Beauty from Firewood

Since the last time I wrote about Tom's woodturning, a lot has happened. One main event for Tom was the purchase of a new lathe, a Vicmarc VL300. A significant event from my point of view was that he was able to sell enough of his other tools to cover the cost! Tom had a memorable and beneficial week at Mike Mahoney's woodturning class in Provo, UT. That was a memorable week on the home front, too, since all but one of us ended up being sick and the power went out........ Tom has also been trying some new bowl styles this year.

The wood for the bowls Tom turns mostly comes from friends and acquaintances who have fallen trees in their yards or trees that need to come down. This means that Tom starts with logs or basically chunks of firewood. His gift is that he can see the potential for something more, and the results keep getting more impressive.

 

 

The bowl above is turned from Ambrosia Maple, and its special coloring is created by the ambrosia beetle. Interestingly, this means that the beetle has also left some tiny round holes in the wood! This flared design is one of Tom's favorites.

 

 

 

This paper bark maple bowl is different from many others because of the bead around the exterior. It's a simple addition, but it really makes the bowl stand out.

 

 

 

Here is an enclosed rim walnut bowl. The shape is out-of-the-ordinary in that the rim turns up just a bit right at the top. Overall, it is very eye-catching style.

 

There are lots more pieces to see at http://www.etsy.com/shop/BowlsByTomZepeda, and Tom keeps adding new bowls for the Christmas season. Anyone local should contact us directly so we can waive the shipping fee. :-)