Replies

1. 
   BruceS | Jul 06, 2007 06:06pm | #1

   Just how old is this bowl ? Antique?  Drain denotes that you may be making it a Wet sink ? You might be on a road of destruction to a valuable bowl.  I suggest save the bowl and get a hammered copper bowl. IMHO

   Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

1. 
   stewie | Jul 07, 2007 11:40am | #2

   The bowl could be 40 years old , or older.... How do I find it's value??? I have had second thoughts...stewie
   The Sawdust Shop

1. 
   Kevin | Jul 07, 2007 08:07pm | #4

   40 years isn't terribly old, although the age of bowls can be hard to judge. The style, species and size can all play a role in how valuable a bowl is. And sometimes seemingly poor condition can mask a bowl's true value. I've got a Redwood Burl bowl that I picked up at a Good Will store for $1.25 about 10 years ago. It looked like somebody's High School woodshop project, but I cleaned it up, refinished it and I'm pretty sure that I could get $200 or more out of it if I were to put it in a gallery that deals in wooden bowls.

   Could you take some pictures of your bowl and post them here? I bet that between us we could give you a good idea of it's value based on the pics.

1. 
   stewie | Jul 09, 2007 02:37pm | #8

   Picture is coming. "Always a new way to screw up"Stewie
   The Sawdust Shop

2. 
   BruceS | Jul 08, 2007 06:27pm | #5

   Value is in the eye of the beholder.  All pieces of Americana have some value, even it only sentimental. " Grandma's or Great Grandma's " bowl is worth saving intact and its story and history passed on for generations.  I am still using my GGG Grandmothers Chestnut dining room table which traveled by covered wagon from Harrisburg Pa. to Salem OH.  And my Grandchildren love the story.Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

1. 
   stewie | Jul 09, 2007 02:35pm | #7

   Thank you Bruce. I think I'll clean it up and re-finish it , then my kids and grandchildren can have it. I'll tell them it almost became a sink :)."Always a new way to screw up"Stewie
   The Sawdust Shop

2. 
   Gretchen | Jul 07, 2007 04:25pm | #3

   Forty years old (or even 80)  won't be a terribly valuable piece. BUT installing a drain is not an avenue to a "dry sink".  It cannot be protected adequately from water to use as a sink, in my opinion. It will split.

   As for "black oxidation", it sounds like it has already been in contact with enough water to damage the wood and will need to be bleached.

   Please tell us more about the use of this piece. I am not getting the picture.

   Gretchen

   
   

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   Edited 7/7/2007 9:26 am ET by Gretchen

1. 
   stewie | Jul 09, 2007 02:32pm | #6

   Hi Gretchen My mother is 94 and the bowl was hers. I don't know if she bought it or if it belonged to my grandmother first.There are no name or dates on it. Unfortunately we have let it sit in the basement for years with very periodic use. I don't think it has been re-oiled for many years. There is a 1 1/2 inch crack along the rim that you can see thru and another on the opposite side , about 1" that is tighter.The color is a medium brown to some black along the rim. So we can see lots of grain. My idea was to build a dry sink for the loft bathroom , and then cut a hole in thetop and plumb in a sink. I had thought the bowl would make an interesting sink.If I can restore the natural wood color to the bowl , I now think I'll find a better use for it. ( We don't make many large salads )."Always a new way to screw up"Stewie
   The Sawdust Shop

1. 
   Gretchen | Jul 09, 2007 02:46pm | #9

   I'lll say again, you really can't use a wooden salad bowl for a sink. It is already cracking.  Bowls this size have some value, even if "only" 50 years old.  The black along the rim probably needs sanding. You can wipe it out well with mineral spirits to clean it. And you could give the inside a light sanding but that will remove the oxidation that is giving you the nice brown color

   Use it on your counter for your fruit and vegetables.Gretchen