Large End Grain American Elm Bowl (22SF18) SOLD

The elm log used to make this bowl came from the Chisago City area, just north of the Twin Cities, MN. The log had a cross-section with an interesting shape, so I cut a 7” thick slab for turning an end-grain bowl. Images of the end of the log, and the slab attached to a lathe are shown. This procedure gives a bowl that shows the interesting cross-sectional shape. An end-grain turned bowl will also have the pith of the tree near the center of its bottom. The circular growth rings around the pith are clearly visible but difficult to count in this bowl. My crude count shows the tree to be about 45 years old. The grain lines are distinct with dark and light colors. The lighter lines were softer, probably due to the rapid growth years. The circular rings in this bowl create a beautiful mesmerizing effect. The heart wood has red-brown colors with some darker rays. There are also small darker patterns spread throughout the bowl. These are probably the result of insect or bird activity during the tree’s growth. There are also random patches of lighter colored wood throughout the bowl. The outer sapwood is light cream colored, giving the bowl a light band just below the dark bark edge. The bark is thick and beautiful in this bowl! The bowl was turned using handheld tools on a lathe from green wood. A small crack developed during the drying and runs from the pith about halfway to the edge. This crack was sealed and stable. I also installed three pewas (butterfly shaped wood inserts) on the bottom of the bowl. These will prevent the crack from opening. There is a close up view of this repair. The bowl was dried for several months and sanded to 400 grit. The bowl was sealed with two coats of tung oil, hand sanded after each coat, and finished with a buffed thin coat of beeswax and walnut oil. This finish is considered food safe so this bowl can be used to hold and serve food. Elm is a strong hard wood so this bowl bowl should last for hundreds of years and improve gracefully with age. This large bowl would look wonderful on a dining room table.

All my bowls are can be returned for a full refund if you are unsatisfied for any reason within 60 days. You must only pay the return shipping.

All of my bowls come with a laminated card with images of the bowl and burl, a complete description of the bowl and making process, and the artist's bio on the back side. There is no price on the card so it can be used if the bowl is given as a gift.