Thread: Last Few Turnings

2nd Project - Flower

I turned this last week and am dying to try and see how long and thin I can get the next one.

Not sure what the wood is. Stem is approx 2mm thick with a height of 165mm. Finished with Cabots Gel Clear.

3rd Project - Conical box

I have done a few standard boxes but this proved challenging in comparison. Timber is Huon Pine. Approx 140mm high. Finished with DO.

Now you are just showing off.

Actually, I really like the last box. What was challenging about it? Fitting the lid and getting the shape to flow? Getting rid of all the sanding marks on the Huon? Anyway, still like it.

On a standard box you can finish the outside prior to hollowing the inside. With the Conical Box I found I have to estimate it as much as possible and then refine the shape after hollowing it out. It was difficult to keep the walls thin and the outside shape straight.

It was the first time I turned Huon for anything other than pens - the outside was sanded and finished easily (finished by shear scraping with my bowl gouge) prior to sanding. The inside took a little more work and patience.

Nice work
like the hollow form and the box a lot

Great work Swino I've been turning years longer than you and still haven't tackled anything as flimsy as your flower - top stuff

Good turnings Swino

just a thought about the hollow form...a slightly more rounded base would have given "lift" to the overall design.

Yep, saw these yesterday and was very impressed. The flower is from green wood and he scared me when he picked it up and showed me how much it could flex . I was hesitant in picking it up, in case I broke it, let alone flexing it. I also thought the stem was closer to 1mm than 2.

He has a beautiful Stubby lathe that makes me drool, and even turns pens on it

All very nice Swino.

Agree with Ed on the hollow form.

Originally Posted by Ed Reiss

just a thought about the hollow form...a slightly more rounded base would have given "lift" to the overall design.

No! I don't reckon. Sometimes you can break the rules. I made a series of tea pots with a similar shape. I like it.

Love all three, but I'm blown away by the flower... Is the stem straight, or is it the camera making it look bent?

How did you go about turning it? Did you turn and finish a bit at a time or was there some other trick like steadies? Very cool

And I do love the huon box too. Very nice looking and I can appreciate the challenge of getting it all lining up...

Cheers,
Dave

Originally Posted by tea lady

No! I don't reckon. Sometimes you can break the rules. I made a series of tea pots with a similar shape. I like it.

yep, rules are made to be broken,and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yada, yada, yada.

What it boils down to is "Do you like it, and does someone else that has money like it"

Thanks for the comments.

The flower is begun by completing the top. I then turned up a piece of pine covered with a couple pieces of foam that provided some support to the end (limited pressure though - more of a support). I then proceeded to complete the underside of the flower and work my way back to the headstock. I stopped every inch or so and sanded it to 600 grit. I didn't use a steady so as I got further towards the headstock there was a degree of whip. Reducing the lathe speed seemed to control this to a certain extent. Following completion I wiped Gel Clear over the whole flower. All of the shaft of the flower was turned using a small bowl shear scraping w light cuts.

There is a fair bit of flex in the shaft of the flower and is leaning a little to one side.

Next time I will try and make the top of the flower thinner - this should reduce the strain on the shaft allowing it to be turned thinner/longer. Well thats the theory anyway...

Thanks for the info. Sounds challenging, but looks very cool

Cheers,
Dave