Ah, art!

[John K Jordan]

I finished this stunningly beautiful piece of artwork the other day. The wood spoke to me as I turned a premium blank of exotic carya ovata wood. The emerging blend of graceful curves and strong lines suggested a higher purpose beyond its obvious artistic value. I'm sure galleries everywhere would compete to host this piece if they simply were aware of it.

Too bad for them, it is already spoken for. I drilled two holes and bolted it to the steel parts of my favorite shuffle hoe. Coincidentally, the old handle had disintegrated just before I started on this piece. What a stroke of fate! This priceless photo shows how the work integrates seamlessly with nature...



This wood (sometimes called shagbark hickory by the less sophisticated masses) has been drying in my barn loft for 8 to 10 years following a soul-satisfying session with my sawmill. Its associates wait their turns to discover their place in the world. Some have already gone before.

The turning was a royal pain in the neck. Stretching the PM3520 with bed extension to the limit allowed a 53" spindle. The hickory was hard as rock, as expected. A wide Thompson skew helped a lot. I really need to get a steady rest if I'm going to make stuff like this!

I'm doing a club demo in a few weeks on turning long, thin spindles. I'll take this for show-and-tell. Long and thin are relative.



JKJ

 

[John Torchick]

Very nice! Would like to see the demo. Youtube, perhaps?
Some of my relatives are long and thin. 😎

 

[Douglas Ladendorf]

What hoe! Careful John, you may be asked to make "art" like that for friends and neighbors! Nicely done. Looks like it works perfectly. Any finish on it?

 

[John K Jordan]

What hoe! Careful John, you may be asked to make "art" like that for friends and neighbors! Nicely done. Looks like it works perfectly. Any finish on it?

I just put a little oil on it for the initial test. I plan on dousing it with BLO.
I started making my own handles after new handle prices seemed to skyrocket.

JKJ

 

[Bill Boehme]

I finished this stunningly beautiful piece of artwork the other day. The wood spoke to me as I turned a premium blank of exotic carya ovata wood. The emerging blend of graceful curves and strong lines suggested a higher purpose beyond its obvious artistic value. I'm sure galleries everywhere would compete to host this piece if they simply were aware of it.....

Oh, ... the humanity!


Oh, ... the melding of wood and iron into one and the same ... and yet still apart in their roles!


Oh, ... the primordial yearnings within my being as I want to behold this creation and complete the triad by merging it with Mother Earth!


Oh, ... my aching back as bulging lumbar disc says, "what are you thinking"!


Great inspiration, John. I posted this before, but thought that I would recycle it.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

Oh, ... the humanity!


Oh, ... the melding of wood and iron into one and the same ... and yet still apart in their roles!


Oh, ... the primordial yearnings within my being as I want to behold this creation and complete the triad by merging it with Mother Earth!


Oh, ... my aching back as bulging lumbar disc says, "what are you thinking"!


Great inspiration, John. I posted this before, but thought that I would recycle it.


View attachment 9832

Bill, thanks for that recycled BC cartoon.

Firewood, yes, that's what lots of my stuff ends up being. Pity I don't have a fireplace.

 

[John K Jordan]

Bill, thanks for that recycled BC cartoon.
Firewood, yes, that's what lots of my stuff ends up being. Pity I don't have a fireplace.

I save the most interesting ones in my Box Of Shame.

JKJ

 

[Douglas Ladendorf]

Nice to see you posting Mark!

 

[Gretch Flo]

I started making my own handles after new handle prices seemed to skyrocket.

JKJ

My firewood log rolling "peevee" had a cracked handle. A new one would cost near $60. I got a round ash billet, and made my own. It is shorter than what you had (& 36-40"?) , John, and stouter. Had no problems with "whipping". Still holding up well 3 years later, Gretch

 

[John K Jordan]

My firewood log rolling "peevee" had a cracked handle. A new one would cost near $60. I got a round ash billet, and made my own. It is shorter than what you had (& 36-40"?) , John, and stouter. Had no problems with "whipping". Still holding up well 3 years later, Gretch

Excellent! I have a couple of 5' cant hooks I use with at sawmill. It is unbelievable how much these and things like big skidding tongs cost. And $60 for a handle, yikes! I've never used a peevee. I did buy a hookaroon but I use it mostly in the garden on stubborn weeds.

The stoutness and length of yours would have been easier to "handle". (pun intended) I've made a bunch of handles but this one was the longest. I ended up using the "left hand steady rest" method I always use on long, very thin spindles. (I made one the other day that tapers from 1/2" to 1/16" over 26".) I've never had or used a steady rest but since I have a little machine shop in the next room I started sketching one out. I hope to make it mostly from aluminum.

JKJ

 

[Gretch Flo]

another "spindle

A policeman from my small town stopped by when I was out sawing and splitting firewood in the front yard.
He's a tinsmith and wanted a long tapered "thing" (can't remember the exact name of the thing-to pound the tin for shaping.) Gave me a picture.Think it was 5-6" diameter on one end and 3" on the other end. Said I'd have to saw my way thru the 8 foot long firewood til I got to a large maple that didn't have cracks. . I am thinking it was about 32-36 inches long. I saved a piece aside and then he stopped by and helped me handle it (during the rough chain sawing) and put it under a tarp for a couple of months-then he helped me carry it to the basement and helped me get it on the lathe. Came out great, and of course there was no "charge" for helping law enforcement!!!! He later called and said it was perfect for his needs. Gretch

 

[Mark Hepburn]

Nice to see you posting Mark!

Thanks Douglas. Been a tough year down here in the oil patch. Sort of focused on work mostly. Butts good to be back.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

I save the most interesting ones in my Box Of Shame.

JKJ

I'm going to have to do one of those. Perhaps a conex box. 😀