Gabriel
20th December 2015, 07:23 PM
Recently I came to the conclusion that whilst I love going through the wood piles looking for 'just the right bit' and staring at all the projects 'I could do with that beautiful piece' there comes a time where I should just use some nice looking stuff, get something done and enjoy a finished project.
This mostly applies to quite a few pen blanks I have that I love looking through, but haven't gotten round to turning. Looking on eBay some people spend a LONG TIME squaring up their blanks, rounding over corners etc and I have to say they look bloody nice, but I'd be scared to put them in the lathe and risk destroying them. So I'm sure they would sit on my shelf collecting dust 'for just the right time'.
Time to bite the bullet. Here are a couple of little projects that aren't anything WOW, but they serve a purpose, and will look quite nice whilst doing that.
Gidgee Coffee Tamper -
The folks 1970's coffee machine bit the dust and they went all out with a new one. "can you make something up so we can press the coffee into the grouphead"
A bit of research online and the end needed to be 53mm, but other than that the world was my oyster. I have a bunch of Gidgee limb timber. Perfect opportunity as I know it will be well used, and being a hard timber, should wear well.
Finished in uBeaut foodsafe oil (a lot thicker than other food grade oils I have used, I like it)
366346
366347
Boree Pen -
I think over the next few weeks (a little time off over Christmas) I will turn a few more pens using some of the blanks I have accumulated as I'm always buying/finding more and there isn't any point stockpiling more than I will use....
Although it will be a gift, there isn't a recipient in mind yet, so it will sit on the shelf (inside instead of in the shed/woodpile) collecting dust as a finished product for a little while.
Finished in CA
366344
366345
York Gum Burl Skew -
Recently I decided to start turning my own handles for some of my chisels. I want them to be something nice to look at/hold as although I'm generally going to be the only one to see/use them, I like having something nice to look at whilst I'm working away. I have a couple more that I'm wanting to make - just trying to decide on the timber to use. I have some African Blackwood which looks stunning, or maybe some mulga. Depends on what happens on the day I start turning them I guess.
Its a 30mm P&N skew. I thought that whilst a burl may be a little fragile for a chisel handle, given its a skew it SHOULDN'T get too much knocking around, so I hope it will last.
Finished in unboiled linseed oil
366348
366349
366350
I also thought I'd throw this post together to encourage others (mostly the newer members/inexperienced turners) to not be shy in putting their works up. I'm certainly no master, and my items I'm turning aren't gallery pieces, but I do love the learning experience and would love to see more people showing their projects (or even attempts).....
any C&C more than welcome
Cheers
Gab
This mostly applies to quite a few pen blanks I have that I love looking through, but haven't gotten round to turning. Looking on eBay some people spend a LONG TIME squaring up their blanks, rounding over corners etc and I have to say they look bloody nice, but I'd be scared to put them in the lathe and risk destroying them. So I'm sure they would sit on my shelf collecting dust 'for just the right time'.
Time to bite the bullet. Here are a couple of little projects that aren't anything WOW, but they serve a purpose, and will look quite nice whilst doing that.
Gidgee Coffee Tamper -
The folks 1970's coffee machine bit the dust and they went all out with a new one. "can you make something up so we can press the coffee into the grouphead"
A bit of research online and the end needed to be 53mm, but other than that the world was my oyster. I have a bunch of Gidgee limb timber. Perfect opportunity as I know it will be well used, and being a hard timber, should wear well.
Finished in uBeaut foodsafe oil (a lot thicker than other food grade oils I have used, I like it)
366346
366347
Boree Pen -
I think over the next few weeks (a little time off over Christmas) I will turn a few more pens using some of the blanks I have accumulated as I'm always buying/finding more and there isn't any point stockpiling more than I will use....
Although it will be a gift, there isn't a recipient in mind yet, so it will sit on the shelf (inside instead of in the shed/woodpile) collecting dust as a finished product for a little while.
Finished in CA
366344
366345
York Gum Burl Skew -
Recently I decided to start turning my own handles for some of my chisels. I want them to be something nice to look at/hold as although I'm generally going to be the only one to see/use them, I like having something nice to look at whilst I'm working away. I have a couple more that I'm wanting to make - just trying to decide on the timber to use. I have some African Blackwood which looks stunning, or maybe some mulga. Depends on what happens on the day I start turning them I guess.
Its a 30mm P&N skew. I thought that whilst a burl may be a little fragile for a chisel handle, given its a skew it SHOULDN'T get too much knocking around, so I hope it will last.
Finished in unboiled linseed oil
366348
366349
366350
I also thought I'd throw this post together to encourage others (mostly the newer members/inexperienced turners) to not be shy in putting their works up. I'm certainly no master, and my items I'm turning aren't gallery pieces, but I do love the learning experience and would love to see more people showing their projects (or even attempts).....
any C&C more than welcome
Cheers
Gab