| NIP Bowls From The Wood Elfin's Workshop: |
I started turning the Norfolk Island Pine in late 2009 and just fell in love with it. The wood is cut then allowed to sit for a few weeks to develop the spalting (the black coloring in the bowls) and then shipped to me in round trunk section shapes of various sizes. Some pieces do not have knots and others do depending on where the cut was made on the tree. The knots are a brilliant red color and really add a lot of zing the the bowls.
I turn the bowls while the wood is still wet (freshly cut) and take the walls all the way to the thickness I want. Most of my bowls I shoot for 1/8 inch but sometimes on a bowl that is larger and will probably be used for salad or fruit will be left at 3/16 or 1/4 inch. After they are turned to size they are set aside to dry. When they are dry I put them back on the lathe to be sanded and the bottom finished. They are sanded to 600 grit sand paper then buffed with 3M buffing pads which take it down to the equivalent of around 1500 grit.
Once they are sanded and signed I soak them in an oil solution of 1/3 boiled linseed oil, 1/3 glossy spar urethane and 1/3 thinner. The initial soaking is usually for 4 to 7 days depending on the thickness of the walls then taken out to dry. Once they have surface dried for 24 ho urs I check them to see if the translucency is what I want (usually not) and if not they go back in the oil for several more days. I continue this process until I get the finish that I want after which they are set aside to dry for several days to a couple of weeks. Once they are sufficiently dry I buff and wax them and put them on my web for sale. More bowls will be added as I develop this page.
These bowls are subject to prior sale as they are on display at my booth in the financial district in San Francisco, if you are interested in any of these pieces email me and I will pull them from my table and we can complete our transaction.
This beautiful bowl has 6 knots and is 6 inches in diameter and around 2 1/2 inches tall. Sold. |
This bowl is just under 6 inches in diameter and around 3 inches tall with 1/8 inch thin walls. I really love the simplicity and elegance of this bowl. $145.00. |
 This calabash is around 12 inches in diameter and just under 5 inches tall and has 1/4 inch walls. It has 7 knots and is absolutely beautiful. Sold |