First attempt at texturing

[Les Symonds]

Just had my first attempt at texturing the outside of a bowl. It's a beautiful bit of sycamore-crotch that I took fro  a storm-damaged tree locally, about 4 months ago, and rough-turned, then stored in a box of shavings. The crotch had at least seven branches shooting out in all directions and has resulted in a smashing bit of feathered grain.
For the outside, I brought the gloss finish up and over the rim, and down the first inch of the wall, then put a strong scorch-line in to mark out an are for texturing. I used some very fine grit sand in a sand-blasting gun, but the sycamore was very hard and the texturing wasn't as bold as I might have liked, but the result is a matt finish, almost like velour. I've given the textured area a couple of coats of Danish Oil, with a further 3 coats on the inside and around the rim. I'm happy with it, but looking forward to getting some coarser grit and trying something more adventurous.







C&C always welcome....Les

[Graham]

Thats a lovelly bowl Les and a gorgeous bit of wood. You even have an Owl spirit captured in it !!!

[Bryan Milham]

Well Les,

I've looked and looked and if you tell me there is a fine texture on your bowl I'll believe you but apart from the fact it's not quite so shiny I can't spot it.

I like the description of 'the result is a matt finish, almost like velour', that appeals to me as something wood might feel like.

I do like Graham's description of an Owl Spirit, I can see it but never heard the term before.

One question (okay two - what are the bowls dimensions, and) are you sure it was ready for finishing after only 3 months from a fallen tree.

[Graham]

I do like Graham's description of an Owl Spirit, I can see it but never heard the term before.

Kinda made that one up
There is also a rabbit in the base but harder to see, I think it is hiding in case it is 'in the pot'
( these pills are really groovy )

[bodrighywood]

I do like Graham's description of an Owl Spirit, I can see it but never heard the term before.

There is also a rabbit in the base but harder to see, I think it is hiding in case it is 'in the pot'

Nah, that's definitely a squirrel.

Good looking bowl, be interested to see if it moves or splits though,

Pete

[Graham]

I do like Graham's description of an Owl Spirit, I can see it but never heard the term before.

There is also a rabbit in the base but harder to see, I think it is hiding in case it is 'in the pot'

Nah, that's definitely a squirrel.

Good looking bowl, be interested to see if it moves or splits though,

Pete

Ahh yes, a veritable menagerie.

[TWiG]

Hi Les , nice bowl and a good use of knotty sycamore some of the grain around knots and forks can be very pretty indeed ( as you have found !)  good way of getting nice wood cheap, as few other crafts want such stuff . I do not think you will get a decent sand blasted texture on sycamore , for best results try a ring porous wood like , Ash, Elm ,Oak, Robinia , or Cedar and Redwood .

[georg]

     You are not wrong there Les it`s  lovely piece of Sycamore. The scorch line giving definition between
      the two surfaces.   A nice looking and well finished bowl
      di and Tony

[Les Symonds]

So many points raised...so many questions to answer!

It's 10" diameter (25cm) x 4" deep (10cm)
The owl I'd spotted, the rest of the menagerie I hadn't, so ease up on those tablets, Graham!
I rough turned it down to a 25mm wall thickness and put it into a box of bone-dry shavings on 3rd May, recording its weight on the side. It was then weighed and the shavings changed every week. By 18th July it reached weight that it stuck at for the following 3 weigh-ins, so I finish-turned it about ten days ago....I'm sure it'll be fine.
The surface texture is really, really fine. You can't see open texture on it, but it does have a lovely feel which is distinctly different to the hard, glossy finish on the inside and on the rim. The beauty of it is that although textured, it will be functional and its touchy-feely-factor can still be experienced even if it's full of fruit or whatever.
This was very much a suck-it-and-see experience (who can remember the old gob-stoppers that first gave rise to that saying?). I think that we sometimes have too fixed a view on what texture is.....a surface does not have to be deeply textured to have a 'texture'......in this case I think that there is sufficient texture on this bowl and that therefore, you CAN texture sycamore. That doesn't mean that I don't want to dry deeper textures - I do, and I accept what you're saying, TWiG, about the coarser grained, ring porous timbers being a good substrate......I'm going to try it on a big lump of acacia next.

Les

[Bryan Milham]

This was very much a suck-it-and-see experience (who can remember the old gob-stoppers that first gave rise to that saying?).

Yep, but I never liked the little aniseed balls in the middle.

I think that we sometimes have too fixed a view on what texture is.....a surface does not have to be deeply textured to have a 'texture'......

Now you are talking like an artist, someone experimenting past their current limits and seeing the possibilities that are opening up. Les, I truly look forward to the day you start to create a series of works, and see where that takes you. I think it will be an interesting ride.