Author Topic: Horse Chestnut Platter  (Read 2456 times)

Offline Paul Hannaby

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Horse Chestnut Platter
« on: July 03, 2018, 04:11:25 PM »
I haven't posted any photos for ages so here's a 23" diameter platter made from horse chestnut. The wood had some awesome figure, burr and a bit of spalting too so I did a close up photo!

There's also a photo of the setup used to turn it - lathe set up for outboard turning with vacuum chuck attached.


Offline Les Symonds

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Re: Horse Chestnut Platter
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2018, 04:15:11 PM »
An absolutely stunning piece of wood....must have been a fair sized tee.
Les
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Offline Paul Hannaby

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Re: Horse Chestnut Platter
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2018, 04:18:38 PM »
I was told the tree was planted in 1710 (wood from Nigel Fleckney) so yes, it was a big one!

Offline John Plater

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Re: Horse Chestnut Platter
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2018, 10:01:15 AM »
Lovely timber, lovely platter. Well worth sharing !! A customer bought a massive slab of 5" thick Horse Chestnut from a woodyard and then gave me a shopping list of items he wanted making from it, one of which was a large platter and a set of skittles ! As a turning timber it can have such a lot to offer instanced by the compression grain and burry bits which you have brought out in your piece. A lovely plain design which lets the timber speak for itself.
ATB John
If I had a better lathe, I would be able to show my ineptitude more effectively.

Offline fuzzyturns

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Re: Horse Chestnut Platter
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2018, 03:57:14 PM »
All true, but horse chestnut is also prone to rotting from the inside out. I managed to salvage about 500kg from a tree in Edgbaston, but the rot was everywhere and it spreads in a very radial form, thereby creating a lot of waste. OTOH, the colours in a spalting horse chestnut are quite unbelievable. Didn't get much burr or rippling, so well done, Paul.

Offline Bryan Milham

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Re: Horse Chestnut Platter
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2018, 12:06:34 PM »
Paul,

I've always turned my nose up at Horse Chestnut, soft & fluffy stuff.

But this might just change my mind.

great looking and big platter to boot.
Oh Lord, Lead me not into temptation…

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Offline Derek

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Re: Horse Chestnut Platter
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2018, 01:03:49 PM »
As i stated elsewhere lovely platter. Horse chestnut is a great wood especially the burrs which I still have another 5 or 6 left to turn.

Offline John Plater

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Re: Horse Chestnut Platter
« Reply #7 on: July 05, 2018, 01:08:39 PM »
Paul,

I've always turned my nose up at Horse Chestnut, soft & fluffy stuff.

But this might just change my mind.

great looking and big platter to boot.
If you are lucky enough to find Burr Horse Chestnut it is superb. As the timber is so light in colour one might turn it very thin to become translucent. Turned green it hangs together quite well. The patterning in the grain is so varied I found different markings through out the wall thickness by shining a light through it. Customers also relate well to a conker tree !!
ATB John
If I had a better lathe, I would be able to show my ineptitude more effectively.

Offline Walnut Les

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Re: Horse Chestnut Platter
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2018, 09:46:22 PM »
Well turned Paul, a lovely bit of wood with a nice grain pattern in it. Les