enhancing a vase with bad joins

[mick59wests]

Hi to all in the Woodturning Forum.

I have been woodworking for a few years and have recently started in the fun of turning. Because I had some decent wood (for woodworking but not turning) stored, I decided I would join some of my pieces and turn a wooden vase. I looked at segmented vases but I am not sure if I will live long enough to make one of them! I have joined huon pine with blackwood and have mahogany on the inside.

After doing the joins I realised (once again) that my fine woodworking was not very fine and there are significant gaps.

My first thought was 'here goes another project that could have been better'. But then I started thinking (either as an optimist or someone delusional) that perhaps I could do something to make it better than if the joins were precise.....The things I have thought of are to fix the gaps in one of the following ways after turning the outside but before any sanding :
- fill the gaps with resin mixed with colour (probably black)
- fill the gaps with clear resin
- fill the gaps with clear superglue
- fill the gaps with a sawdust/glue mixture

I am hoping some of you fellow turners have had to deal with something similar and can share what you did or found out. Photos attached to show the gap size (probably up to 2mm).
cheers
Mick

[corbs]

You could also go with a contrast like coloured glitter or crushed turquoise in resin? The contrasting hardness of the woods may cause problems down the track too? I made a coffee cup for the inserts you can purchase and had Huon with Blackwood. When sanding, the Huon sanded away faster than the Blackwood enough to notice on the lathe but not enough to be an issue on the finished product. Keep us posted:)

[tea lady]

:CDon't think I'd want to spin something with such a big crack in the join! Although it doesn't look like its actually on the join! :pi:

[joe greiner]

I usually fix situations like this by pretending I'm a dentist. Rout the gaps with a small dovetail cutter in a Dremel, to produce undercuts and access to sound wood for enhanced adhesion. Then I fill the gaps with a "mortar" of epoxy and coffee grounds. Overfill proud of the final surface. Turn and sand to the final shape. Almost looks like miniature terrazzo. In lieu of coffee grounds, also consider turquoise or glitter as mentioned, key-cutting shavings (usually free from hardware stores), powdered metal, etc.

I think it's hopeless to use sanding dust for concealment.

Cheers,
Joe

[hughie]

for me I fill with super market CA to stabilze it, turn and fill with coffee grounds and a good quality thin CA for finishing. Just make sure you seal the timber before you do the final fill with coffee and CA.

[Toymaker Len]

Epoxy and black pigment get my vote.

[munruben]

Certainly a challenge, I tend to go along with hughie's idea.

[Paul39]

Fill with any of the above. When you turn, put a couple of wraps of strong tape around each end, work the middle, wrap the middle, work the ends.

Just in case you have a catch, with the tape you are less likely to have a mouth full of timber.

Sand at slow speed and stand to either end of the turning.

[mick59wests]

thanks for all of the suggestions. As well as all of the glue ideas I like the idea of taping to reduce the risk. :2tsup:

I started turning (without glue) nice and slowly but still too much was beaking away in some places. I have filled the worst joins with epoxy tinted with black and will hopefully get back to turning it again tomorrow.

I am still thinking of using resin and black tint along all of the joins near the end to help it look like it was part of the overall plan!

cheers
Mick.

[tea lady]

:think: Maybe you could put those butterflies or thin thingamies or venneer/thin strips of contrasting wood across the join like stitching! :cool:

[mick59wests]

TL,

do you mean so the veneer is not flush (ie: glued on top after vase is finished)? I do have some redgum veneer which might look good.

cheers

Mick

[tea lady]

TL,

do you mean so the veneer is not flush (ie: glued on top after vase is finished)? I do have some redgum veneer which might look good.

cheers

MickNo. Splines is the word I was searching my brain for. :doh: Kinda like they use across miter joined boxes. A bit like this.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcToEzhE3CV16O0dbw4bBbRmuukfKAMmmBaPNqZbyHZQ1fRd5Ap_

or butterflies like this only smaller.:cool:

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ8MlbO6yt4lxQhXQmX0DWd-wLH8IR8qN2Lg0e-pEI-6CgTEL-9Gw
Bit tricky on a round thing. :hmm: Maybe you could put slots with a biscuit jointer somehow and make biscuits with something interesting.

[mick59wests]

after doing some turning of the vase, there were still some bad joins - the one at the headstock end especially so. I then tried resin with black tint but it just ran through and made a mess!. I went back to epoxy. Some of the joins are never going to look perfect but overall (see WIP pictures, I am happy with how the different woods look together. Overall it will be around 45cm long and 17cm diameter - not a small vase!

I posted some close-ups, showing the blackwood, huon pine and the mahogany coming through. In the end, I think silky oak instead of mahogany would have been a better contrast - perhaps next time.....

cheers

Mick

[tea lady]

I posted some close-ups, showing the blackwood, huon pine and the mahogany coming through. In the end, I think silky oak instead of mahogany would have been a better contrast - perhaps next time.....

cheers

Mick
Doesn't loook bad! :cool: Maybe the colour will be better with the finish on. :2tsup:

[dr4g0nfly]

If nothing else it's a good learning experience.

Keep posting the WIP and final forms please.

[Paul39]

If nothing else it's a good learning experience.

Keep posting the WIP and final forms please.

It is looking good. Even if it doesn't turn out as well as you would like, take it to completion as best you can.

Everything I have made I have learned from, and the payback comes with knowing how to fix a bad situation, and the confidence that you can pull the fat out of the fire and make it work.

[mick59wests]

I have finished the outside on my day off. Overall I like it despite the fixing of the joins. I am away next week so I expect it will be a couple of weeks before it is finished.

[tea lady]

Not bad over all. You are probably right about the timber colours not being quite right! :think: But maybe you could have huon in the middle and the darker woods would end up as the ovals on the side! :cool:

[mick59wests]

I finally finished the vase. In the end I think it is a bit too big but am generally happy with the overall job. I finished with EEE and u-beaut Glow.
cheers
Mick

[munruben]

I think you did a pretty good job considering. I am sure it was a great learning experience. Well done.:2tsup:

[dr4g0nfly]

I reckon that despite to woo's at the start of the thread, you deserve a pat on the back for the finished product.

And if your SWMBO has already gor roses in them, she's pretty pleased as well,

Well done.