Lose the Holy Grail?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

OK... Maybe not THE Holy Grail, but 'tis A holey grail at least. ;)

7"x3", heavily spalted mystery wood from the firewood pile. I'd turned the base to 2 1/2" but a large arc segment chipped out and cleaning it up left it at only 2" diameter. I couldn't leave it chipped 'cos the base is hollow, so the goblet was unstable. :(

To my eye, it looks too small... I've been considering turning a surround from red-gum or jarrah to bring it back up to the original 2 1/2" I like the spalted effect and if the base hadn't broken I'd be quite content with it but the base did break and I'm undecided whether it's worth the effort to fix. Not that it'd take much, but if I'm gonna turn I'd rather start on a new 'un altogether.

So I'm asking for your opinion: is this goblet worth keeping & repairing or should I throw it back into the firewood pile?

[CameronPotter]

Lovely hunka wood.

However (and this may just be perspective), the base looks FAR too small. By my reckoning it should be about twice the width, but then when I look at 4 inches on a ruler, that is too big... :confused:

As I said, probably perspective.

Personally, I would fix it, or at least I would mean to fix it before forgetting about it for a while... :o

Cam

[TTIT]

If YOU like it, extend the base in the same wood - I don't think a contrast would work for that piece. I had the same thing happen with a Sally wattle lidded pot - hoped someone would pick it up and take it away but the small base just don't look right so it hangs around to haunt me!:)

[ss_11000]

keep it, its a great looking piece of timber.

[Auld Bassoon]

In my simple view the base is about 30% too small in diameter. However, I also don't think a contrasting wood would work.

One could take the view that the goblet isn't a drinking vessel, so stability isn't an issue so long as it stands up on itw own, which it clearly does.

What about a clear epoxy or acrylic seating base?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I spent a few mins turning up a ring to bring the base back up to about 1/4" larger than original size, and it makes a world of difference. (No Cameron... it's nowhere near 4" ;) ) It's not glued on, red-gum definitely doesn't look right but that's all I had ready to hand and I was in the mood. I couldn't find any matching timber in the firewood pile but 'twas growing dark when I looked so I'll have another search tomorrow.

Clear epoxy? I dunno about that... but I've plenty of snowflake corian lying around and later I may try a bit. I wonder if I have any clear plexiglass left? That's be a challenge... Jarrah matches fairly closely with the colour of the knotty areas, so I may even try some of that.

The silly thing is, the more I look at it the more it annoys me. It's not anything in particular about it, maybe it's just knowing that it's unfinished. :rolleyes:

[Auld Bassoon]

H'mm Skew,

The more I look at that redgum base, the more I like it. More "Hmmms" needed methinks :)

[Peter36]

That size base is more in proportion and I'm with Auld Bassoon - the redgum suits although it may darken with some finish . What about sassafrass

[Greolt]

Hate to tell you this, but with all those holes I think you might get more red
wine down your front than down the gullet:D:D

Seriously though I think it looks just fine with the redgum base.

Greolt

[oges]

I like it, great to see something like that come from a fire heap

[Harry72]

Put your fingers over the holes... she'll be right mate!

[Scally]

The proportions do look much better.

Some how the red gum looks too neat and the colour doesn't add anything to the spalted maple(?).

I thought a dull brown timber might match better or a baltic pine colour.

I can see it is annoying the heck out of you, so you might as well turn up a couple of diferent bases until you get one you like.

The goblet has a really interesting character so I would make the effort to salvage it.

[CameronPotter]

Yep. I think the size is just about perfect now...

Must have been a funny perspective before - or maybe just me...:rolleyes:

I reckon that what it is looking for is a very dark ring. Think African Blackwood or Zebrano or maybe even something dyed with our illustrious host's dyes.

Out of interest, how did you turn the ring for the base?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

If the red-gum was darker it may've been OK, but Scally's right about it being too wishy-washy as is. I tried a bit of Corian this morning, between jobs and it's also too blah. Jarrah next, when I get some more free time.

The ring? Just sliced a 1/2" length of redgum stump and rounded it in a BS, then used a 3/4" spade bit to mount it on a set of pin jaws.

I could've hot-melt glued it to a faceplate or turned it off a larger piece mounted in the chuck or... but the above was the quickest and easiest, although not the safest.

[Groggy]

G'day Skew, my (non-turners) opinion would be to go with Jarrah and roll the lip so the two bases joined at the rolled segment. I hope that makes sense. The idea being to put a shadow line where the join will be.

[CameronPotter]

Thanks Skew, but how did you sand the bottom then? I guess it either isn't sanded or hand sanded off the lathe...

Cam

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

G'day Skew, my (non-turners) opinion would be to go with Jarrah and roll the lip so the two bases joined at the rolled segment. I hope that makes sense. The idea being to put a shadow line where the join will be.

