AWGB Woodturning Forum
General Category => Gallery => Topic started by: flames on November 24, 2013, 09:37:16 PM
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Hello fellow turners, after enjoying viewing others turnery and a little prodding from georg (Diane & Tony) I thought it about time I post some of my work.
This is a Yew hemisphere (sort of) 320mm diameter sat on a toroid. Rough turned & kiln dried to 5% MC, with almost no movement, finished turned to a wall thickness of about 7mm. Finished with Treatex hard wax oil, sanded back and Bee's wax finally.
C&C welcome.
Tom.
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tom not what i seen early today we need another photo of it the right way up tony.
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Hi Tom...I never, ever tire of looking at yew, there can be few timbers world-wide that surpass it's beauty. I love what you've done with this piece and a great idea with the ring for displaying it. A great opening piece fpr your journey into posting pics in this forum. Thanks so much for posting such a pleasant item.
Les
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Tom,
Welcome to the forum as a posting participant, it's always good when someone who's been reading for a while decides to start posting work for us to see. Thank you for being the latest.
Yep we definatley need to see the form the other way up - or is it meant to be seen in this position?
I like the idea of the torus as a foot to support the form. I've turned a few curved base forms and allowed them to find their own balance point, but the seperate ring is a whole new idea to think about.
A good smooth curve to the form and a fine finish, although if the image could have been reduced in size a little it would be easier to see.
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Thanks for the +ve comments.
Not sure why some of you can't see both the pics in my original post, but I've resized them and re-posted below. Also see the link.
It'll take me a while to get used to the nuances of the posting mechanics here, hopefully these pics are clearer.
(note to Mod's, preview post doesn't show attachments, and also would it be possible to have a photo auto resize function, this would greatly aid some of the less computer savy users on the forum - me included)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Phoenix-Turner/466495826726895?id=466495826726895&sk=photos_stream
I'll try to post some more detail later...
Thanks.
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that,s better tom magic link
tony
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Hi Tom, If there is any timber that is of note for what it can yield, then Yew is well up there, if not top and as you can harvest yout own timber, you've a large pick of the best, as well as Tony's supply.
Like Les, I love to see the results of a beautiful piece, which is shown here.
You've some very impressive work on your website & FB... and that's one serious Stihl saw.
That you for sharing.
David
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Tom,
just taken a peek at your website. I recognise them hills, I lived and worked at the northern end of them for 5 years.
What a wonderful part of the country to live in.
Oh, and you gallery showes some wonderfully turned and finished pieces.
Bryan
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Thanks for taking a look at my website/facebook pages, they both need some attention/new material though, glad to share.
More on the Yew hemisphere: this was not only an experiment in design but also on how to improve how Yew ages. I've turned quite a few pieces in Yew, it is a fantastic wood, hard work, but the vividness of the material on a well executed piece can be amazing.
I used Treatex in an attempt to seal the wood to prevent it oxidizing and losing that vividness, that was also the reason for taking the M/C so low. How ever I struggled to get a good finish with the Treatex, nice sheen, but runs/brush/cloth marks, so after re-applying about 4 times, I gave up and flatted it back before the Bee's wax. Hopefully the sealing properties on the hard wax oil will still be present.
Also I include for interest an unusual chucking method, and some vivid Yew.
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Love it Tom Yew in my reckoning is one of the most beautiful wood in all of gods creation looking on your F/B i envy you with such a vast wood supply keep the photos coming I do enjoy looking at other peoples work
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Whoa, I bet that ratchet strap through the balance out.
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Have i seen this bowl on Arbtalk fourm
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Whoa, I bet that ratchet strap through the balance out.
Not noticable actually, the apple wood faceplate (a rough turned bowl) was quite heavy/dense, so didn't effect the CofG to much.
Have i seen this bowl on Arbtalk fourm
Yes, I recongnised your name too Bellringer.
