Having spent two weeks away from the lathe because of a holiday over half-term, and then another two weeks away from it because the first two weeks of the new term were manic (and that's putting it mildly), I then met with a horrible accident and my GP said that there was to be no operating of machinery because the vibrations would transmit through my arms into my neck. So that was 6 weeks gouge-less! Well, at last, the doc has said that I can do an occasional hour of light wood-turning, so I've been concentrating on some tourist-friendly, reasonably priced stuff for an Information Centre nearby. Although I did push the boat out and make one large trinket box - perhaps I'll call it a 'Gent's Keepsake Box'.
By the way....if anyone knows what burr that is, please let me know, because I haven't got a clue. It was amongst a mixed bag of offcuts that I bought.
Inspiration for the miniature bird-house comes straight from Dale Nish and his excellent little boo kon the subject. They're made out of all manner of offcuts and bits of reclaimed window frame.
The pendants, once again, use up offcuts of burrs and other woods, so a great way to avoid waste. I made a couple of jigs for making them, the best one being a wooden cylinder which fits into my 120mm deep-jaws for my Patriot chuck. The cylinder had an off centre circular recess to set the pendant into, and I cut it twice a along diagonals to turn it into a set of 4 jaws....works a dream for drilling and finishing the off-centre work.
I also made a load of spinning tops, but they're not worth showing, but here's the keepsake-box, made of sycamore and about 6" tall x 3.5" diam....
That piece of burr was very oily...it clogged up my Rhyno abrasives.
Can't wait to get physio over and done with, then get a big lump on the lathe!
Les