Hardenfast
16th June 2008, 06:58 PM
I seem to be having some success with the few segmented bowls I've previously done so I thought I'd try my luck with another one using some spaulted timber slabs that I acquired recently. The person I got it from described it as spaulted Maple, but I'm pretty sure it's not. Steve from the Lumber Bunker and I tend to agree that it's probably spaulted Hoop Pine, but it's somewhat hard to be certain as there is quite a bit of deterioration.
Anyway, it looks good so I though I'd mix it with some reclaimed Australian Cedar for contrast. The timbers are of similar hardness and structure so hopefully it will remain fairly stable.
The Pine had a wide range of spaulting, from some minor grey staining to striking black/green lines - and also sections containing outright rot. I had to be a bit careful in cutting my pieces to ensure that they were relatively stable. There were also pieces which contained significant grub holes/tunnels, and some of these were retained in the finished piece for effect. I even found one live grub still in the piece as I was turning it. I don't think he enjoyed the process.
I still had some Australian Cedar sections left over from a very old demolished staircase and so sliced up a few of the balusters into 30x30 long sections. Using a technique from a previous work I cut up some wedge shaped pieces of Pine for the base and joined them together with 2mm slices of Cedar as spacers:
756077560875609
Using another previously used technique I cut the 30x30 Cedar into a staved shape (narrower on the inside) and docked them into short 80mm sections. When these pieces are fitted together this gives the bowl it's round shape - the diameter dependant on the angle of the staving.
I then cut some of the Pine into wedges 80mm long which are fitted to alternate with the Cedar pieces. The wedges give the bowl a flared shaped (wider diameter at the top), which means that the shape of the bowl is formed with minimal timber used. I also cut up some hexagonal sections of Cedar for a ring separating the base from the vertical staved section, and some hexagonal rings of Pine. I used a 30mm wide section for the top ring so that there was plenty of material to shape the top out of.
7561075611
I joined the two bottom rings to the base and then stuck it on the lathe via an internal chuck mount before the bowl was too deep so that I could finish the base. When this was done I glued up the upper sections using my patented bench press.
756127561375614
I then stuck it back on the lathe via the previously cut bottom mount and roughed out the final shape. This stuff cuts like butter! I wanted to keep the hexagonal shape to the rim so worked carefully around this section. It was here that the various grub tunnels started to appear right through the piece - I tried to take some pictures with a light on the inside to highlight them. Not sure that it worked too well.
756157561675617
Once I had the piece shaped I gave it a quick sand through the grits up to around 450. I had to be a bit careful with the sanding process as some of the pine was actually quite soft in places, and tended to sand much quicker than the Cedar.
The end result was quite pleasing. One heavy coat of Shellawax Cream buffed to a nice shine. Overall size around 350mm diameter by around 150mm high.
7561875619
A fruit bowl for our daughter in law's birthday - complete with a few timber eggs inside. She likes it.
Wayne
Anyway, it looks good so I though I'd mix it with some reclaimed Australian Cedar for contrast. The timbers are of similar hardness and structure so hopefully it will remain fairly stable.
The Pine had a wide range of spaulting, from some minor grey staining to striking black/green lines - and also sections containing outright rot. I had to be a bit careful in cutting my pieces to ensure that they were relatively stable. There were also pieces which contained significant grub holes/tunnels, and some of these were retained in the finished piece for effect. I even found one live grub still in the piece as I was turning it. I don't think he enjoyed the process.
I still had some Australian Cedar sections left over from a very old demolished staircase and so sliced up a few of the balusters into 30x30 long sections. Using a technique from a previous work I cut up some wedge shaped pieces of Pine for the base and joined them together with 2mm slices of Cedar as spacers:
756077560875609
Using another previously used technique I cut the 30x30 Cedar into a staved shape (narrower on the inside) and docked them into short 80mm sections. When these pieces are fitted together this gives the bowl it's round shape - the diameter dependant on the angle of the staving.
I then cut some of the Pine into wedges 80mm long which are fitted to alternate with the Cedar pieces. The wedges give the bowl a flared shaped (wider diameter at the top), which means that the shape of the bowl is formed with minimal timber used. I also cut up some hexagonal sections of Cedar for a ring separating the base from the vertical staved section, and some hexagonal rings of Pine. I used a 30mm wide section for the top ring so that there was plenty of material to shape the top out of.
7561075611
I joined the two bottom rings to the base and then stuck it on the lathe via an internal chuck mount before the bowl was too deep so that I could finish the base. When this was done I glued up the upper sections using my patented bench press.
756127561375614
I then stuck it back on the lathe via the previously cut bottom mount and roughed out the final shape. This stuff cuts like butter! I wanted to keep the hexagonal shape to the rim so worked carefully around this section. It was here that the various grub tunnels started to appear right through the piece - I tried to take some pictures with a light on the inside to highlight them. Not sure that it worked too well.
756157561675617
Once I had the piece shaped I gave it a quick sand through the grits up to around 450. I had to be a bit careful with the sanding process as some of the pine was actually quite soft in places, and tended to sand much quicker than the Cedar.
The end result was quite pleasing. One heavy coat of Shellawax Cream buffed to a nice shine. Overall size around 350mm diameter by around 150mm high.
7561875619
A fruit bowl for our daughter in law's birthday - complete with a few timber eggs inside. She likes it.
Wayne