Alan Wasserman – ‘Ambrosia Maple Burr Nested Bowls’:
Alan Wasserman talks to us about his set of nested bowls.
Ambrosia Maple Burr Nested Bowls by Alan Wasserman
I am a wood addict, I must admit. I have mastered how to feed this addiction by promising all in my community (and anyone I meet) that if they find a downed (or soon to be downed) tree that I chose to turn, they will have a free bowl. Of course, they have to be the ‘first person to call me’. This has become humorous in practice as there are times I have gotten more then five calls, first thing in the morning, from neighbours that ‘spotted a tree down in the neighbourhood’ and asking if they are the first to call. Just yesterday, after playing a horrible round of golf, I was interrupted while trying to add such a high amount of my strokes when a fellow golfer reminded me that his home being built will require a few maple (Acer saccharum) trees to be cut and wondered when I might come over to ‘select what you want as I need a finished piece for my entrance way’. Yes, I feel like a doctor on call, but it works and it is fun.
This maple ambrosia burl was the subject of one of those early morning calls. Maple, ambrosia and burl are three magical and mystical words, whose reality, once put together, describes a piece of wood that
a woodturner may dream about, but rarely obtain. The bowls were cored with the One-Way system, which is simple and allows you to create a nest of bowls if everything works out OK. Once cored, turned and sanded, I applied my sanding sealer mixture to the entire piece. I allowed the pieces to dry for one hour and then inspected them with a magnifying glass for any sanding or cutting imperfections. I corrected these and then applied Natural Velvit Oil with a brush. After multiple passes with the oil over the course of 30 minutes, I rubbed the oil in with 1000g soft sanding pads, wiped off the excess and allowed the piece to dry for one or two days. I repeated this process two additional times. After curing, I then applied one coat of Velvit Lemon Oil, but rubbed it with a 2000g soft sanding pad. After a two-week cure period I then applied the Beal Buffer system and presto, the finished piece.
Web: www.wassermanstudio.com