Tom
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Some new additions, Olive NE bowl, Sweet Chestnut NE bowl and a Walnut HF from a big crotch. The Walnut HF is nearly 1/2m in diameter, it was the best way I could think of to show off the amazing crotch grain ripple, looks nice in the pic, but incredible in the flesh.
More info/background here.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.520878551288622.1073741825.466495826726895&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.466513420058469.106192.466495826726895&type=3
Festive greetings!
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Nice work there Flames ! Shallow profile/ squat hollow forms are not easy at all , but to show off crotch figuring they need to be shallow , I usually turn a platter from such wood ( because it is easier !!! ) so well done ! Looking at your info pics I was wondering what lathe are you using ? and your preferred hollowing tool is ? An Olive tree is a rare find ! a couple of years ago I delivered (by lorry ) a large Olive tree to Penzance , in a large tub the combined weight was about 2 tons !! Terry......
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The hollow form is fun, I do like what looks like a wing effect caused by the grain patterns.
but the natural edge bowls, these are what it's all about, showing off the wood to it's best effect.
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Hi Tom
Beautiful examples of your work,very impressive.
My personal favourite is the Olive NE bowl.
Look forward to seeing more examples in 2014
Regards,
Rod
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Hi Tom and all the rest of you I'm also new to the forum my name is Ed. I'm also new to wood turning in fact so new I've brought a new lathe which I've had for a week and it's still not seen a piece of wood, (no power to the workshop until today)
Tom the yew look's stunning!!! And looking at your fb link so does the rest of your work, I will be a proud man if I can get my turning to look as good.
I have a question about yew, I purchase about a ton of yew for a few quid, from a fellow who got it for firewood, but thought it was too good to burn (how right he was) it's been cut since about March this year, how long do I need to leave it to season?
I'll post some more details about me in the near.
Ed
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I have a question about yew, I purchase about a ton of yew for a few quid, from a fellow who got it for firewood, but thought it was too good to burn (how right he was) it's been cut since about March this year, how long do I need to leave it to season?
Ed
Hi Ed, and welcome to the forum. As for your question; it's not a straightforward answer, I'm afraid. much depends on thickness and the old rule of thumb is to allow 1 year for each 1" of thickness. However, much can be done with green wood, if you're happy to experiment and to turn things down to a very thin wall-thickness, but perhaps as you're a complete beginner, that would be a bit too demanding for now.
If you've got logs, whether braches or trunks, get the ends smothered in something to seal them. Melted wax is ideal, but a good heavy coat of paint will do wonders if you haven't got access to wax. Wood loses moisture through the ends of the logs very rapidly, so this is where it's more inclined to crack.....sealing the ends will help to reduce the cracking.
It might also be worth investing in a little hand-held moisture meter. These are available on ebay and can be quite inexpensive....mine cost under £20 and is very useful. If you get one, try testing some of your furniture by jabbing its probes into the underside of table tops or chair rails, and you'll soon get a feel for what moisture content your own furniture is. Mine is at about 12%, so I tend to keep my wood in my workshop and get it down to about 15% to 18% moisture content if I'm making finished pieces for sale. However, I also turn quite wet wood, if I want pieces that are going to have a lot of character and natural defects I them.
Give it a go!
Les
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Ed,
trusting that Tom does not mind us hijacking his thread for a moment, take a look at the 11th post down here (http://www.awgb.co.uk/awgbforum/index.php/topic,1309.msg9513.html#msg9513 (http://www.awgb.co.uk/awgbforum/index.php/topic,1309.msg9513.html#msg9513)) by Mark Sanger.
He shows how to section a log and how much extra timber to leave on wet wood to allow it to be re-turned once dry.
If you want more assistance, open a new thread and ask the question, we'll answer them for you.
And welcome to the forum.
