Buckthorn Bowl

Buckthorn is considered an invasive species in many areas of the United States, where it was originally brought over from Europe as an ornamental shrub in the 1800s.
I had a friend bring me several pieces of very large (10 to 12 in.) diameter pieces. I was able to make these bowls.
Buckthorn is very unstable in that it will crack even after being stable for a while.
Common Name(s): Buckthorn
Distribution: Widespread throughout Europe, North America, Asia, and northern Africa
Buckthorn is such a small tree that it is of virtually no commercial potential, and its wood is not typically offered for sale. Most pieces are obtained through local harvesting by hobbyists.
Source: wood-database.com

I turned this bowl using a Hunter tool that I was given to try. It worked really well because the is an end grain bowl. I left the section in the middle the original size of the blank.

Buckthorn is a very unstable wood to turn. Once a piece is turned, it will crack from the movement of the wood. You usually don't find very large pieces as it is classified as an invasive species. It was first imported from Europe to create Hedges.

Spectraply is a Premium Grade, Dyed Birch Veneer Laminate with Bold Colors & Excellent Bond Strength. It is Eco Friendly and Made In USA
This piece was made by gluing up nine, three in. x three in. x 12 in. pieces in three rows. The middle row was altered in direction that the two outside rows. Then I turned the piece on a bias or using two opposite corners to create this pattern.

Putting colored pencils in a mold and pouring epoxy over them to secure them together. Once the epoxy is cured, then I mount it on the lathe and begin the turning process. Turning pieces like this are very challenging.

A veteran donated his lathe and equipment to me because he is no longer able to turn. One of the last things that he gave me was this bowl blank and I said I would make him apiece out of it. this is the finished piece. It is one piece of Ambrosia Maple. I am very pleased with how it turned out. I used a texturing technique that I learned on the Woodturning Cruise in the Summer of 2023.

This Pinecone Bowl measures about nine inches x nine inches. I stabilized the pinecones with heat-activated epoxy before casting them in the epoxy. I used a 10-quart mixing pail as the form. Once I had it on the lathe, I turned away everything that was not the piece. A lot of it ends up on the shop floor. 

Buckthorn is considered an invasive species in many areas of the United States, where it was originally brought over from Europe as an ornamental shrub in the 1800s.
I had a friend bring me several pieces of very large (10 to 12 in.) diameter pieces. I was able to make these bowls.
Buckthorn is very unstable in that it will crack even after being stable for a while.
Common Name(s): Buckthorn
Distribution: Widespread throughout Europe, North America, Asia, and northern Africa
Buckthorn is such a small tree that it is of virtually no commercial potential, and its wood is not typically offered for sale. Most pieces are obtained through local harvesting by hobbyists.
Source: wood-database.com

This bowl is 17 in. across. This was a beautiful piece of crotch wood from a large Mulberry Tree. It was fun to turn and the largest piece I had done to that time.

Someone gave me a piñon burl. I cut it into two pieces, and this was one-half.

For this one, I decided to put some color on the outside of the bowl. I used some purple translucent epoxy dye mixed with water. The purple was a little heavy, so I did a light hand sanding to thin it down.

I was given this piece of Honey Locust. It had a chainsaw cut that was deep into the piece. I didn't want to lose that much of the piece and end up with a platter. I decided to cut the top part down until I could remove the cut. That left the top part of what you see. I then started turning a bowl, and the rest was a plate. There are some ash bore holes in the piece. Then, I created a lid from Walnut and turned a Maple Finial with five captive rings.

Someone suggested I use the shavings from all the Spectraply Peppermills I made for the New Mexico Artisans Market. I made this bowl by mixing epoxy and packing it very tightly. Once it was cured, I turned it and applied a clear coat of epoxy as a finish.

This piece is my first move into lighting my pieces. An LED Light in the base can change color, changing the color of the epoxy.

This piece was made from a Birch Tree from a house down the street where I lived. I drove by the house many times and thought that this particular tree is going to have to come down someday. Driving to the shop and I saw two local tree service trucks in front of the house. As I passed the front truck I saw the pile of Birch logs on the curb. I went to the door and ask if I could have them. The owner came out and helped me load them into my care. This is the piece that I made and gave back to them as a remembrance of that tree.

Manitoba Maple and Box Elder are the same thing. In Canada it is called Manitoba Maple and in the United States it is called Box Elder. The red is created through the Box Elder Bugs that secrete under the bark.

I had this piece of Cedar that had a lot of decay in the middle. I chose to clean out the loose parts and pour it with a translucent Green colored epoxy.

Putting colored pencils in a mold and pouring epoxy over them to secure them together. Once the epoxy is cured, then I mount it on the lathe and begin the turning process. Turning pieces like this are very challenging.

I was driving to the New Mexico Woodturners Board meeting, and I passed a man digging out this root ball. I stopped and asked if I could have it, and he said yes.

Click to read more and see more pictures of the process.

I was teaching a class on doing open forms, and this was my demonstration piece. Once I finished the piece, I used some texturing techniques that I learned from Max Brosi on the Woodturning Cruise in the summer of 2023.

104 Dozen Colored Pencils went into this piece. It is an open-form and lid with a finial.