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Thread: Apricot handles

  1. 5th March 2008, 11:08 PM #1
    BobL
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    Default Apricot handles

    Some of you may remember I managed to get hold of a apricot tree last year which I milled it into 5 x 50 mm slabs and stored it in my shipping container set up as a drying shed. Last saturday I measured it at 15% MC and decided to bring home a scummy looking face-cut-slab to turn some of it up for tool handles and here are a couple of products I've had in mind for ages.



    Under Flash (sorry about the thumb prints)

    Handle on saw is turned off double off-centre to make an oval cross section. Brass back for saw is brass angle from bunnies.
    Saw blade is a bought one (Plunge/Crosscut 270 x 0.3mm blade, 16 tpi from Timbecon). Turning tool blade is from a wornout old, (re)tempered half round file. I haven't ground the skew chisel edge yet. The saw handle is basically an offcut on which I decided to leave the natural edge on the end.

    Close up on the grain of the skew chisel.


    Here is close up of the blade insert strip. Groove for handle was cut with TS and infilled with another piece of apricot. Not quite as tidy as I was hoping for but serviceable nevertheless


    The front end brass handle cap is the dome from the top of a chrome tap, turned oval using a vice.


    Whole thing comes apart for easy of maintenance and re-polishing of brass bits etc.


    The apricot was an absolute dream to turn after turning redgum and sheoak last week. The smell is sensational - kinda like sour turning sweet stone fruit, maybe more like nectarine than apricot. It makes fantastic tool handles as the wood is very tactile and looks pretty nice too. I can't believe I have bucket loads more where that came from to play with!
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  2. 5th March 2008 11:08 PM # ADS
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  3. 5th March 2008, 11:32 PM #2
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    DJ’s Timber
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    Nice work Bob
    Cheers

    DJ

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  4. 5th March 2008, 11:36 PM #3
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    Got a young apricot tree in the back yard, but I like my apricots too much to think about an early demise. Love your work BobL.
    I make things, I just take a long time.

    www.brandhouse.net.au
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  5. 5th March 2008, 11:45 PM #4
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    Ok so they are worthy of 1st prize
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  6. 5th March 2008, 11:57 PM #5
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    Woodlee
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    Great work .
    The council here is talking about removing some tamarind trees .I am hoping to score some of that .
    I've heard it is good for turning .Although I dont have a lathe yet by the time they get them cut down and its ready for working I hope to have one.
    "Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend ,inside a dog it's too dark to read"
    Groucho Marx
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  7. 6th March 2008, 12:06 AM #6
    BobL
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    Thanks Guys.

    Quote Originally Posted by Woodlee View Post
    Great work .
    The council here is talking about removing some tamarind trees .I am hoping to score some of that . I've heard it is good for turning .Although I dont have a lathe yet by the time they get them cut down and its ready for working I hope to have one.
    I've heard that too.
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  8. 6th March 2008, 01:20 AM #7
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    Hi Bob,

    Very nice handles there. I likes em. Good job. So I guess we will see some more Apricot handles soon.

    Cheers
    Pops
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  9. 6th March 2008, 03:52 PM #8
    BobL
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pops View Post
    Very nice handles there. I likes em. Good job. So I guess we will see some more Apricot handles soon.
    Yep : I just cut out the blanks for my plane float handles. Turning will happen some time in the next few months.

    Cheers
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  10. 7th March 2008, 12:09 AM #9
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    We will be waiting, for the pics of course.

    Cheers
    Pops
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  11. 7th March 2008, 09:11 AM #10
    artme
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    Thumbs up BobL's project

    They look great Bob!!
    How dense is the timber? I ask this because I saw some small blanks marked "Fruit" the other day. They had a similar colouring to your Apricot and were very dense.
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  12. 7th March 2008, 09:36 AM #11
    BobL
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    Quote Originally Posted by artme View Post
    They look great Bob!!
    How dense id the timber/ I ask this because I saw ssome small blanks marked "Fruit" th other day and it had a similar colouring to your Apricot and was very dense.
    I just measured it and at 14% MC its 0.69 g/cm^3 so its a moderate density timber.
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  13. 7th March 2008, 10:59 AM #12
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    Bob

    I love the handles - I would send a greeny, but I need to spread the lerv before I can give you another!
    Cheers

    Jeremy
    If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly
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  14. 7th March 2008, 11:42 PM #13
    BobL
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    Quote Originally Posted by jmk89 View Post
    Bob

    I love the handles - I would send a greeny, but I need to spread the lerv before I can give you another!
    Thanks 'fer thinking 'bout it!
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  15. 11th March 2008, 09:42 PM #14
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    Hi Bob - I agree wholeheartedly about apricot being nice to turn. It also threads well and makes lovely, tough, handscrews. This little pair was made from a gift of a small chunk of apricot (jaws are southern silky oak). Would love to have more, or any fruitwoods, for that matter - Apple also turns like butter & threads flawlessly....

    Cheers,
    IW
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  16. 11th March 2008, 10:35 PM #15
    BobL
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    Thanks Ian, I must say your wood looks darker than mine but mine is from the outer 2 inches of the trunk so it's basically sap wood.

    I posted some more pics of apricot handles on this thread about knife handles on Sunday but nobody seems to have stumbled across them yet.

    Cheers
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