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Nice work there Flames ! Shallow profile/ squat hollow forms are not easy at all , but to show off crotch figuring they need to be shallow , I usually turn a platter from such wood ( because it is easier !!! ) so well done ! Looking at your info pics I was wondering what lathe are you using ? and your preferred hollowing tool is ? An Olive tree is a rare find ! a couple of years ago I delivered (by lorry ) a large Olive tree to Penzance , in a large tub the combined weight was about 2 tons !! Terry......
Thanks Terry. The lathe I use the most is one I built myself, it's quite simple, just a bit of frame with some self aligning pillow block bearings Ø60mm spindle with a direct mount DIN6350 chuck, it's driven with an inverter speed controlled 3hp motor. The hollowing tool I use the most is probably the 'Big brother' but actually I use a variety of bastadised hollowing tools, depending on the task. I'm never quite happy with their performance though, what's your favorite hollowing tool, looks like you get some good results from the HF's of yours I've seen on Arbtalk.
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Tom the yew look's stunning!!! And looking at your fb link so does the rest of your work, I will be a proud man if I can get my turning to look as good.
I have a question about yew, I purchase about a ton of yew for a few quid, from a fellow who got it for firewood, but thought it was too good to burn (how right he was) it's been cut since about March this year, how long do I need to leave it to season?
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Ed
Thanks Ed & Welcome. I 2nd the above advise re your Yew. But I would further say with Yew specifically rough turn green/wet, it's so much easier to work, dry to a low moisture content (less than 10%) in a controlled way before finish turning and then seal it. Yew looks really stunning when you 1st turn it, but over time the colours dull. I've not fully concluded exactly how or why, but I think it's to do with it oxidising, so by really drying it and sealing it, it stands a better chance of aging well. You're welcome to give me a bell, and I can explain in more detail.
Thanks also for the other +ve comments, happy Crimbo!
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Thanks Tom and all for the advice, I think that I'll have a play with the yew and see what happens. Sorry if I've hijack you post Tom
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Thanks Terry. The lathe I use the most is one I built myself, it's quite simple, just a bit of frame with some self aligning pillow block bearings Ø60mm spindle with a direct mount DIN6350 chuck, it's driven with an inverter speed controlled 3hp motor. The hollowing tool I use the most is probably the 'Big brother' but actually I use a variety of bastadised hollowing tools, depending on the task. I'm never quite happy with their performance though, what's your favorite hollowing tool, looks like you get some good results from the HF's of yours I've seen on Arbtalk.
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Hi, again, I thought it could possibly be a home made lathe but just not sure ! For hollowing tools I use Sorby scrapers ( with 6mm finger nail tips ) but have a series of tool bars that I can fit them to , One is 4 foot long and 1" solid bar . I have a Big Brother but never use it to be honest , It seems fine on clean end grain but pretty useless on lumps of burr with voids, bark inclusions etc... I have posted a few pics on Arbtalk (I was a Tree Surgeon for 20+years ) and just cannot get pics on this site !!! Terry ....
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Tom, what more can I add, three delightful and stunning pieces, very difficult to say any one of them is the best, each has it's own character and merit, but above all it's having the whole tree .. opens a whole new realm of possibilities in form and figure, you can cut or orientate for the best grain, then a piece can still yield surprises during turning.
The narrow winner has to be the ... Olive .. and the Walnut just pips the Sweet Chestnut, then that's just me.
It's always nice to see WIP, it documents so much of interest and reference. You've had the Olive for sometime now, as I'm sure I'd seen a past post a year or so ago on you having to clear them from a garden, following their death from the years of relentless cold winters, the loss of some beautiful trees, but gain in timber.
Cheers David
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A recent completion - Oak burr, Ø350mm x 250mm, 12mm wall. I'm pleased with this piece, though it is very difficult to photograph well, like many turned items, it looks better in the flesh.
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Hi Tom
Well these are stunning and get my vote.
Ed
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Ah.. in the flesh, really with turning it's more getting to the bare bones, we strip away the surface and as here, come across the ultimate in perfection, one beautiful piece of figured burr, nature at it's best in a classic form.
