Robert W. Chatelain
Huntington, Vermont


Untitled
11.5” x 7.25” high
Lathe turned spalted sugar maple burl vessel. Inlaid with pigmented epoxy resin and gold leaf.

Hybrid Turnings are unique in the woodturning universe. Robert has developed a technique to fill naturally occurring gaps in burled wood with multi-colored layers of resin and gold leaf inlay. The naturally intricate and beautiful patterns of burled wood contrast with and complement the bright, complex and sometimes vibrant inlay. Each vessel in by definition one of a kind.

All vessels are lathe turned from a solid chunk of green burl. The unique inlay process begins after the wood has been hollowed, kiln dried and turned to final shape. Using a removable armature of duct tape for support, multiple layers of pigmented resin are applied to reconstruct missing areas. There are up to thirty inlay layers in most 8” vessels, and since only one to two layers can be applied daily, the beauty takes a long time to develop. When the gaps are completely filled the bowl is turned to its final thickness, sanded and sealed with an epoxy. The final finish is several coats of carnauba based paste wax applied with a high-speed buff.