Flying saucer

[Grant Wilkinson]

This is segmented in that it is two pieces.Each is turned separately as a bowl, of sorts, then they are glued up into one piece. It is about 9" in diameter and 4 1/2" high. Wall thickness is too thick at about 3/16". This one is cherry, stained with red sedona, then sanded so that most of the stain is gone. Finish is rattle can lacquer.

Comments and critiques are all welcome.

 

[Bill Weaver]

Excellent job match grain. I like the idea of the way you turned it made things a lot easier.

 

[Jamie Straw]

Very cool, and +1 on the grain match, impressive. I'm interested in the red sedona. What's your protocol with the lacquer to get such a great finish?

 

[Bill Boehme]

The perfect grain match is the first thing that grabbed my attention. Very nicely done.

 

[Grant Wilkinson]

Jamie: For the interior, I sanded to 120 and applied a wipe on sedona red minwax stain. I just let it set for 5 minutes or so, then wiped it off. I sprayed two coats of rattle can semi-gloss lacquer over the stain. Then, I glued the two pieces together. For the outside, the end result is a "plan B". I had done the same stain routine on it, but only when the stain was dry did I see sanding scratches. So, I power sanded the stain off and started back at 120. When my wife saw how it looked at the point, she suggested that I leave it like that, rather than re-applying stain. So, I sanded it up to 600, then applied 6 or 7 coats of rattle can lacquer. (I get the lacquer from a local supplier that does up his own cans. When the weather is warmer, and for bigger pieces, I buy litres and spray with HVLP. This is solvent based lacquer.) I do not sand between coats of rattle can. The coats are so thin that, until there are 6 or 7 coats, I tend to sand through them. After the lacquer had dried for a week, I sanded very lightly with 400 to flatten the surface, then buffed with Beall buffs, using white diamond and hard wax.

Bill W: tks for your kind remarks.

Bill B: The grain match is largely luck. Ideally, these are done by starting with a thick block that is resawn. That way, the two pieces are book matched. I couldn't find a thick piece in my budget, so I just bought a cherry board. It was about 9" wide, so I cut two 9" lengths from it and turned them. I was lucky with the grain match.

 

[Jamie Straw]

Jamie: For the interior, I sanded to 120 and applied a wipe on sedona red minwax stain. I just let it set for 5 minutes or so, then wiped it off. I sprayed two coats of rattle can semi-gloss lacquer over the stain. Then, I glued the two pieces together. For the outside, the end result is a "plan B". I had done the same stain routine on it, but only when the stain was dry did I see sanding scratches. So, I power sanded the stain off and started back at 120. When my wife saw how it looked at the point, she suggested that I leave it like that, rather than re-applying stain. So, I sanded it up to 600, then applied 6 or 7 coats of rattle can lacquer. (I get the lacquer from a local supplier that does up his own cans. When the weather is warmer, and for bigger pieces, I buy litres and spray with HVLP. This is solvent based lacquer.) I do not sand between coats of rattle can. The coats are so thin that, until there are 6 or 7 coats, I tend to sand through them. After the lacquer had dried for a week, I sanded very lightly with 400 to flatten the surface, then buffed with Beall buffs, using white diamond and hard wax. [Snip]

Thanks, Grant. I'm practicing lacquer on a not-so-round bowl today, have done four coats so far. Will do two or three more before I buff. I'm using Deft for the time being (semi-gloss). Do you buy your HVLP liters from the same supplier who makes up the cans?

 

[hockenbery]

Bill W: tks for your kind remarks. Bill B: The grain match is largely luck. Ideally, these are done by starting with a thick block that is resawn. That way, the two pieces are book matched. I couldn't find a thick piece in my budget, so I just bought a cherry board. It was about 9" wide, so I cut two 9" lengths from it and turned them. I was lucky with the grain match.

The grain does match nicely. Funny how luck favors the prepared mind!
Al

 

[Odie]

Now, if you were to drop a light bulb into the hole, you really would have a look-alike flying saucer! 😀

Interesting piece......and good job.

ko

 

[hockenbery]

Another direction is to make one with mirrors inside.
Put an astronaut figurine in the bottom

It creates a sort of hologram of an object floating above the opening.

These were popular 5-10 years ago.
someone demonstrated making one at the AAW Symposium
Ron Browning had one at the Florida Symposium a few years ago.

Al

 

[Grant Wilkinson]

Jamie: Yes, I buy the litres from the same guy. I'm lucky to be able to buy from him, as he generally only supplies the commercial shops. I took a class, taught by the owner, a finishing class at the local community college a few years back, and made a few pens for his business. So, now I can buy directly from him. I get stains, pre-cat and post-cat lacquer from him.

Al: I love the effect in that piece.

Tks, KO.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Another direction is to make one with mirrors inside.
Put an astronaut figurine in the bottom

It creates a sort of hologram of an object floating above the opening.

These were popular 5-10 years ago.
someone demonstrated making one at the AAW Symposium
Ron Browning had one at the Florida Symposium a few years ago.

Al

That looks really nifty. I've turned some pieces with a shallow spherical reflector ... not silvered, but with a high gloss CA finish. It does make a nice floating reflection image for ceiling lights and brightly lit objects. It requires a very high degree of precision to carry it off well.