Yep, very Pleasing to the eye, well done Tom.
Cheers David
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There is a very thick growth layer on that Burr but it works in the final piece as the effect it produces enhances the form by it's extra depth under the natural edge.
A very fine form and great finish.
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Hello folks, it's been quite some time since I've posted anything here, but I have enjoyed the recent gallery posts, so thought I should contribute one of my own.
Spalted Hornbeam NE, 250mm dia x 160mm tall, a little punky in places but pretty solid, finished with sanding sealer & Danish oil.
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Very striking piece Tom..... Finished to your usual high standard
Tony Di
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'Pill' Box, in Cedar dia.60 x 115 tall, finished in Treatex. Thanks for the help Tony!
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(sorry pic is at 90deg, no idea why this happens, no matter what I do it comes in like this. Possibly some thing to do with my OS. Damn computers!)
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Having continued to enjoy others picture postings, thought is was over due that I add some of my own + new camera...
Smallish Brown Oak burr HF
Oak HF 'Pebble', Bleached (didn't look good - aged yellow) burned, brushed, 'ebonised' and lime waxed (@ Tony and Di's, initially intended to try the silver gilt...)
Spalted Birch HF
Large Walnut HF - crotch ripple (posted before, but now polished up a bit), new camera showing the amazing chatoyance (hopefully)
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Tom,
A choice of 4 great forms, don't make life easy for us will you!
okay, for me it has to be the Oak pebble, it's gone through so many processes to become what it is. It looks like something that I'd keep on my desk and pick-up and run my hands around while thinking, feeling the texture under my fingertips.
p.s. you can start a new thread for each posting if you want to.
Bryan
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Know we have said it before Tom........ Think you need to open a new thread.... there`s no extra charge ;D ;D ;D.
Having seen the Walnut one in the flesh, I think the forum members would like to see a photo of it from above showing
the crotch. Could we also have some sizes knowing how big that Walnut one is
Tony
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All four get my vote :)
Ed
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Stunning pieces.
Cheers for sharing. David
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Hello again Tom (you kindly gave me some sound advice about turning green wood about 18 months ago, when I first started turning, on an arb forum).
Great to see some more of your work on here - some great forms.
I think my favourite's must be the brown oak burr h/f for its shape and the walnut h/f for the beauty of that wood (but its a bit difficult to see the whole shape from that photo)
Many thanks again for your previous help and advice
Kind regards
David
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Thanks for the comments all.
(-you're most welcome David - Green Man, impressed with the Open sided Yew HF btw)
-approx. sizes:
Burr Oak HF- Ø150x120
Oak Pebble HF - Ø200x100
Splated Birch HF - Ø250x200
Walnut crotch HF - Ø500x220
Will try to post a plan picture of the Walnut some time. (see also page one for the whole form)
Cheers.
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A spalted Alder bowl with undercut rim, finished in food safe oil, Ø310x100.
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A little spalted Beech O-gee bowl, resurrected from a rejected blank...
Ø230mm x 50mm, just finished with cellulose sanding sealer lightly buffed.
More detail here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.922665231109950.1073741834.466495826726895&type=3
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That's one sweet piece, form and finish. had a look at the WIP, well done.
Cheers David
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Thanks David, for a scratty bit of wood, I too think it has turned out quite well.
Tom.
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Why don't you start anew thread when you have new work to show I really cant be bothered looking through this thread it is confusing.
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Why don't you start anew thread when you have new work to show I really cant be bothered looking through this thread it is confusing.
George this is a thread of work that I've made, I don't often post, hence why there is only 3 pages. This is a small forum, but actually this is quite common practice for a person to have a thread that they keep adding to over time. It is easier to search for, and make external links to, a single place. This helps the forum, users and people searching for them and their work. But like many things it is also personal preference, to which we are all entitled. If you are finding this confusing, in future when you see a multi page thread with a new posting, simply click the last page to see the most recent postings, again this is pretty typical forum behavior.
