Bowl Blanks for Empty Bowls

After the July meeting I thought I might try to scrounge up some wood from which to make blanks for Empty Bowls. I posted the following post on a local “Keep Eagle Rural” Facebook page: I’m looking for a free or very reasonably priced log 14 to 24 inches in diameter, 6 to 10 feet long. The log will be turned into wooden bowls which will be donated to raise money for a network of food pantries in the Milwaukee area. I’m a little picky about species as not all woods make good wooden bowls. It must be fairly freshly felled. If you think you can help me out, send me a PM. Along with the text I posted a video of a bowl on the lathe and a couple pictures of my sawmill with a large log on it.

I got a wonderful response to the post and within 48 hours had the following items at my property:

2 Black Walnut shorts – 1 is a crotch

1 Maple(?) log about 14″ x 7 feet or so long

The maple and black walnut was donated by

Tom Giribaldi
W335 S2535 Morris Rd
Dousman, WI 53118
262-391-9098

Tom has a sawmill and does custom milling. He gets trees from local arborists and has many logs and species laying in his yard. He would like your business! If you are looking for something specific, give him a call.

1 Black Cherry log – 12″ x over 9 feet long – this was donated by the son of a lady from my church.

Another lady reached out to me to tell me she had a black walnut that was still living. I replied that I no longer cut down trees on other people’s property. She replied that it was fallen down but still living. I went to look at it and it was close to home and looked manageable so I told her I would be glad to have it. When I started cutting it up it immediately became clear that it was NOT (highly valuable) black walnut. It is red elm, with the smell to match! It is however, beautiful wood and makes really pretty bowls.

The bowl below is a roughed out Red Elm bowl that I turned for the family that donated the tree. In addition, I have made up several bowl blanks from the crotch piece and roughed out a few of them.

We will be milling out a number of other bowl blanks with the help of MAWT members this coming week.