Scorched and wrapped!

[Les Symonds]

This started life as a piece of ash in a farmer's firewood log-pile which I rummaged through a year or so ago. It has numerous fine cracks on one of the end-grain areas, so I scorched, scoured and verdigris waxed it, whilst the inside was bleached to remove some of the grey pigmentation caused by fungal attack. When turning the outside, at the last minute before preparing to scorch, I decide to add some copper bindings, so cut the groove ready for it.
My apology for the photo quality....the bowl was collected from the shop as soon as it was waxed, so I didn't have an opportunity to bring it home to photograph it properly.....just done with the mobile phone on a display shelf in the shop.

C&C always welcome...Les

[Bryan Milham]

Firewood!

Some people have a strange way of describing things.

You've rescued this poor piece of wood and given it a second chance to be loved and appreciated, as ever well done.

[Misa]

Good grief, that is fabulous. 

[Les Symonds]

Good grief, that is fabulous. 

Good grief....that's nice....thank you! 

[John Plater]

Les,
That is a lovely simple form which lets the wood do its stuff. Natural wood, scorch and copper blend well together. How is the copper joined ?
Firewood piles are always worth a rummage, once on a farm I found bog oak ! Apparently they leave it to dry at the edge of the field when they plough it up then put it on the log pile. The same source also rendered black poplar and ornamental cherry.
Did I read somewhere that one of the big named UK woodturners call his/her work "upcycled firewood" ?
ATB John

[Les Symonds]

...How is the copper joined ? ...

....I make a decision as to where the rear-centre of the bowl will be, then drill two 1.5mm holes immediately alongside the groove for the wire, one hole on each side of the groove. The end of the wore is then bent over and cut off such that it's a mm or so, longer than a hole's depth, then the end of the wire is dipped in ca adhesive, pressed into a hole and held in place for a few minutes. Winding then takes place until the groove is full of copper ( I calculate the groove's width to suit however many turns of copper that I want) and when the copper finally arrives at the starting point, I clamp it in place with a soft-faced clamp, snip it off, bend it over, dribble a little ca onto it and press it into the other hole. I also dip a dental-pick into my bottle of ca and let it drip a few beads of ca onto the wire at each hole.
Once or twice I've had doubts about how well the ca might hold, so I've cut some copper staples to reinforce the winds.
Les

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

I recently made a similar bowl to this in Oak. It had been part of an old lock gate and was as hard as anything to turn but turn it did. I put wire in as you have done but I wound mine on and off a few times so that the wire took on the shape (curve) I then spread clear epoxy resin in the groove and worked hard and fast to replace the wire which was a bit easier due to putting it on and off a few times. Clamped it off the same way and it looked a dream. Hoping to sell it this weekend.

[Nick Simpson]

You inspired me to do this sort of stuff Les.
This is very nice with exemplary finish
As we discussed we use the same fixing method but I haven't tried your thickness of wire.
Thanks for more inspiration
regards
Nick

[malcy]

That is a very nice effect, Les. The copper and the verdigris go so well together. I used to make lace bobbins with copper wire wound on and used the same way to fix it, except that we did not have CA glue then. I had to use two part epoxy. Very well done, Les.

[Derek]

What can I say Les a pile of rubbish into a beautiful bowl. Like the combination of different elements. 



I have turned a cylinder of Oak and scorched that and then applied different things as a guide to what things look like ready for something I will make later and it also served as a aid for the demo I gave last week