Having decided that I could afford a few hours in the shed, and found the stump of the olive blank used a few months ago to turn a mallet (pic 1), the time seemed right to experiment with the lattice technique.
First, made the tool (pic 2) by grinding a 4mm screwdriver to a 1mm scraper widening at the base into two wings useful to round the rings.
Hollowed the inside of the lid and cut the rings pic 3,4). As expected, dry olive is excellent for this fine work, no surprises here. No measuring, just eyeballing, I am not looking for perfection on the first try.
Finished the inside of the lid brushing with Shellawax diluted with Sanding Sealer (virtually all metho) (pic 5) and separated.
Indented the bottom of the box to make a tenon. (pic 6)
Hollowed the inside of the box (pic 7). All except the parting done with the trusty "carbide insert bedan".
Finished the lot with Shellawax just to see how it fits together (pic 8)
Realised that I left the top of the lid way too thick. Tried to thin it and misjudged it. Result: total disaster (pic 9).
Returned inside muttering appropriate expressions and my better half says "Why don't you top it with the slice of agate you bought a few years ago as a souvenir? You suggested it for that crazy idea of carved wizard staffs for a wedding". Why not indeed: just happens to be the right size. So, after cutting a few more rings off, here is the final result. (pic 10). Not lattice, but something different anyway...
Looks good! If you hadn't told us it wasn't deliberate...
Pity that you didn't know you were going to use the agate from the beginning so that you could've selected a wood that would really set off that lurid pink. Ah well.
Got any plans to incorporate the "failed" bits into another box? An inlaid medallion, perhaps?
Good to see someone else trying the lattice turning, unless you have some other sort of offset chucking device you need to run the grooves in the top first and start from the centre that way you still have plenty of timber to support the next cuts. Hope this is of help to you.
Got any plans to incorporate the "failed" bits into another box? An inlaid medallion, perhaps?
I never chuck anything, as this has proven... Who knows, a good idea might strike!
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Your better half had the spended idea, isn't it
Even better Ad, as it should be in a good relationship, she built up on an older idea we had talked about. Good team effort!
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Good to see someone else trying the lattice turning, unless you have some other sort of offset chucking device you need to run the grooves in the top first and start from the centre that way you still have plenty of timber to support the next cuts. Hope this is of help to you.
Thanks Tony. My next step would have been to turn a hole in a board to fit the lid, screw the board on a face plate with the hole and the inserted lid off centre and cut the top grooves as if the board and the lid were one piece. See any problems with this method? One advantage is that it allows me a variety of designs by repositioning the lid in the hole, not only concentrical rings.
Thank you all for the compliments, guys. To be honest, I am happier with my toolmaking than my turning...
TL, at the moment the agate is just stuck with two drops of CA, but I'll make it permanent with a ring of epoxy to fill in the irregularities of the edge inside the rim of the lid.
...... the parting done with the trusty "carbide insert bedan".
Curiosity raised!
Frank - is this the same beast as the earlier carbide insert tools that you were making (like the one you kindly made for me) or something different?
Neil
__________________ Neil
"It's only woodturning"... Written first here on this forum by Tim the Timber Turner, but according to him it was originally said by Terry Martin to Theo Haralampou "when he was getting a bit carried away"...
Yep, same beast, only I do not remember whether the insert is exactly the same as yours. Unfortunately I did not have the time/will to develop it further. The best results I had were with the 17mm insert but I killed it trying to round it and I suspect the 1" shaft would be a bit unwieldy for this small stuff.
My next step would have been to turn a hole in a board to fit the lid, screw the board on a face plate with the hole and the inserted lid off centre and cut the top grooves as if the board and the lid were one piece. See any problems with this method? One advantage is that it allows me a variety of designs by repositioning the lid in the hole, not only concentrical rings.
I'm going to be trying something like that for my next box. Hopefully it will work, I'll post a WIP so you'll know one way or another
FE like the ring effects shame it didn't happen better luck next time
Not keen on the Pink
__________________ As a dad I have not been made redundant!! I have just changed to President & Chariman of the Board. Taken the seat of my father and his father before him. Its lonely at the top till the grandies come over. http://woolnwood.blogspot.com/
"Lurid", isn't it? I had to check it up on the dictionary, thanks to Skew. How in blazes the Latin for "rotten greenish yellow" became in English "garish (especially red) colour" takes a much better linguist than I to fathom.
If you had made another lattice, it would have been another lattice - this is unique, even if you get another piece of agate it would never be identical!
Mind you, now you have to try the lattice again...
Three spare hours...not totally wasted? 
)
Looks great, even if not the thing first planned. Another idea was meant to be.
How in blazes the Latin for "rotten greenish yellow" became in English "garish (especially red) colour" takes a much better linguist than I to fathom.
