Spalted Beech Vessels

[Bryan Milham]

Not really sure what to call these, too big for boxes and with lids they are certainly not vases.

Anyway here are a couple of Spalted Beech Vessels. One showed in my Threaded live-centre thread elsewhere.

Parted right through with a 2mm parting tool and inset a ring to limit the loss of grain (spalting) alignment.

Pictures aren't brilliant I'm afraid, used my camera phone as they are currently on the mantle and I'm trying to limit my moving about.

C & C as you will, thanks for looking.

[edbanger]

They look great love the way the lines line up.

Mark Sanger was demoing at the club today and was making one of these, and he was telling us all to take care with the parting tool and to make sure that you did not cut all the way through but never got to finish his sentence as he got too the word "way" bang he had gone all the way through and the top left the bottom not in the manner he had intended

Ed

[woodndesign]

" Not really sure what to call these " ... why they're 'Bryan & Rosemary' .. 'Him & Her' ..   ..

Pots .. maybe, at what are they round 4" tall there abouts. Really beautifully spalted beech, nice when you find it like these.

Cheers  David

[Les Symonds]

Hi Bryan...thanks for clearing up the mystery of the inserted ring. I had noticed it in the 'Live tail centre' thread and wondered what it was about. A great idea which I'll pinch and have a go at quite soon. I quite fancy putting a contrast-timber as the inner ring, just to give an addd surprise when the box s opened.

Cheers///Les

[Bryan Milham]

Ed,
you're right, I did not part all the way through, most of it then finished with my thin bladed Japanese saw.

Dave,
Sorry I did not add dimensions. The tallest is just around 8" tall, I'll measure them properly later for you. The Spalting is wide and open, not the usual multitude we'd line we normally see.
It came from one of my Tree Surgeon friends as a big section of trunk about 18 months ago, I cut it and sealed it, just started working some of it. He gave me a Spalted Sycamore log last Autumn as well (okay, I do also have a wood fairy or two).

Les,
I used white Oak as the inset, one of the useful things you can do with 1" boards of timber. A tip, don't try and make the ring completely before inserting it. Make to size and glue in as a disk, then drill through and work your way out to the raised lip.

[woodndesign]

You'd alot on your mind, how is the ankle, you've walked it off, the pain by now.

Nice size, you've a large mantle, as was judging size by the tile ..  .. then vase was a clue ..

Hope the rest has the same spalting and to see that sycamore.

WHAT... need of you of the Ash log ..  .. with all that wood.

Cheers   David

[TWiG]

As you say they are a bit big for boxes, they are not vases , hollow forms ... may be ? or you could call them FLASKS ! that is what came to mind when I first saw them    ( or canopic jars from pyramids ). Good of you to mention the insert to allow grain alignment I often make boxes with the bark on ( Birch ,.Ash and some Prunus serrula ... look it up ! )  and do exactly that, so the lid and base match up well .

[Bryan Milham]

or canopic jars from pyramids )

I like this, now all I need is another two.

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Bryan you have done well to make the grain line up but I'm afraid I don't like the shape of the one on the left. Also, as you have done such a good job of grain alignment I think I would prefer an accent of some sort at the join line.
Sorry

[Bryan Milham]

John,

actually I'm with you, the curves on the one on the left looked okay on the lathe (sideways) but failed when I stood it up. The neck curve is wrong, it should match the first curve of the lid and be more waisted.

It's only a smidgen out but enough to look wrong to a trained eye (well spotted) - still you can't win them all.

I promised sizes;

the tall one is 215mm tall x 100mm at it's widest,

the smaller one is 200mm x 90mm at it's widest.

[Mark Sanger]

They look great love the way the lines line up.

Mark Sanger was demoing at the club today and was making one of these, and he was telling us all to take care with the parting tool and to make sure that you did not cut all the way through but never got to finish his sentence as he got too the word "way" bang he had gone all the way through and the top left the bottom not in the manner he had intended

Ed

ah yes it was spectacular  but the rework and finish wasn't bad was it. in 20 minutes.

[Mark Sanger]

Bryan, apologies, went off topic.

they look great, good grain match and finish.

[edbanger]

They look great love the way the lines line up.

Mark Sanger was demoing at the club today and was making one of these, and he was telling us all to take care with the parting tool and to make sure that you did not cut all the way through but never got to finish his sentence as he got too the word "way" bang he had gone all the way through and the top left the bottom not in the manner he had intended

Ed

ah yes it was spectacular  but the rework and finish wasn't bad was it. in 20 minutes.

Sorry All quick reply to Mark

Yes the finished piece was great, and you show us all that when things go wrong it's not the end of the world - Thanks again for a great demo 

Ed

[woodndesign]

John,

actually I'm with you, the curves on the one on the left looked okay on the lathe (sideways) but failed when I stood it up. The neck curve is wrong, it should match the first curve of the lid and be more waisted.

It's only a smidgen out but enough to look wrong to a trained eye (well spotted) - still you can't win them all.

I promised sizes;

the tall one is 215mm tall x 100mm at it's widest,

the smaller one is 200mm x 90mm at it's widest.

And in English ... for we old folk ..  ..

[Bryan Milham]

Bigger than 4"