Acacia N/E Bowl (WIP)

[Les Symonds]

This is the bowl that I have been referring to in the thread about acacia. It was quite wet when turned, several days ago, weighing in at 107gm when I finished sanding it, and it's down to 95 gm today. I've got a little bit of filling to do on the rim because there was some rot in the sapwood, but other than that, it's about ready to seal and polish. Overall width is just over 11" and the height at the highest point of the wing is 7".







The split-log from which this was made had been stored in a guy's garden for a few years, having been sold to him by a tree surgeon local to him (Worcester), so it was part-seasoned, especially after such a dry summer.

Will post a few more pics when I get some finish on it, but I'm imagining that the bit of dark, cloudy spalting that's showing in the grain will colour up quite nicely.

Les

[Graham]

A lovely looking bit of wood Les, well suited to the type of bowl you have made.

[seventhdevil]

that looks suspiciously like robinia to me...



the true acacia family trees are all diffuse porous and that is ring porous isn't it?


les any chance of a high quality endgrain shot either posted or emailed to me. it will help me identify it.

[Les Symonds]

that looks suspiciously like robinia to me...
the true acacia family trees are all diffuse porous and that is ring porous isn't it?
les any chance of a high quality endgrain shot either posted or emailed to me. it will help me identify it.

Steve...this is simply cropped and zoomed from the original shot....the bowl is in the workshop waiting for filler to dry in the pitting in the sapwood. I'll get a macro-shot in the morning. However...this looks fairly diffuse to me!

Les

[seventhdevil]

thats too fuzzy mate, email met he raw image.

i need a pin sharp crystal clear photo to be 100% sure.

do you have a macro setting on your camera?

[seventhdevil]

as i keep looking at it it just looks like a fast grown bit of robinia mate...


do you have a black light?

there is quite a reaction, bright yellow if it's robinia...

[Les Symonds]

do you have a black light?

Nope!

[seventhdevil]

if you can find one this is what it should look like.

[Les Symonds]

I've just taken a macro-shot of an offcut....it's distinctly diffuse porous, so it can't be Robinia. Looks like we're back to true acacia.


Les

[seventhdevil]

this timber could be described as semi ring porous as there are alot of pores between each ring but the point is that you have a distinct line of pores creating a ring of growth.

diffuse porous trees like the acacia are pretty much devoid of any sort of ring.

eric has a page on it les, perhaps that may explain it better than me.
http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/hardwood-anatomy/

good picture by the way.

[TWiG]

I am pretty certain that , that is Robinia pseudoacacia ,  Things can get complicated between local and botanical names ( nomenclature ) which is why it ( nomenclature ) exists !  Acacia dealbata  ( mimosa ) is a very different wood indeed as are the classic acacias of the Africa plains .  .... Nice bowl by the way !!   The dark patches in the heartwood are not spalting , it is usually present as is a dark band between heart and sapwood , also the heartwood is very decay resistant and is sometimes known as golden oak , Robinia p is a member of the pea family and smells of it too when fresh just like Laburnum , it is also unpleasantly thorny on its twigs and does grow to a good size in the UK  3 foot + dia and 80 foot tall and is quite common in fact I will be taking one down quite soon so will have plenty of it , I also recently purchased some well seasoned natural edge boards for making some furniture .... Terry...