7"x4" Ambrosia Maple Bowl

Ambrosia Maple is one of my favorite woods to work with - the stain patterns, the texture, the color - it's always a treat. This piece isn't as spectacular as I'm used to. Though still an attractive bowl, it didn't get as much of the stains as I would like. I also experimented with form a little, with results that I have mixed feelings about. I thought about not posting it, but who knows, maybe somebody out there will like it more than I do and it can find a happier home. As it is, I'll send it to you for the replacement cost of the wood this time - $31.50 plus shipping. Email me if you'd like it. Size: 7"x4"

Ambrosia Maple Bowl - Green-turned

This ambrosia maple wood bowl measures 8" diameter and 2" high. It was made for an order, and the wood was shipped after the order was placed. There is never any guarantee as to the moisture content of bowl blanks when ordered this way, and it turns out this one was still pretty green. This means that as it dries over the next month or two it will elongate slightly and get a really cool, natural, organic shape to it. It was already a gorgeous piece of wood, and I think it will only get better.

Ambrosia maple is one of my favorite woods to work with. It's regular maple, left moist and warm and exposed to the elements after the tree dies, so that the ambrosia beetle can attack the tree. The beetle bores into the tree, bringing ambrosia fungus spores with it. The fungus attacks and stains the tree and then the beetle can eat the fungus as it reporduces. The net result: Beautifully figured wood. Price as shown: $40.00

Ambrosia Maple Goblet

These hand-turned solid hardwood goblets are made from ambrosia maple. Ambrosia refers to the fungus that causes the black streaks. It's introduced by beetles that cary the spores with them. They burrow in to dead maple trees, lay eggs, and leave, and the spores they leave behind begin to break down the walls of the hole into food the larvae can eat. When they grow up and leave, they take the spores with them. The fungus only exists in symbiosis with the beetles, and the beetles can't live without the fungus. Cool stuff. The resulting staining pattern in the maple is distinct, dramatic, and beautiful.

Turning these goblets was exciting and challenging - the hollowing technique for endgrain is completely different from that used for sidegrain like in bowls. It was also a challenge to make the two goblets look the same. There are subtle differences that are a mark of hand-turned work. These were made as a set for a gift for a bridal shower.

This second set was made much later for a different customer - same kind of wood, but different shape.

Goblets this size (3" diameter x 8" height, approximate) start at $55 each from ambrosia maple. Other woods are available but may be priced differently. Order more than one and get $10 off your order.

Quantity

Single Goblet $55.00 Two Goblets $100.00 Four Goblets $200.00

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Ambrosia Maple Bowl

Ambrosia maple is regular maple, left moist and warm and exposed to the elements after the tree dies, so that the ambrosia beetle can attack the tree. The beetle bores into the tree, bringing ambrosia fungus spores with it. The fungus attacks and stains the tree and then the beetle can eat the fungus as it reporduces. The net result: Beautifully figured wood.

So here it is - I'm finally satisfied with it. This is the first bowl I turned, made from Ambrosia Maple. For those fellow turners out there, I started it when I had only a face plate, then when I got my chuck including cole jaws, I decided to improve it - it was thick and clunky because I was afraid of hitting the screws in the faceplate setup, and it was rough with torn endgrain and tool marks. Not very impressive. So I turned a recess in the base and mounted it in the chuck.

I worked on it some more, thinning it out, improving the form, cleaning up torn endgrain. I brought it to work and put it on my desk. Then every time I was waiting for AutoCAD to do its thing, I picked up the bowl and over time noticed more and more I wanted to improve, but I was afraid of making it too thin and breaking it. Then my dad gave me a set of bowl calipers so I could check the thickness everywhere, and so I mounted it again.

I really like it now. The ambrosia beetle worked a pretty nice job on this piece, and left a few holes to show he had been there. I kept this bowl on my desk for a long time till the Farmers' Market this summer where I sold it to this sweet old lady. I missed it though, so I bought another piece of ambrosia maple and made this next bowl:Price for a similar bowl: $12 plus wood. (6"x2")