Pomander container for Christmas

[Kwors]

Hi all.
This is one of my first postings on the forum. I’m a limey and have been turning for about 4 years on a small cheep lathe.
I’m just starting a new project to turn some large pomanders to be used as Christmas decorations, and I thought some of you might be interested.
I have some very old wood sourced from roof timbers that came from a building that is around 150 years old. These are big beams with very tight grained, and I think they are Hornbeam (smells peppery when cut), but I’m not sure. So the donor tree would have been over 100 years old to make the beams in the firs place.
I have rounded the blanks at around 140mm diameter and 300mm long. So these will be some of the biggest things I’ve ever made. Some pics of the blanks and the design drawing to follow.

[Kwors]

As promised here are some pictures of the blanks and the design drawing with some of the initial turning. I have found one problem with the peace in the lathe... an old iron:~ nail, luckily its a lot softer than the tool I found it with...:doh:

[Kwors]

Here is an older / smaller version

[hughie]

G'day Kwors and welcome aboard, all the more the merrier. :2tsup: we have a few Poms here, actually we have a wide variety of nationalities

Interesting project, havent come across the timber before, be interesting to see the final out come.

Looking good so far, as for a 'cheep lathe' a lot of us started out that way :U A fancy lathe doesnt always guarantee a fancy out come. :D

[issatree]

Hi Hwors,
I'll stick my neck out & say I think the Timber is Oregan.
You may find it is a bit hard to work, as there is hard & very soft grain especially when sanding.
That is a great Project. Pics will be good when finished.

[NeilS]

Interesting project.

In case anyone else was wondering what a pomander is, see here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomander).

Could save a lot of water by wearing one of those and cutting back on the showers...:rolleyes:

[Tim the Timber Turner]

Hi Hwors,
I'll stick my neck out & say I think the Timber is Oregan.


Looks to me like that Irish timber "O'regon"

[turnerted]

This looks an interesting project.Even if it is oregan, the growth rings look very close together ,suggesting an old slow growing tree so the soft and hard growth parts should not be much of a problem .
Look forward to the finish.
Ted

[dr4g0nfly]

Like you I'm a Pom, but the folks in here are a good bunch and don't hold it against us.

No idea if it's Hornbeam or not, I don't know the grain well enough but if as you say the wood was originally roof beams they must have been very big specimens. But it is a loverly wood to work, akin to beech but a little harder in itself.

What is it like to work at 250 years old?

[cookie48]

hhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm looks interesting. What are the sizes please ie; hight diameter etc??

[Kwors]

Like you I'm a Pom, but the folks in here are a good bunch and don't hold it against us.

No idea if it's Hornbeam or not, I don't know the grain well enough but if as you say the wood was originally roof beams they must have been very big specimens. But it is a loverly wood to work, akin to beech but a little harder in itself.

What is it like to work at 250 years old?

Hi Dragonfly. It’s very dry, but still cuts well with very little tear-out should sand up well... not sure at all if it is actually hornbeam, it could just be some very old slow growth pine.:?<O:p</O:p

[Kwors]

hhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm looks interesting. What are the sizes please ie; hight diameter etc??

Hi Cookie.<O:p</O:p
The finished sizes should be 130mm diameter for the top ball and it should stand at around 300mm high. all the other sizes are open. I am looking to make the skirt around a third the diameter of the ball just to keep the proportions looking right.:unsure:

[robo hippy]

My first guess for the wood would be Douglas Fir, which is what we call it here in Of-e-gun. You call it Oregon. I haven't had any chance yet to get my hands on some hornbeam, but it is supposed to be very hard.

robo hippy

[Kwors]

My first guess for the wood would be Douglas Fir, which is what we call it here in Of-e-gun. You call it Oregon. I haven't had any chance yet to get my hands on some hornbeam, but it is supposed to be very hard.

robo hippy

I think your right about the wood being Douglas Fir... maybe the peppery smell is because it's so old or where it's been...:?

[Kwors]

OK so it may have taken me some time, I work away from home a lot, but I’ve finally finished the pomanders. They are not quite the same as the drawings, strangely I had the same failure on both.:doh:
It’s been that long that I’m not sure how many of you will see this post. But here they are anyway.
Cheers..... Keith.
http://www.kwors.demon.co.uk/images/PB060207small.JPG

[RETIRED]

New thread here.

http://www.woodworkforums.com/f8/re-pomanders-christmas-143476/