box elder burl

4”h x 5”ø After finishing this piece, I had to give myself a reality check: the exterior was ugly. My attempts at filling some of the bug holes had not played out like I’d hoped and the result wasn’t kind on the eyes. I really liked the light color and figure on the inside, so decided to make...

4.5” x 3.5” Couldn’t pass up this little chunk of box elder burl when I was at Craft Supplies last September. Finally got around to putting it on the lathe last week. Turned it to ~3/16” thickness and applied my go-to shellac finish.

6” x 4”, flaming box elder burl and black walnut Couldn’t resist keeping the natural edge of this flaming box elder burl intact, so I decided to turn a hemispherical hollow form with a massive void. It wouldn’t stand on its own due to obvious weight distribution issues, so I turned a smaller...

I found this stunning piece of box elder burl and decided to make a simple bowl and let the wood explode! This figuring is really remarkable! Size is 6 inches in diameter and 3 inches tall. Finished with oil and buffed.

View of bottom...

Box elder burl with pyrography, 14" dia., 2022. The retinal vasculature of each individual is unique. My signature on this platter is the unique retinal vasculature of my left eye.

Bottom view

One of the characteristics of Box Elder I like is the silky smoothness and white colour of the wood as it comes off the lathe. So I left this piece unfinished because most finishes impart a yellowish tint to the wood. One side features the rough, mountain-scape of the natural burl. Diameter is...