Padouk Lidded Pot... First attempt!

[arcos]

It's been a while....

Anyway, a friend asked me to make a little lidded pot for their mother to keep a pair of earrings in, so nothing too big!

A joiner friend gave me a really nice off cut of Padouk that has been drying for about 5 years so, a lidded pot for my friend's mother from padouk...

I have been wanting to have a crack at a lidded pot for a while but not gotten round to it.

I certainly learned a LOT whilst making this including how NOT to make a jam chuck.

Comments appreciated

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Hi Arcos,
              for a first attempt at a lidded box I think you have done very well.
We all have to learn how not to make a jam chuck before we can learn to make one correctly. Any mistakes you make along the way have already been made countless times by those that started before you, the secret is to learn by them and progress.
Regards
John BHT

[Les Symonds]

Hi arcos...good to see you back. I well remember my first lidded box, just several  months back, and I recall how pleased I was to get it right (in the end). Your padouk  (padauk?) box is a great start in the process of turning lidded boxes. Now that you've got the method right you can play all day with different designs....and there's thousands of them!

Well done...Les

[woody]

That is very nice in all the years I have been turning I have made very few of those so well done

[woodndesign]

Hi Arcos, 

Had begin to wonder what happened with you .. But you're back and what a piece to make a re-turn ..  .. with ..  .. a very nice plain an simple box, all it needed for such a stunning Timber, the grain still retains the run and lines up in both side views, a first of many, now you've master this one.

Someone will be very pleased with the box.

Cheers for sharing.    David

[Bryan Milham]

Arcos,

well hello again, good to see you posting your latest. Padouk - who's been finding a source of tropical wood then?

Your first box, and a well presented first effort indeed. Better yet you say it provided a few lessons, so a turn well worth doing.

Thanks for posting and don't be away so long next time.

[arcos]

Hi guys....

Thank you for your very kind comments...

I must say... I have watched several lidded box videos and still not quite there on the 'understanding' of the proper technique, particularly for aligning the grain. I have seen a few videos where there is no real interest in getting an alignment of the grain, normally on 'plain' woods... This padauk cries out for grain alignment... Finding the best way to achieve that is going to be a challenge!

I have a few more "lidded boxes" to come out of this piece of Pakouk, Padauk, Takula... (?) and I really want to try the various methods I have seen to get the best alignment of grain...

Must say though, I am pretty pleased with the alignment I got on the first attempt! It could have been better, it could have been 'simpler' but it was a lovely learning process!!!

And yes, some exotic wood to 'play' with... A friend of mine is a joiner and makes some amazing doors, kitchens, windows AND, lucky for me, has offcuts! He has given me some really nice pieces that I want to work with and this padauk is just one of them! I hope to get at least two or three more boxes out of the Padauk that I have and, I hope, find the easiest way to get grain alignment.

One thing... I hope someone can point me in the right direction... I have to work with limited opportunities for finishing... Mainly concentrating on olive oil, beeswax and a horrible laqueur... I much prefer trying to oil and then 'seal' with a beeswax mix or just beeswax... Is it possible to achieve a 'glossy' finish with JUST beeswax?

[Bryan Milham]

Arcos,

Beeswax is a wonderful stuff, but... it will mark when handled and fade over time unless it is reguarly buffed (think dining table).

Truly, for small items the best thing I can suggest is you look at George Watkins blog (he's on this forum) and find his video of how to buff items. He does it to a acrylic pot but it works just as well on hardwoods (I do it).

You'll need a pigtail (tapered spiral) you can put in your chuck, 3 x 6" buffing wheels, a bar of Tripoli wax (Jewellers Rouge), a bar of white diamond, all of these should be available in Portugal as they are used in machine shops to polish metals. The only thing you'll need to import will be a small bar of Carnubra Wax (Turners Stick).

[arcos]

Hi dr4g0nfly

Thanks for the information...

I do have a couple of questions if I may...

"pigtail"... Not too sure what this is?

Tripoli I think I have found a source here 

White Diamond? I have searched to find what this is made of but cannot find anything?

The last question... And ALWAYS a tricky question to ask...

What ballpark price would you put on this box? it's small, about 3" x 2" max...

I am intrigued only that it is already sold, to a good friend who I asked to name a price for it as it was my first box and, yes it took me some time to complete and could not cost based upon hours spent!

I was handed a 'fistful of $', of which I actually handed some back as I felt it was too much!!!

No, it was not based upon friendship, it was based upon what they would actually pay for this box in a store!

[Bryan Milham]

Arcos,

Follow the links:-

Pigtail (the top 2 are for fitting to a grinder spindle, the bottom one can be held in a chuck http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/Pigtails_for_holding_calico_buffing_mops.html

Buffing compounds (Brown is Tripoli, white is Diamond) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/POLISHING-BUFFING-COMPOUND-500g-soap-wax-bar-all-colours-polish-/221159555474?_trksid=p3284.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D21%26pmod%3D130803265412%26ps%3D54.

What to sell it for - always a difficult question. One for which there is no real answer.

Cost of wood (never mind it was free, what would it cost)
Time (with practice you could probably make 6 - 8 a day) so 1 - 1½ hours of your rate
Overheads (Abrasive, Electricity, rent, rates, etc)
Feelgood factor (Is it a run of the mill turned piece or a high quality item you can charge more for)
Taxmans share (he's going to want his bit)

I know you can say 'but my workshop is free' or something like that, we can all find excuses to reduce costs, don't, especially if it's got high feelgood factor.

[arcos]

dr4g0nfly

Thank you for the links!

From what I can find is that the compounds are for metalwork...?

Price is ALWAYS a difficult question!

I guess it was an open question that there is no real answer for...

The price that was 'paid' far exceeded what I valued the piece at... Even after I handed back some money as being too much!

I felt that the price paid gave me a feelgood factor, but was not  'balanced' price!

Taxan ALWAYS wants his bit of what is declared ;-) Not that I am saying that I under declare or advocate any such action

[Bryan Milham]

all of these should be available in Portugal as they are used in machine shops to polish metals.

Yep,  I said so in an earlier post. Don't worry about it, they work.

Tripoli is around 800 grit but breaks down making a finer polish as you use it. Make sure it's all off before you change the cloth wheel for the White Diamond - this is not really abrasive but starts the high polish and then the Carnubra (Turners Stick) adds the High Hard Gloss.