It is called ambrosia maple. The darker colored areas are caused by an infestation of ambrosia beetles which bring in a fungus that discolors the wood. I thought I could make a pretty bowl from the chunk of wood, using my newly acquired bowl turning skills. I worked several days shaping the wood and doing a lot of sanding (look at all that sawdust).
Then I was ready to remove it from the metal faceplate that is screwed into the bottom of the bowl so it cam be turned on the lathe. Unfortunately, I had cut the inside bottom of the bowl too far into the wood. Look what happened when I tried to cut off the excess bottom.
This is the piece that broke off.
After a lot of whining on my part and encouragement from John, telling me there had to be a way to repair the bottom, I finally got up the nerve to take it back to the shop and ask the man who had been teaching us turning skills, what I could do.
The first step was to make the hole in the bottom a smooth circle.
Next, we cut a base from another piece of maple, a different kind of maple but pretty close in color.
I brought it home and John and I glued it in place.
Saturday, I finished the turning and sanding. Look at how pretty it is today. Now, all that is left is a protective finish.
I am learning, I hope, that it isn't a mistake until it can't be fixed. The bowl isn't all I had hoped it would be, or what I really thought it was--before the bottom broke. But it is really pretty good for my second attempt. And I learned SOOO much.
