final Comments
The biggest drawback to turning green wood, in my opinion, is the time delay caused by having to wait for the wood to dry. However, the advantage is that wood which really doesn’t have a place on the commercial market can be used, often with surprising results. Madrone burl is a prime example!

Once your production “pipeline" has a few bowls in it, a bowl can be rough turned today and a completely different bowl that was perhaps rough turned over a year ago can be finished tomorrow.

About Dale Larson

Dale Larson has been turning since 1978 and started to sell his turnings in 1991. He is currently represented by five galleries: The Real Mother Goose Gallery and the Contemporary Crafts Gallery in Portland, Oregon; the Northwest Gallery of Fine Woodworking in Seattle, Washington, The Wood Merchant in La Conner, Washington, and the Appalachian Spring Galleries in the Washington, D.C. area. Dale has been a demonstrator at numerous American Association of Woodturners National Symposiums, many smaller events throughout North America, and he demonstrated in international venues in countries as distant as Israel and England.

Dale lives in the Portland, Oregon area and donates significant hours to teaching and advancing woodturning in the Pacific Northwest. We at Serious Toolworks, Inc. believe that Dale’s selection of unique premium figured hardwoods combined with very fine craftsmanship produce some of the most stunning wood bowls found anywhere in the world.