AWGB Woodturning Forum

General Category => Gallery => Topic started by: willstewart on February 03, 2020, 05:42:42 PM

Title: Oak candlestick
Post by: willstewart on February 03, 2020, 05:42:42 PM
An attempt to get a moire-like effect without pre-preparation, using the grain.  Oak (in fact a piece of old fence-post) with black stain and limed wax finish.  The finish gets somewhat greyed by the liming but the effect is still quite interesting I think.  The brass candle holder is sunk into the end - it is quite deep with a cone and 24mm barrel and the space is drilled at the start, with a 24mm wooden plug then inserted to allow turning between centres (including the conical hole for the holder, cutting in to the disposable plug).

One could use ammonia darkening but this would probably count as preparation!
Title: Re: Oak candlestick
Post by: bodrighywood on February 03, 2020, 06:56:08 PM
Nice effect. Oak works well for this sort of thing. Of you wire brush it before staining and liming you can exaggerate the effect though it  would just be different not necessarily better LOL.

Pete
Title: Re: Oak candlestick
Post by: willstewart on February 04, 2020, 08:31:26 AM
bodrighywood - thanks!  In fact I did use a light wire brush designed to open the grain, which does work.  If one used a heavier brush the effect could indeed be interesting but presumably the link to the grain would be lost?
Title: Re: Oak candlestick
Post by: bodrighywood on February 04, 2020, 08:55:04 AM
If you really go for it it rips all the soft grain out and gived a very textured effect. Works well on any open grained wood, This for example was cedar, not sure if ypu can see the depth of the effect.

Pete
Title: Re: Oak candlestick
Post by: willstewart on February 04, 2020, 08:56:23 AM
interesting! - thanks
Title: Re: Oak candlestick
Post by: willstewart on February 04, 2020, 05:06:44 PM
A thinner version - just reduced from the previous one.  Looks better I think?
Title: Re: Oak candlestick
Post by: willstewart on March 13, 2020, 05:38:49 PM
Just to show a pair to this design (they are the same height!).  This design was intended to be fairly fast to make for a show competition - the show now being cancelled I made up one more anyway (the prototype was a single).  The wood has some cracks but these just fill with 'lime' wax and look OK I think.
Title: Re: Oak candlestick
Post by: Mike313 on March 13, 2020, 11:53:45 PM
I like these a lot, especially the base/foot which (to my eyes) has a fluid-like appearance. How are they for balance, they look quite tall with the candle in :)
Title: Re: Oak candlestick
Post by: willstewart on March 14, 2020, 09:44:42 AM
Mike - thanks!

The stability is OK I think - the candlesticks are 300mm tall (+ candles) and the base is around 85mm diameter - these dimensions are much the same as other candlesticks I make.  The top is only around 60mm diameter (same as the metal cups) and the bottom-heavy tapering means that the base is relatively heavy.  The candles are tall but pretty light! (we like these tall tapered Danish ones but obviously you could use others).