Turning a Root With a Hole Through It
A root with a hole through it sounds like a ruined root. It turned out to be one of the most interesting pieces on the bench.
The first reaction was to set it aside. The second was to look through it.
Summary
- Some roots have natural holes or voids where they grew around stones or other roots.
- Such features can make a piece more interesting if handled carefully.
- Each decision requires a balance between structure and character.
Key takeaways
- A flaw can become a feature if it does not compromise the piece.
- Structural soundness comes first, always.
- The turner's judgment decides what is possible.
One day, the turner called me over to look at a root that had arrived a few days before. It was large, dense, and covered in a rough skin. And near the middle, it had a hole.
A void in the wood
The hole ran clean through the root, about the width of a fist. It looked as though the root had grown around a stone or another root, wrapping it and leaving a space when the object was gone. The edges were smooth, almost polished, as if worn by time.
My first reaction was disappointment. A hole through the center seemed like a fatal flaw. How could you make a candleholder from it?
Looking again
The turner had a different view. He held the root up and looked through the hole at the light. "Look at that," he said.
From that angle, the hole framed a piece of the window behind. The wood around it looked like a window frame. The shape of the void was organic and graceful, and it gave the root a sense of space that solid pieces lack.
The structural question
The first issue was strength. A hole can weaken a form, especially if the remaining walls are thin. The turner examined the grain around it and tapped the edges. He determined that the wood was sound, thick, and dense enough to support the piece.
He also had to think about how the candle would sit. The plate at the top had to be stable, and the weight had to be balanced. He chose an axis that kept the hole visible from the front and left the plate intact above it.
The result
The finished piece is unlike any other we have made. Light passes through the opening, and when a candle is lit, the glow comes through the hole and casts a warm shape on the wall. In the evening, it feels almost like a small doorway.
What it taught us
Not every flaw is a defect. Some are the visible record of a root's history: a stone it wrapped around, a neighbor it grew beside. The skill is in distinguishing the ones that threaten the piece from the ones that give it identity.
That distinction is a matter of experience. It is one reason we rely on the turner's judgment, a theme we return to in When a Root Surprises the Turner.
Common questions
Do holes weaken the piece?
Only if the surrounding wood is thin or unsound. The turner checks carefully before deciding to keep one.
Are pieces with natural holes common?
They are uncommon. Each one is judged individually.
Keep reading
Every piece is one of one.
Browse the specimen archive and acquire the piece that speaks to you. Each is catalogued once and sold once.