Guanacaste Wood Serving Platter

In my lifetime I have been lucky enough to make friends with some fantastic craftsman in Costa Rica. During one of my trips, I stopped in to visit with a brilliant furniture maker who builds custom furniture for the village and the Ticos in the surrounding region. I’ve been buying cutoffs and pieces from him to stock pile until I could get them back to the States and on my lathe. I turned this platter out of Guanacaste which is Costa Rica’s national tree. This highly prized wood comes from massive trees that dot the Costa Rican landscape providing shade, seeds, and fruit. Guanacaste seeds can approach 100% germination rates which is why they are used for reforestation projects. This platter measures 10 inches in diameter and is about 3/4 inch thick. This piece has some hairline cracks in the wood grain which I sealed with wood glue and sawdust for strength. I filled a larger crack on the bottom of the plate with a Stone Malachite Inlay. I left the same crack unfilled on the top of the platter, so that it could be used as a serving dish without risking any of the inlay coming loose and ending up in the food. This design would be great for charcuterie presentation or add a glass bowl for chips and dip.
After turning, this platter was coated in food grade hemp oil and Howard’s Butcher Block Conditioner. Howard’s is a revitalizing blend of genuine beeswax, Brazilian carnauba wax (hardest natural wax available), and pure USP Food Grade Mineral Oil. I recommend using Howard’s from time to time to protect and condition the wood. You will receive the exact item pictured.
You can watch me turn bowls and other projects on my Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5uLb7R1E1j3jS6Iu0WEEqQ