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agreed, you know where something will be then if you wish to show it to someone.
i've done the same thing myself on the other forum that myself and tom are on.
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A few new contributions from over the Christmas period... nothing flashy, but just completions of pieces that have long been rough turned.
A Tiger Oak HF (bit of an experiment), Cherry rim bowl, and Spalted Beech OG bowls.
Bit more here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Phoenix-Turner/466495826726895
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.467938433249301.106578.466495826726895&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.466498770059934.106189.466495826726895&type=3
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Three very nice piece's I particularly like the hollow form.
Ed
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All Three Are Nicely Done Tom...... Cracking piece of Tiger Oak.... I`ll be going through mine .... might find the other half.
Tony d
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I like all three, and each deserves its own thread....bit of a shame that they got added onto the end of an old thread....was there any reason for doing it that way?
My preferance is for the oak hf and I think that the double collar looks chunky and bold, which suits the grain quite well.
Les
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They all look very good indeed !! Great selection and use of wood , the brown / tiger oak is great and the spalted beech is about as spalted and dramatic as it can get before being no good at all , well done ..
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Thanks for the comments folks, quite surprised the HF has been received so well, I was unsure about it to begin with, but it has grown on me, perhaps it's just the wood :-).
-you know Tony we cut that Oak back in 2010! - good foreman you made too! :-)
Thanks Les, (thread continuation reason described previously)
Indeed Terry - spalted beech was on the limit and did require a tube of super glue...
Happy turnings.
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Some really lovely plum...
-getting the finish right was a bit of a pain - sanding sealed then Mylands Danish oil, but it was too shinny, so flatted it back with thinners then a mild buff.
Also wasn't quite dry enough, around 16% MC, so they have moved a little.
-more here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1026248904084915.1073741835.466495826726895&type=3
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In my book, the middle one of the three wins. It has a good definition to the rim between the bowl and the flat, and a solid edge to it. The first one looses one edge into the bark and the rounded-over edge of the last one just doesn't work for me.
Les
p.s. you'd have done better to have started a new thread with these, rather than keep tagging your work onto the end of such an old thread. There may well be members who have read the thread before, and don't bother to reopen it to see your new posting.
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nice work tom. nice colour too, i got a bit of 12" diameter damson and it's mostly sap coloured.
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Nice work Tom , you have done well for them not to have split / warped too much whilst drying , nice colour as well ( was it Pissard plum ? ) no sniggering it is a real species !! ( purple leaved ) I have recently made a few similar from Birch and Ash , in the same style as 2& 3 with hard edges and soft / rounded, and not sure which I prefer really but one similar to no 2 sold quickly after going on sale , and I now have a couple of Yew ones to finish as well .... Terry
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Hi Tom nice piece of work I love the grain & colours of Plum I do think you should take the advice given and start a new thread for each new piece.I makes for easier for viewing.
Regards John
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Thanks for the comments folks.
These pieces did move and split a lot during drying (after rough turning) despite my best efforts, in fact Les that's why the 1st one brakes into the bark, as I had to do that to make it 'clean up', otherwise it would have been like the middle one.
Don't know if it's Pissard Terry, I didn't see the tree in leaf, but quite possibly. -look forward to seeing your work-in-progress completions. -and yes these shapes do sell well, these have already gone.
Shame we missed you at the club last week John, you could have seen these in the 'flesh', not sure I've got much left now, a few members have made some pieces with it...
Cheers.
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All 3 have their plus points, The first the really sharp edge to the bowl section, the second is the overall balance of the shape, the third is far more dramatic with the 3 legs of the crotch. But if pushed, it'll be the middle one (just), they are all great looking and well made and finished.
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All 3 have their plus points, The first the really sharp edge to the bowl section, the second is the overall balance of the shape, the third is far more dramatic with the 3 legs of the crotch. But if pushed, it'll be the middle one (just), they are all great looking and well made and finished.
