| These two bowls were a real challenge to turn. Sometimes, the combination of the works and the fungus (which is what causes the spalting) is so severe that it lowers the structural integrity of the wood to the point where the centrifugal force created as the piece turns is enough to blow it apart! You learn, quickly, to slow down the lathe, and use various chemicals to stiffen the fibers. It is also a good idea, at some stage, to microwave the piece, in order to nuke the works! One has to take very gentle shearing cuts on the piece, and the thinner you get, the more likely it is that you'll come to a place where there isn't enough wood to hold the piece together. So I tend to leave these fairly thick, which looks quite nice, as it allows you to see the differences in patterns caused by both the works and the fungi. |  |
