Apprentice Woodturner

[Seventh Wood]

Gidday,
I am a new turner, recently semi-retired, and have been getting started with a range of turned stuff, as in the images.

I have been influenced by the Raffan books/DVDs and am using a range of timbers, from wood bought years ago to stuff that was still wet from my place at Sevenhill in the Clare valley, which has lots of SA Blue Gum, some Red Gum, Drooping Sheoak and wattles. I scrounge timber from wherever I can and now have a small log mill to get serious about timber preparation. I still need to set up a full workshop but have the lathe, bandsaw, etc in temporary accommodation so that I can get started. I the meanwhile, I am learning and having fun.

The bowls are in olive, blackwood and elm or ash (retireved from the roadside), the bottle coaster, trivet and accomapnying doorstop are blackwood. The other doorstops are red gum and melaleuca, and the rolling pins are SA blue gum. The eggs are pencil pine, mallee and sheoak. To indicate sizes, the doorstops are 175 mm, the blackwood bowl is 175 mm, and the rollers are 300 mm.

<O:p</O:p

[Rum Pig]

well done :2tsup::2tsup:
You do not look like a beginner. have you had lessons:?
either way keep up the good work. I like your door stops they would make good gift to someone how has everything:)

[wheelinround]

Welcome SW nicely done for apprentice love the Olive wood bowl colour looks awesome :2tsup::2tsup:

what finishes were uses

[Chipman]

Welcome!

Sure looks nice:2tsup:

Love the olive bowl... I must look for a piece of that....


Chipman

[artme]

Wonderful work SW. :2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:
You are a welcome addition to the nut hutch. Bet you won't become addicted.:D:D:D

[lubbing5cherubs]

Wowee. If that your starters I am going to keep an eye out for you beautiful work
Toni

[Fredo]

Welcome SW,

Richard Raffan's books and DVDs are first class, and are a real advantage to a new turner (or an old one, for that matter). Richard is an active member of our local Woodcraft Guild. Not only is he a down-to-earth nice guy, he is very generous with his time and wealth of experience.

Great work for a new turner, keep it up.

Fredo :U

[Harry72]

Very nice SW, welcome to the forum!

[TTIT]

Excellent work there SW - hardly the work of a 'new turner' methinks! :; Welcome to the forum. That piece of olive is extraordinary - will we be seeing more of it here????

[woodwork wally]

Come on Apprentice you are about to move into craftsman if you keep this up:2tsup::2tsup: Great work:) Oops bad manners welcome to the forum and to semi retirement:2tsup: and I hope you can enjoy both as much as I do:D:DRegards WW.Wally

[oldiephred]

Nice work. If I may, I am always looking for some small things that can be made from scraps and that can be used as freebees at craft sales . I will add door stops with your permission.

Careful-- this turning can become addictive.:roll:

[Seventh Wood]

Guys (and girls),

Thanks for all of the complements - I am overwhelmed.

In answer to your questions:

I have not had lessons so am learning the hard way - you do not get to see the catches or the eggs that start off as duck eggs and end up as small bantam eggs! However I have a long history of hobby woodworking and furniture restoration, so turning is a natural extension of that experience.

I am using either ordinary beeswax polish, the block of beeswax as per Raffan's technique, or Shellawax cream, depending on what is at hand or whether I want to use the turning with food. I am still experimenting with finishes and finishing techniques.

I have a stock of olive wood - about a cube from old olives felled in the Adelaide Hills - but I am still learning about seasoning timber and olive is pretty hard to season without cracking/checking. There will be more turnings from that stock and I have some 250 mm blanks prepared but do not feel confident enough to get into them yet.

I also have a stock of other timber - the most unusual being Hakea root burls from the Adelaide Hills - they are spherical, about 250-300 mm diameter and I have cut one to give two good blanks and the figure is amazing - I will post some photos when I get around to taking some shots of them! I have some SA blue gum from old fallen trees on the Sevenhill property and even though they have been down for 20 years, they are still wet when you slice and dice them! I am finding the blue gum pretty hard to turn - the red gum was easy by comparison! I have started to rough turn the unseasoned wood so I will eventually have some large blanks to finish

Keep turning!

[orraloon]

Hi SW,
First rate stuff for starting out. Keep posting the pics.

Regards
John

[Swifty]

Hi 7W and welcome to the forum! Wonderful looking stuff there, love the blackwood bowl especially, simple elelgant lines! Hope I will be able to turn that well one day!!!
Cheers

[Sawdust Maker]

welcome to the forum
very very nice work
I'll be over in adelaide over xmas and methinks will need to relieve you of some of that olive:U
might try some wine in the same area
cheers