January 2022 Turning Challenge

[Bill Boehme]

The turning challenge for January 2022 is to turn a French rolling pin. This is a project that is within the reach of all skill levels and yet making a French rolling pin is challenging in getting the curve and ergonomics fine-tuned so that it will feel "like an extension of the baker's hands", according to one description that I read. If you Google "French Rolling Pin" you will get more information than you can use. So, let's get in the shop, have fun, give it your best shot and then show us what you did.

And now, the legal stuff:

• Only one entry per person and only one photo of the entry. This is a turning contest, not an old photo contest, LOL. So make sure your work is something you turned for the challenge.
• Turnings submitted for the January challenge must be started no earlier than January 3, 2022.
• Entries must be posted in this thread.
• The deadline for posting entries is midnight Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on January 24, 2022.
• Voting will take place from January 25 through midnight UTC January 31, 2022.
• The winner might have to pass a lie detector test before collecting the prizes. Good luck, have fun, make shavings!!

When voting begins you are allowed one vote and once you have voted you won't be able to go back and change your vote. After you have voted you will be able to track the vote totals. The voting is secret (just like a real election) so nobody other than you can see who you voted for (not even the moderators/administrators). The voting will end at midnight UTC on January 31, 2022. In case of a tie vote, the forum moderators will gather in a virtual smoke-filled room to sort out the winner.

 

[George Correia]

Had a piece of oak in the shop so this challenge finally gave me something to do with it.

 

[Chuck Goldstein]

French rolling pin. 20 inches long, 1 5/8 diameter. Walnut with maple bands.

 

[stu senator]

Made from a 1970 era little league bat, possibly ash, 17" long, 1 5/8" diameter.

Finish walnut oil and bee's wax

 

[Brian Gustin]

Jean has been after me for months to make her a french rolling pin, so this was a perfect excuse to glue up a couple blanks and give it a try. She gets the one with "thumb grooves" which is her preference, as well as it being perfectly sized for her hands. The other one I consulted another "chef" in the family (bigger hands) so turned the one with "rings" a little larger. they are roughly 18 inches , one's 1-5/8 diameter, jean's I turned a bit smaller, I'm guessing 1-3/8 or 1-1/2". Glued up out of Hickory & walnut and for the rings, I drilled through the middle (3/16") and cut pieces of sapele, and used dowels to glue everything back up, decided to put a "twist" to each section..
Finished in Tried & True Original

(Oh yeah, the slight angle to the stripe in the lower one was intentional, by offsetting the blank 1/4 inch from center on opposite corners)

 

[Bill Boehme]

Jean has been after me for months to make her a french rolling pin, so this was a perfect excuse to glue up a couple blanks and give it a try. She gets the one with "thumb grooves" which is her preference, as well as it being perfectly sized for her hands. The other one I consulted another "chef" in the family (bigger hands) so turned the one with "rings" a little larger. they are roughly 18 inches , one's 1-5/8 diameter, jean's I turned a bit smaller, I'm guessing 1-3/8 or 1-1/2". Glued up out of Hickory & walnut and for the rings, I drilled through the middle (3/16") and cut pieces of sapele, and used dowels to glue everything back up, decided to put a "twist" to each section..
Finished in Tried & True Original

(Oh yeah, the slight angle to the stripe in the lower one was intentional, by offsetting the blank 1/4 inch from center on opposite corners)

@Brian Gustin, I hate to be the bad guy and tell you that you will have to decide which one to enter into the competition and then take a photo of that one.

 

[Brian Gustin]

@Bill Boehme Oh. I must have misunderstood then.. November's challenge had multiples in one photo, (and I'd only posted one item at the time thinking only one thing was "in") , so then I realized (or so I thought) that it was one Photo, not one of a thing.. So again, I guessed wrong.. I'll get a new pic tomorrow I guess and re-post (unless I am able to edit my old post above)

 

[Philip Peckham]

I turned this with different wood type handles. Main body is 10" and handles ~5+" so OAL is 20+" Center Diameter 1-7/8" tapers to 1-3/8" ends. Different woods allow me lots of combinations. This is a Zebra wood middle with Paduk ends. Usually I use Black Walnut for 'handles', but Purple Heart makes as nice look also. I hope all my picture shows...

 

[Brian Gustin]

I consulted a "chef" in the family. It is roughly 18" in length and 1⅝" in diameter. Glued up out of Hickory & walnut and for the rings, I drilled through the middle (3/16") and cut pieces of Sapele, and used dowels to glue everything back up, decided to put a "twist" to each section..
Finished in Tried & True Original.

