I turn many different species of wood on my lathe but spalted maple is one of my favorites to work with. The word "spalted" describes wood that has been marked by fungal decay. In the case of the maple bowls pictured here, the fungus caused the darker streaking.
The spalted maple bowl to the left is one I gave to a woodworking friend of mine, Bill Ohs. Bill is getting on in years, and recently sold his prosperous business known as William Ohs Kitchens that he owned for more than 40 years. His cabinetry work was famous for its frameless casework construction, a technique Bill developed.
Changes in lighting can create dramatic differences in the appearance of this wood. Interior lighting, above, produced a brighter, orange color of what is usually a pale tan.
The dramatic spire-lidded Nugtray™ above is made for storing weed ash. The lid prevents the odor and unsightly appearance of discarded ash; the glass-tipped tool in the lid can be removed and used to clean a pipe or bong bowl. More Nugtrays™ like this one can be seen at my website, nugtray.com.
The Nugtrays™ and wooden bowls pictured here began as a slab like the spalted maple at right.
To begin, I cut off a block about four inches long, remove the corners, and mount it on my mini JET lathe. Below I'm about to turn a block of East Indian rosewood.
From there it's a matter of chiseling out the out profile of the bowl, remounting it on the lathe, and chiseling out the inner cavity. After much sanding and some finishing wax, the result is something pretty and useful if you're a weed smoker... and even if you're not!