Thanks,
Actually I think the middle just photographed best... :)
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-thought I'd share a recent piece, with 'Text', quite successful. Ø265 Brown Oak finished with lime wax. (Sorry not a great photo...)
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A very nice piece Tom ...... You seem to have found some brown oak with no cracks.
Tony di
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Good looking plate and a nice, clean piece of brown oak. How did you apply the text...it looks to be embossed?
Les
p.s. ... it really would help if you started a new post for each new item that you put on the forum!
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The plate looks great, the lettering looks laser etched or possibly a CNC machine with a small cutter.
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Na Tony, it had a few cracks in, but I've filled them, not too bad though.
Les, it's not embossed, but debossed...
Nothing fancy of Hi-Tech about the lettering production, -think of a really simple way of doing this... like all 'magic' not impressive when you know the trick :)
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Some recent turnery-
A Walnut NE bow "Old Nail" with 'tall bark' and a lot of super glue, a Box Alder NE bowl, a small Ceder rim bowl and rectangular edged bowl from a piece of ~400 year old beam salvaged from a barn fire.
Old Nail and Burnt Barn Beam Bowl were quite challenging to turn and keep in one piece, but with the aid of about a gallon of super glue worth the effort I think.
Walnut about Ø330 x h230 finished with Danish oil, Box Alder: Ø210 x h260 also finished with Danish oil, Ceder Ø225 x h65 no finish (because of nice smell) and Oak 330 x 200 x h130 wire brushed to accentuate the gain + cellulose sealer finish - N.B. burnt edges were the exterior faces of the beam.
Some WIP and more detail here:
(New pieces toward album end.)
https://www.facebook.com/466495826726895/photos/?tab=album&album_id=467938433249301
(Old Nail)
https://www.facebook.com/466495826726895/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1124596694250135
Happy turning!
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some nice bits tom. really like the nail in the walnut.
by the way, it's spelled box elder. not alder.
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Thanks Steve,
I'm not even 100% sure it's Box Elder, as I've only ever seen this used by American turners, and I didn't take the tree down myself - which came from Worcester somewhere I believe. Alder/Elder or whatever it is the red is quite vivid, and hasn't faded, since 2012 when I rough turned this!
Cheers.
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It's box elder, which is also called ash-leaved maple, and it's native to North America, which is why you don't see it very often over here. In addition, the red colouring requires infestation by a particular beetle. The beetle causes an injury and the tree responds with the colouration.
This is a beautiful piece, and probably the one I like the best out of the four.
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Our favourite Tom is the Elder Alder....... Having seen the lump you started with its a great choice of shape.
Tony di
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I've got to go with the last piece, the scorched beam.
The thickness of the square section is perfectly even and the overall effect says 'I've lived a life before this'.
Great bit of turning.
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Thank you for the comments folks, always interesting to hear others views.
I think I marginally like the brunt one over the others, possibly due to it's shape, texture and provenance.
Although the Walnut one 'works' I feel, working within the constraints of the roughed out form - the presence of the nail caused the final shape to be a little different than I would have chosen in it's absence. - would have been bigger diameter at the top, making the curve a larger radius. However I have an interesting feature with the nail which I wouldn't have otherwise. Swings and roundabouts.
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One of the first things that I finished on the new lathe.
Simple Olive Ash OG bowl, lovely figure.
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A very delicate bowl and I agree with you comment on the figure in the wood, stunning.
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A very delicate bowl and I agree with you comment on the figure in the wood, stunning.
Thanks :)
A few recents - Laburnum plank bowls, interesting grain in the shallow one.
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A little more information of the dimensions of the timber would be nice, but just looking at the waves in the bowl section makes me want to dig out some of my laburnum and have a go at one of these.
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Good point, sorry.
Approximately 180x400x70, and 220x420x45