Monkey Puzzle Bowl

This is a piece of Monkey Puzzle that I got from Joseph Schneider. It has been treated just like NIP. No other finish other then the soakings in oil mix, and buffing. If I wasn't told, I dont think I could tell the difference between this wood and NIP. Maybe a smaller pith and lighter knot color. 12"x9". All comments and critiques welcome.

Photo Details

Gary Ljostad

Registered: November 2004
Location: Hampton Bays, NY
Posts: 243

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Date: Wed October 12, 2005
Views: 1,561
Keywords: monkey puzzle bowl

Comments

Gil

Gorgeous piece, Gary, and it looks mighty thin too.

#1 Wed October 12, 2005 7:54pm

jprosise

This is a very beautiful piece, and you are right, it does look very much like NIP. I have never heard of monkey puzzle. Where does it come from?

#2 Wed October 12, 2005 9:42pm

Gary Ljostad

Thanks for the kind words. I got this piece of wood from Joseph Schneider in Florida. He has a small wood buisiness. He also sells on E-Bay once and a while. This wood is from Florida and it's about 6 months since it was cut. Joe also supplies me with the NIP that I have turned.

#3 Wed October 12, 2005 9:58pm

cfuller

That's a beautiful bowl Gary! I did a google search on both Monkeypuzzle and Norfolk Island Pine because I didn't know what either tree looked like. Other than both being evergreens, they don't have much in common on the outside. It's amazing that they look so similar in the wood. I wonder if any other pine type evergreen woods would take on a similar look if turned thin and soaked in the oil treatment.

#4 Thu October 13, 2005 2:18am

Gary Ljostad

Thanks for the comments. cfuller, both Monkey puzzle and NIP are in the family "Araucariaceae" so they are closely related. Both have branches in a radial patern. NIP is Araucaria heterophylla, and Monkey Puzzle is Araucaria araucana. Both have much lighter collored wood when fresh. I let mine sit around and get moldy. The mold and the spalting give the wood the blacks and the range of colors. If I turned the wood fresh there might be a noticable difference between the woods. I have tried the same oil mix treatment on black pine with some success.

#5 Thu October 13, 2005 2:40am

SkyJ

Whats NIP???
Northern...............sumpin.............Pine?

#6 Fri October 14, 2005 2:48am

Negeltu

SkyJ,

Norfolk Island Pine

Gary,

Absolutely lovely piece.

#7 Fri October 14, 2005 3:03am

keith bundy

Between you and Chris I guess I'm going to have to start working on making things thinner. Great piece Gary.

#8 Sat October 15, 2005 10:43am