I left the rim a bit higher than the final height. I haven't decided how to finish this piece yet but it will probably involve piercing and pyrography. The inside is rough. Anything with a natural edge is an iffy prospect for power sanding. One catch and the whole thing is history. I'm thinking of using an "ebonizing" mix (vinegar & rusty nails) to make the inside black. I think it will make the yellow all the more dramatic. If my hunch is right, the black may also seep into the dramatic pith cracks seen in the photo on the left. Could be a very cool result.

I have the best son on the planet! I gave him my woodburning pens and a power supply from a lab on campus and he made me custom cords so I can use the free power supply instead of spending $300 on a "woodburning power supply".

This is still soaking wet. I power sanded what I could and parted it off. It is in a bag of wood chips for now. 

It is Election Day! Do your civic responsibility and VOTE (for Obama)! We'll walk to the voting place at the elementary school around the corner and then I'll play on the lathe all day.

Unrelated comment: How can such a tiny little cat snore so loud? Trouble is snoring away on the sofa as I post this. Time for me to snore too!