One year of woodturning

**bassmansimon** · 21st April 2013, 09:19 PM

Hi everyone. Inspired by the post by michael_m, I am uploading a summary of my first year of woodturning. I started just before Mother's day last year - my first turning was a bowl I gave to my mum for mothers' day 2012. Hope you like, and sorry about the long post. In April 2012, I attended a beginner weekend woodturning class with John Ewert at Trend Timbers in Sydney. Since then, I have made these items:

01 Camphor Laurel bowl – approx 5” diameter. Gave to my mum for mother's day
01.jpg

02 Snowman family – myrtle
02.jpg

03 Quilted Jarrah bowl – 135mm diameter, 40mm deep. experimenting with recesses instead of a footed bowl.
03.jpg

04 small Red Cedar desk bowl. I use this every day and got the blank for $2
04.jpg

05 Black Heart Sassafras platter bowl - 245mm diameter x 35mm deep. Started life out as a bowl, but when carving the base took a huge chunk out of it, and so turned it into a platter instead.
05.jpg

06 Figured Blackwood candle bowl. No real design plan with this one - just attacked it with a forstner bit in a hand-held power drill. I really like the design, and will likely do some more of these one day.
06.jpg

07 Redgum Burl natural edge desk clock – not woodturned, but a bit of woodwork anyway
07.jpg

08 Redgum Burl natural edge desk clock – not woodturned, but a bit of woodwork anyway
08.jpg

09 Camphor Laurel bowl. I love this one - gave it to my wife for Christmas
09.jpg

10 Redgum Burl natural edge stem vase. Experimenting with my first vessel. Fits a test-tube in the hole for live flowers
10.jpg

11 Huon Pine square platter. First try at a square turning.
11.jpg

12 Camphor Laurel platter. Started life as a platter, but thinned out the centre too much and so had to create a hole to turn it into a candle bowl / dip & chip bowl.
12.JPG

13 Blackwood bracelet prototype.
13.JPG

And I fell in love with pen turning, and have made 83 completed pens (and probably about 25 snapped blanks)...
Pens 01-11.jpg Pens 12-21.jpg Pens 22-30.jpg Pens 31-37.jpg pens 38-44.jpg Pens 45-54.jpg Pens 55-62.jpg Pens 63-70.jpg Pens 71-81.jpg Pens 82-83.jpg

My woodturning goals for the next year is to average one project per month that I'm pleased with, plus I hope to do about 50 pens if possible.

Thanks to everyone here on the forum - your advice and help has assisted me to dramatically improve my techniques, especially in pen-turning. I'm still very much a beginner with larger woodturning projects.

Simon.

**michael_m** · 21st April 2013, 10:25 PM

Happy birthday!

There are some gorgeous pieces there (my favourite is the tri-tealight bowl), but your pens are something special. I have very much enjoyed reading over and looking at your creations this last year, so here's to the next one!

**bassmansimon** · 21st April 2013, 10:36 PM

Thanks. Yes I have learned lots this year about the tools and how to use / not use them.

**TTIT** · 21st April 2013, 10:45 PM

Good to see beginners 'evolution' in one spot. Well done

**dai sensei** · 22nd April 2013, 10:24 AM

Looks like a great collection

**artme** · 22nd April 2013, 12:20 PM

A year to be pleased with!!!

**smiife** · 22nd April 2013, 08:38 PM

well done simon,you have done yourself proud
you are well and truly hooked ,some fantastic pieces
you have made and look forward to the next year

cheers smiife

**powderpost** · 22nd April 2013, 09:23 PM

Excellent work.

Looks like you have had more shed time than I have over the past twelve months.

Good way to go, just chuck a lump of wood in the lathe and see what develops. Stop and look frequently, often "inspiration" or design opportunities often appear inadvertently

Jim

**mick59wests** · 22nd April 2013, 10:29 PM

great turnings and lots of timbers that I like as well

cheers
Mick

**ian thorn** · 23rd April 2013, 07:22 PM

when do you sleep that is a whole lot of turning and it all looks great happy turning for the yr ahead

Ian

**smiife** · 23rd April 2013, 07:54 PM

Good way to go, just chuck a lump of wood in the lathe and see what develops. Stop and look frequently, often "inspiration" or design opportunities often appear inadvertently

Jim[/QUOTE]

thats the way i do it jim

cheers smiife

**Bluegum** · 23rd April 2013, 09:32 PM

Love your work Simon very impressive.

**bassmansimon** · 23rd April 2013, 10:01 PM

Thanks everyone yes I have had a great time learning. It's really encouraging being a member of the forum
Simon

**Skew ChiDAMN!!** · 24th April 2013, 11:04 AM

Nice variety!

One suggestion... you've already tried square turning, so the next time you insert a clock into a blank how about mounting the blank on a lathe and turning a small bead around the hole for the insert?

It's a simple touch, but can increase the Wow Factor quite significantly!

**bassmansimon** · 24th April 2013, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

Nice variety!

One suggestion... you've already tried square turning, so the next time you insert a clock into a blank how about mounting the blank on a lathe and turning a small bead around the hole for the insert?

It's a simple touch, but can increase the Wow Factor quite significantly!

Sounds good. I think it would work well for round clocks, but how would it work on square items or the natural edge shaped ones like I made? I didn't cut the hole on the lathe with a jacobs chuck - it was a hand-held power drill. If doing it on the lathe I could use a jacobs chuck and turn the bead, but how to do that without ruining the back side with a faceplate etc?

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