Bigleaf Maple: minimum size for bowl turning?

[John Snow]

As a result of this lovely PNW bomb cyclone that had us trapped in our house for several days, I've finally gotten the spur to do some tree elimination in our yard. There are two or three or four big leaf maples that should come down. Two of them are not big, but what is the reasonable minimum diameter for turning bowls? And if not bowls, is big leak maple suitable for turning if not too big in diameter? I believe that the sapwood is not much different than the heartwood in this species.

 

[Michael Anderson]

I’m not sure there is a minimum. Just depends on what your bowl’s purpose is. Obviously a salad bowl should be bigger than a nut bowl.

 

[Mick Fagan]

I quickly turned this reasonably small bowl a couple of weeks ago from some scrap wood laying around. Rather surprisingly, the number of people who want at least one bowl with this size and shape, is unbelievable. It is a bit rough, but from go to whoa, probably about 10 minutes max. Finish is rice bran oil.

It is a bowl as it has a continuous curve to the centre, it is not flat anywhere, the bottom has a wide base ring, with which I used Vicmarc jaws to hold. It measures 86mm across.

Terrible phone pictures, but you should get the idea.