The lathe spins and wood chips fly as Jan Close uses a long-handled chisel to shape the exterior of a bowl. Photo: Todd Moe

May 29, 2015 — The maple syrup season may be over, but there are other uses for one of upstate New York's most iconic trees. Using a lathe and a few gouges, a St. Lawrence County man turns maple stumps into functional objects, like bowls and decorative pieces that look like glass.

Jan Close, who lives in the woods near Winthrop, N.Y., said he has played with wood since he was a child in his father's cabinetry shop. Close was recently awarded First Place for his tiger stripe salad bowl at a woodworkers gathering in Saratoga Springs.

Todd Moe stopped by his wood shop to watch the process from hunk of wood to art.

Click any image below to launch the slideshow: All photos by Todd Moe, except where noted.