Amazing burr sycamore bowl

This is one of the most difficult designs I’ve attempted so far and a truly remarkable piece. At nearly 23 inches across, it’s certainly rather large!

I prepared the blank for this bowl about two years ago and have been drying it ever since. Even the rough turning was a challenge, as I tried to avoid those spikes. After a good spell in the kiln, it was ready for completion - a rather daunting task!

Hollowing the inside…

The turning complete and now ready for sanding…

The inner surface was especially hard to finish and required a lot of work. Most of this was done whilst the bowl was stationary and then spun to remove any sanding marks. After several layers of shellac sanding sealer, I sanded it for the very last time - this is done in reverse, to completely remove any marks.

And here’s the finished piece, oiled and ready for display. If you can make it to Blenheim Palace next week, you can see it for yourself…