Manitoba maple Bowl

I am still doing some turnings from a large Manitoba maple tree that fell down in June in Colebrook north of Kingston.
The homeowner was not interested in the wood as "it does not burn worth a ##**". This tree was literally one big burl from top to bottom, so great for turning.
As you can see in this photo the wood was full of red streaks. And Manitoba maple, or box elder as it is also known, is very nice to turn. It finishes well with a very smooth surface. And contrary to popular opinion the wood is fairly hard once dry. The one problem is that it will not dry in this climate if left outside, which is why it does not burn well as its moisture content remains high. (Most people dry their firewood outside)
Another characteristic of this wood is that it does not shrink much when it dries. Of the local hardwoods it seems to move the least. Good for making natural edge bowls.
Today I cut down a large crab apple tree which looks to have some nice grain. I will try to get some pictures posted later. Apple checks very quickly so I will have to move fast to get some turned.
George, my father in law, passed away last night and this was my way of occupying my time to avoid dwelling on that passage. The tree was pretty old and partly rotten near the bottom so it had to come down. It was situated next to the driveway and would have been a costly accident if it had fallen on a car.