Yes, I think you're right there. The redgum ring was just a quicky to give me an idea of the final proportions. The lip of the base is already rounded, so it'll be a simple matter to do similar to the ring to create a shadow line. Either that, or I need to lower the height of the ring by a mm or two to give a tight joint.


Thanks Skew, but how did you sand the bottom then? I guess it either isn't sanded or hand sanded off the lathe...

The pic shows the offcut mounted on the pin-jaws. As you can see there's about 1" clearance to the chuck body, enough to be able to work both sides with care. Like I said, this way may not be as safe as a faceplate, but is much quicker'n'easier. ;) Although I started with a 1/2" blank, the ring is only about 1/4" thick; I turned and sanded both sides before seperating from inside the top rebate.

I did it this way to make a ring with a nice rebate around the inside edge for the lip of the base. (Pic 2) Because the base is hollow I didn't want to seal in the air-space; that'd lead to future problems.

[CameronPotter]

Thanks again.

I still have a lot to learn about how to chuck some of the flatter objects (I also have a pretty limited range of chucks - i.e. one).:rolleyes:

Cam

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I still have a lot to learn about how to chuck some of the flatter objects (I also have a pretty limited range of chucks - i.e. one).:rolleyes:

That's all you need... so long as it's a good one. :) That's why I recommend a choice of either one of Technatools' (eg SuperNova2) or VicMarcs' chucks. For the record, I'm in the Teknatool camp: 2x SuperNova2's and 2x Compact Precision Midis. ;)

The selection of jaws available for 'em are amazing! I've a dedicated chuck for each lathe, but I can swap my jaws between 'em without hassle. Except for one pair, which just don't fit on a mini-lathe. I recommend the pin-jaws, the std. 45 mm, the super-grips and a set of cole-jaws as a good all 'round set that covers most situations. :)

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I tried Tassie Oak and Jarrah rings today; the Tassie Oak looked blah again and the Jarrah, well... it's the pick of the lot so far. (Pic 1) It's too dark, IMHO, but I'm running out of scrap timbers to try, unless I start cutting up major stock or turning blanks for other projects. [sigh]

So this is how it stays, for now anyway... it's been one of those anti-Midas days, where everything I touch turns to ####. :rolleyes:

Which brings me to another problem: I turned another goblet this arvo and was in the final cuts of seperating off when I sneezed... it seperated OK, but I fumbled the catch. :o :( :mad: It didn't survive (pic 2) but I'm thinking that maybe I could turn it into a lidded box? I could drill out the stem from the base (Pic 3) and insert a finial, then turn a groove the dia. of the goblet lip to centre it on the bowl... it's a bit thin for the more usual rebates used on lids.

The problem is making a base for the bowl... the bowl only varies in thickness from 2mm at the lip to 4 mm at the base and, being rounded the way it is, this means I can't just turn the bottom flat. I could turn the remnant of the stem into a dowel and make anotyer base, but... what shape of base would look best? I think a flat disk would look silly, perhaps a gentle cone? Maybe something that comes part-way up the side of the bowl, contoured to wrap around the base a bit like an egg-cup? Or perhaps I should just turn a new, slightly thicker stem from a contrasting timber and dowel the exiting stem bits into it?

So far I'm not happy with anything I've thought of, so once again I ask:

Suggestions anybody?

[Captain Chaos]

G'day Skew,
The first goblet looks a treat, definitely don't turf it. I've got a bit of sliced mallee stump that I reckon would suit the base pretty well. It is about 20 - 22mm thick & has a fairly wild grain configuration - just your typical burl really.
I think the colour(s) would blend in rather well.
If you are interested, P.M. me your mailing address & I'll send a couple of 75mm x 20mm pieces to you.
Regards,
Barry.
P.S. I've attached a picture of a lidded box that I turned last year that has a piece of the mallee stump let into the lid.

[ss_11000]

the stem looks too thick to snap by dropping it, what was it dropped on?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Stirlo, the cove on the bottom of the stem is/was only about 4mm thick, the thickest part of the stem (the top bead) just under 9.5mm. You could only fit two 20c pieces across the base. It's only a small goblet... not a full-grown gob. ;)

What it dropped on? Well, it bounced out of my hand, onto the lathe bed and dropped to the conc. floor. One part was to one side of the lathe, the rest to the other. I don't know if it snapped when it hit the bed or when it hit the floor, with a piece rolling under the lathe. I was still recovering from the sneeze. [sigh]

[CameronPotter]

Thanks for the advice Skew... When I said one chuck I also meant one set of jaws (or two including the cole jaws...)

As for gobbie #2. I reckon a bowl is a nice idea and I think that I would sit it on another bulbous type shape. i.e. Much like the goblet shape, but a little smaller and upside down (so what would look like the lip is actually the base).

Cam