Jacaranda disaster bowl

[dai sensei]

This started as a roughed out bowl I did a few years ago. Whilst at the club the other day I decided to finish turn it with a nice crushed stone inlay in the rim. After finished off the bottom I turned a couple of recesses I then filled with stone and thin CA. Unfortunately as I got closer to the 5mm thickness I wanted, the stone started to fall out, I hadn't done the recesses any where near deep enough . So I turned slightly deeper recesses, but didn't want to go too deep in fear of breaking through, then refilled them. But unfortunately it wasn't deep enough for the stone to stick and it kept coming out .

So on to plan2, get rid of the inlay and make a thin walled bowl.I was going so well taking it down to 1mm thick when I noticed some light coming in at the base. Yep a bit too thin and there were a few holes where the bottom meets the walls. I hadn't even sanded the inside either so promptly took it off the lathe and threw it in the bin. Then whilst pondering over a cup of tea I thought, what if I pieced the walls and made the holes into something. I decided on dragonflys with some ferns. I couldn't sand on the lathe as it would have fallen to bits but managed to very carefully remove the foot down to give a 2mm base before getting out the piercing air tool. Not the very expensive dental type one, an el cheapo Ebay one, but at 200,000rpm (max) it is much faster than a Dremmel (~40,000) but still not as as the good ones usually around 600,000. The tool does catch the grain a bit but it's not too bad for a $15 investment (mind you out of the 3 I ordered I got only one that ran true due to cheap jaws).

Certainly not my best work, please don't look too closely, rough edges and lack of sanding does show. The previous holes are now part of a dragonfly tail . The first photo is from the top looking into the bowl, the second of the base, third a side view

Dragonfly bowl1.jpg Dragonfly bowl2.jpg

Dragonfly bowl3.jpg

[powderpost]

I did look carefully and can see your sanding technique needs some improvement.... Sorry Neil.. . Can empathize with you, been there done that. .
Good recovery...

Jim

[chambezio]

Exceptional recovery Neil!!!
Its a beautiful piece of work and shows your talent of turning and innovation.

[shedbound]

yes,good save

[Tangoman]

Neil,

that is an awesome save !!

Cam

[hughie]

I did look carefully and can see your sanding technique needs some improvement.... Sorry Neil.. . Can empathize with you, been there done that. .
Good recovery...

Jim

Yeah I reckon we have all been there a few more times than we care to admit. But a save is a save anybody can have a stuff up.

[Sawdust Maker]

interesting idea for a save

oh and one of the dragonflies looks like a spider!

[dai sensei]

I did look carefully and can see your sanding technique needs some improvement.... Sorry Neil.. .

What sanding, there was none, that's straight off the chisel

oh and one of the dragon flies looks like a spider!

Yeh, I thought the area was a bit bare and needed filling in

[Tim Creeper]

Good job mate.

[smiife]

Hi neil,
Looks good mate , well done

[DaveTTC]

Man wish my binned stuff came up like that

Nice bowl

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[fletty]

The previous holes are now part of a dragonfly tail .

Excellent work Neil but it's not 'just' a save, it's a creative save!
I am reminded of very highly valued early Chelsea Pottery. No 2 pieces are the same because the decoration was applied to cover any blemishes and these hand painted designs included flowers, birds, butterflies AND dragonflies depending on the shape of the blemish!

fletty

[Christos]

I really like what you have come up with.

I also think you need to be thankful that the dragon fly looks like that.

[Dalboy]

Whenever this type of thing happens to me I don't call them mishaps or mistakes I call them design opportunities. Very well done on a great recovery and design opportunity