Author Topic: Eloise (offset turned figurine)  (Read 2177 times)

Offline willstewart

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Eloise (offset turned figurine)
« on: January 31, 2021, 09:50:24 AM »
Another potential competition piece for our (Tudor) club. My wife named her Eloise.

I made a figurine for this pre-pandemic (also on this forum) but the new rules require an offset-turned version so here it (she) is!

The novel feature I think is the necklaces which are made like the classic celtic pattern on pens by cutting the original block at an angle and re-gluing with thin red veneers sandwiched between the pieces which then show as arcs on turning.  Woods purpleheart & tulipwood (& oak base).  The figure is about 230mm high.

The hat and base are turned separately and the hat band is a cross-cut (& thus easily bendable) strip of the same red-dyed tulipwood veneer. The 'flowers' are small bits of marquetry inlay strip ground roughly circular on the end of a piece of dowelling.

To those wondering about her wasp waist end grain wood join - yes this was a bit optimistic and it did split late in turning and was re-joined with an 8mm dowel down the centre, which it probably should have had in the first place!
« Last Edit: January 31, 2021, 06:27:23 PM by willstewart »

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: Eloise (offset turned figurine)
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2021, 10:41:39 AM »
Seen a few of these over the years but you have definitely put your own stamp on this. Love the way ylou have used the different woods and gone that extra bit with the flowers and hat.

Pete
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Offline Bill21

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Re: Eloise (offset turned figurine)
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2021, 01:34:00 PM »
I have to say it’s not my kind of thing but you’ve done a very good job on it.

Offline Valkrider

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Re: Eloise (offset turned figurine)
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2021, 02:59:18 PM »
Looks really good and I like the extra touches of the necklace and the flowers on the hat. I must have a go at one of these once I can work out how to turn it.

Offline willstewart

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Re: Eloise (offset turned figurine)
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2021, 06:33:15 PM »
Thanks All!  We will see how it does....

Offline Martin Lawrence

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Re: Eloise (offset turned figurine)
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2021, 12:20:45 PM »

  Hi All,

Attached are is the method I used when making these.

Cheers Martin.
Martin Lawrence

Offline willstewart

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Re: Eloise (offset turned figurine)
« Reply #6 on: February 01, 2021, 01:27:40 PM »
Martin - great instructions and a nice-looking figure but to avoid alarming Valkrider too much Eloise was in fact just turned between centres with only one central and one offset (tailstock) point at the 'head' end (headstock/dress end with a crown driver always central to maximise the dress diameter).  But to make this work I used a 25mm or so long full diameter sacrificial cylinder at the head end (otherwise there is nowhere to put the offset point), which is then removed after turning and the top of the head (covered by the hat anyway) finished by hand. 

I did make a test figure in pine with tapered legs and double (ie both ends with opposite directions) offsets (also between centres) but elected to use the purpleheart to make a flowing dress instead. So in fact there are only two axes in the turning on the final figure, above and below the bust, as it were!
« Last Edit: February 01, 2021, 01:41:33 PM by willstewart »

Offline Bryan Milham

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Re: Eloise (offset turned figurine)
« Reply #7 on: February 01, 2021, 02:30:09 PM »
That is probably the nicest off-centre turned lady I've ever seen.
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Offline Derek

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Re: Eloise (offset turned figurine)
« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2021, 02:42:43 PM »
Very nice. They are great fun to turn not that I would want to turn too many. I have done a couple out of yew which I found great for this type of turning

Offline Martin Lawrence

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Re: Eloise (offset turned figurine)
« Reply #9 on: February 03, 2021, 11:34:05 AM »

  Here is a split version of the above plans two pieces of wood stuck together with a paper liner in between and separated after turning. Framed and hangs in my conservatory.

Cheers Martin.
Martin Lawrence

Offline willstewart

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Re: Eloise (offset turned figurine)
« Reply #10 on: February 03, 2021, 03:37:28 PM »
Martin = a clever use of the newspaper split & I like the shoes!. Mind you I might call it 'The Gossipers' for example rather than just Ash figures!

Offline willstewart

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Re: Eloise (offset turned figurine)
« Reply #11 on: February 07, 2021, 10:51:18 AM »
Eloise becomes a princess!

An alternative version to an amended design - particularly to get a fuller skirt starting from a larger piece of wood (only for the skirt - the other sections sized as before).

I think this works reasonably well, especially the fuller skirt, although I think the hat may work better than the coronet! Comments welcome.

Notes:-

-   The new skirt is ripple sycamore - which gives a lovely and appropriate silky patterning (particularly at rear - see pic) after oil finishing, but the grain tends to tear even with sharp tools so a good deal of sanding is needed.

-   The top is tulipwood as before but the necklace, belt (my wife's suggestion) and coronet base are purpleheart. The coronet is a hand bent piece of pewter sheet. Base oak.

-   The waist has a pre-fitted dowel in the middle (locating needs care because of the offset) - this worked but the piece did still split in turning and get re-joined now at the necklace joint. I would appreciate some guidance here.  I have tended to keep speeds down to say 500rpm when turning these but I now think I might be better off with a higher speed where the tool is easier to keep steady and stresses may actually be less. The balance as such is not a problem as the piece is quite light.

-   At the dress/headstock end I drilled a few mm deep 25mm diameter hole before turning which fits the crown driver nicely.  This is probably a good idea as this end gets tilted (but not moved - this end is not offset).  The offset at the head/tailstock end, on an extended piece removed after turning, is 24mm, which is fairly big as an offset I think, to get the flowing full skirt.
« Last Edit: February 07, 2021, 04:23:13 PM by willstewart »

Offline Derek

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Re: Eloise (offset turned figurine)
« Reply #12 on: February 07, 2021, 06:07:31 PM »
It looks like the body is backwards and the necklace is also sloping the wrong way. It just looks awkward to me.

This is one i made

« Last Edit: February 07, 2021, 06:09:14 PM by Derek »

Offline willstewart

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Re: Eloise (offset turned figurine)
« Reply #13 on: February 07, 2021, 07:21:08 PM »
Derek - yours looks good!

These figures are always a bit impressionistic - in fact of course the body is vertical wrt the base and the dress slopes backward as intended for a full silky thing.  To be sure the Princess in particular is a bit flat in front - but surely princesses are like that aren't they?!

Not sure what you mean about the necklaces which look fine to me.

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: Eloise (offset turned figurine)
« Reply #14 on: February 07, 2021, 09:50:08 PM »
The design is very art deco. Often seen in both glass and ceramic sculptures,

Pete
Turners don't make mistakes, they have design opportunities