In the Shop: Turned Walnut Plates

Every once in a while we like to check in on the WWGOA editors to see what they’re up to in the shop. Here’s your chance to get to know the faces and personalities behind WWGOA and take a peek into their own worlds.

I just finished a nice turning commission. It’s a set of walnut collection plates for a church in western North Dakota. I was able to use a branch stub sliced from the trunk of a giant walnut I purchased years ago. The rough slice and resulting plates are pictured here.

I really get a kick out of using discard wood like this.

large slab of wood Walnut branch stub.

cut piece of walnut Blank was cut on a bandsaw and drilled for a face plate mount.

turning the wood to make a bowl Outside of the bowl is taking shape.

completed back of the bowl Here’s the back all finished and ready to be parted off the lathe.

completed front of the turned bowl Here is a view from the front. Note the figure; a common find in stressed wood such as branch stubs.

Now time to pack up both plates and ship them off to North Dakota!

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One Response to “In the Shop: Turned Walnut Plates”

  1. Jon

    once you shaped the outside and parted off, how do you mount it to turn inside? These are beautiful plates.