This design of this particular vessel was inspired by a woodworking magazine cover photo showing a wooden box that sported a grid of contrasting dots. I liked the pattern but I prefer turning to box construction so I thought I'd implement the same effect on a round surface. That complicated layout a bit since the dot spacing needed to vary based on the diameter of the vessel at each point but it ultimately worked out fine.
The wood for this vessel came from my basement log pile which is comprised of sections of branches and trunks I've saved over the years thinking that I may someday use them to make something. I've used a few of them in the past but
the pile really doesn't seem to be getting a whole lot smaller. Fortunately it is tucked away in a difficult-to-use corner of the basement so it doesn't get in the way.
This vessel uses the trunk section of the Ornamantal Crab tree we removed from its too-close-to-the-fence position in 2019. It had a nice straight trunk and I had a fair length of it to start with. The first bit became the
leaf top vessel of 2019. There was actually enough left for two more vessels but the first one I tried exploded off the lathe, requiring the remainder for the replacement.
The
construction involved turning the vessel, cutting and shaping the three feet and then drilling and inserting the dots.
| Material: | Ornamental Crab & Redwood Burl |
| Construction: | Turned, carved and inset |
| Finish: | 3 coats Miniwax Fast-Dry Poly, Clear Satin |
| Size: | 4" diameter x 8.7" tall |
| Done: | June 17, 2022 |
