Pendant

[willstewart]

A small (45mm dia) piece from available offcuts for a club competition inspired by a Sue Harker demo.  A glued sandwich of rosewood and roughened 1mm pewter sheet with an edge groove cut on the lathe for a 6*1mm marquetry inlay strip (http://www.originalmarquetry.co.uk/) glued in. Offset turned for the secondary hole and resulting metal circle, done carefully with a 12mm bowl gouge in drag mode.  Not perfect, in that the wood tends to be uneven on the metal boundary where the angle is too slight - might do better another time (although this was try 2!). The marquetry strip would break bent to this radius as supplied but is surprisingly easy to steam bend to shape (grid in saucepan above a little boiling water for a few minutes). Then held with a tight plastic cable tie, both for cooling after bending and again to glue.  The back is just gently rounded. Finish food safe oil.

Pics attached of the tie stage and the offset jam chuck (naturally one remembers to include a pencil hole in the back of the chuck centre to evict the piece but does one remember to extend it to allow for the offset!?).

[willstewart]

An all-wood version (sandalwood/blackwood/box)

[Mike313]

Very distinctive pieces. Quite delicate work getting all the elements together. I'd probably use something thinner than the green ribbon to 'carry' them. Maybe a thin leather thong. Or I suppose you could also set a silver 'eye' like you'd see on a silver pendant and then use a thin chain. They could also be great as a key fob. They are very eye-catching. I like them !

[Percy]

Great - I think I like the all wood version more than the one with pewter, although I appreciate the difficulty and skill required to complete the pewter version. I think I'm with Mike regarding what the pendant is hung on. I think I might have gone for a thin chain of some description and maybe not hung it through the main hole but drilled an extra small attachment hole laterally through the top edge. Lovely work.

[willstewart]

Mike, Percy

Thanks for the kind & helpful comments.  I think you are right about the ribbon and here is the second pendant with a shoelace cord - leather might be even better, I shall see!

The first one used the inlay because I had the offcut but it does render it a bit chunky - not sure it is ideal!

[Mike313]

I think that's an improvement, the lace, being thinner, doesn't detract so much from the pendant and the fact that it colour-matches helps too

[willstewart]

v3 - with a red dyed tulipwood veneer between the woods (& opposite woods - I used a sacrificial piece at the back to avoid using too much blackwood).  The joint is still not perfect - sanding better than a tool here I think.  And the piece initially rotated a bit in the jam chuck - needed more masking tape to firm up, which is why a bit deeper cut.

[BrianH]

On the question of leather thongs.
Some years ago I bought a leather jacket at a car boot sale (50p and I was robbed, guess its condition!) and have been cutting bits from it ever since. The only trouble has been that 'Management' has never stopped reminding me that the seller was completely crest fallen because I flatly refused his request to try the filthy thing on before I bought it.
Brian