Boxes You May Have Never Seen Before POLL

[Brian Gustin]

I am more in the Ellsworth camp. I recently put a log on in spindle orientation between centers. Turned it down a bit intending to make a hollow form. After looking at the grain and checks I decided this piece needed to be something else. I cut off one side with the chainsaw, changed the axis of rotation between the centers and ended up making a box. That is how it goes with much of what I do.

Ditto here. Sometimes no matter how much advance planning you do, you'll come across a piece of wood that just seems to want to be something else.

 

[Gabriel Hoff]

Ditto here. Sometimes no matter how much advance planning you do, you'll come across a piece of wood that just seems to want to be something else.

Yes, I agree with you guys, I find myself seeing the wood and saying, if there is more figure maybe a simpler shape to extenuate the figure, but with a plainer piece maybe a more complex form so your eye draws to the shape more than the wood. But sometimes it is both a good shape and great wood that makes a beautiful piece. I just study the wood before and let the lathe and tools dictate.

 

[hockenbery]

I recall an Ellsworth video where he claims he puts a piece of wood in the lathe and lets the wood determine the turning's design. To me that's totally silly. I want to control the design. Design your piece before the wood gets onto the lathe. Pick a piece of wood that has your design in it.

I had a class with David in the 90s and have hosted him for several classes in my shop.
David starts most of his pieces between centers. He has a design goal when he mounts a piece. But on occasion some feature revealed in the roughing process will invite a change in design.

Our first class project was to mount a log section between centers and turn a ball. We then cut the ball in half. Parted it in half with the straight hollowing tool. Turned a bowl from one half and then a hollow form from the other. A planned transition.

When I turn a natural edge piece the bark contour is given by the wood.
I can vary the bark contour by choosing the opening, shifting the centers, and choosing a diameter.
A straight grain cylindrical log is quite predictable.
A convoluted contour is imanagible but my imagination gets some fine tuning with the turning.
these two pieces I oriented grooves in the log contour to define the rims. Took some fine tuning to get the openings