 

[Deb Jones]

This is my first time to post, just joined AAW in Dec, been turning about a year. Wanted to make French rolling pin for nephew’s bday today so used piece of walnut had stacked in corner. It’s 16” x 1.75”, used wire for lines & texturizing tool between lines. Used Tried & True Original for finish, 5 coats, friction between coats.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

I made 5 pins 1 birch 2 cherry and 2 hornbeam and I picked one made of cherry to enter.
The pin measures 500 MM by 48 MM (it is a French rolling pin so I am using the metric system that was introduced in France but if you don't understand the conversion is 25.4 mm per inch) made of locally sourced black cherry finished with 1 application of walnut oil. I chose to use close grained one piece wood without any details to collect dough or other debris, therefore it should be functional.

 

[Art Betke]

I've been making these for a few years. Some customers want the longer ones, some want the shorter ones.

These are intended to be used, not showpieces. Made from eastern hard maple. 1-5/8 x 18 and 1-1/2x12.

A lot of fiddling around getting the curve constant and equal on both sides, quite time consuming.

Then I got a Vega duplicator. First time I used it for rolling pins, I made 30 in one day.

 

[Bill Boehme]

@Art Betke, I hate to be the bad guy again (I reminded another member of the same contest rule a few days ago), but the rule is just one entry per person.



So please select one of the rolling pins and a picture of just that one rolling pin.

 

[Art Betke]

@Art Betke, I hate to be the bad guy again (I reminded another member of the same contest rule a few days ago), but the rule is just one entry per person.

View attachment 42466

So please select one of the rolling pins and a picture of just that one rolling pin.

Not an old photo, I just took it this morning.

I'm confused, I understood one entry as being just one photo. My entry in the December challenge had two items and that didn't seem to be a problem. And the November snowperson challenge had eight entries with multiple pieces, including the winner which had seven snowmen plus other items.

 

[Bernie Hrytzak]

Not an old photo, I just took it this morning.

I'm confused, I understood one entry as being just one photo. My entry in the December challenge had two items and that didn't seem to be a problem. And the November snowperson challenge had eight entries with multiple pieces, including the winner which had seven snowmen plus other items.

"You can make one snow person or a whole family" this phrase was posted for the Nov. challenge.

 

[Bill Boehme]

I specifically stated the challenge was to turn "a" French rolling pin. Being a left-brained analytical person, I equate "a"with "one". I suppose that others may have different interpretations which is probably why lawyers exist. Also, the first rule states, "Only one entry per person and only one photo of the entry". To my left-brain analytical head, that rule sounds like one French rolling pin and one photo of that rolling pin. If we have any Philadelphia lawyers amongst us perhaps they might help tidy up the rules so that no layperson will understand them.

We just operate on the honor system that people actually turn something in response to the challenge and aren't posting photos of something they turned in the past.

In the November challenge, as Bernie pointed out I said, "You can make one snow person or a whole family".

The December challenge was themed "Happy New Year" with the only requirement being, "Turn something that celebrates the end of a challenging year and welcomes a new one ...". Your entry fit that requirement perfectly.

 

[Art Betke]

Like I said, I was confused. Thanks for clearing that up. I'll be sure to read more carefully in the future. Kindly delete my entry as I don't have that function available to me.

 

[Brian Gustin]

I specifically stated the challenge was to turn "a" French rolling pin. Being a left-brained analytical person, I equate "a"with "one". I suppose that others may have different interpretations

Evidently some of us are a little too thick in the head to realize the implication... I confess I probably read things TOO quickly (that or just didn't notice - I tend to "speed read" - that is, glancing over what is written and picking up on the key words .. as in "french rolling pin", "only one photo" and so on..). While succinctness is usually a good thing, assuming that everybody can appreciate it often is not... I'm sure Art and I will in the future try and make sure we understand that, but by the same token, perhaps a little more verbose clarification could help as well (at least for future months' challenges)

 

[Art Betke]

Evidently some of us are a little too thick in the head to realize the implication... I confess I probably read things TOO quickly (that or just didn't notice - I tend to "speed read" - that is, glancing over what is written and picking up on the key words .. as in "french rolling pin", "only one photo" and so on..). While succinctness is usually a good thing, assuming that everybody can appreciate it often is not... I'm sure Art and I will in the future try and make sure we understand that, but by the same token, perhaps a little more verbose clarification could help as well (at least for future months' challenges)

Well I have to confess, I just gave the rules a quick glance. My mistake was assuming the basics were the same as the first time. Even after Bill admonished me I didn't read them over again.

 

[Art Betke]

I've been making these for a few years. Mine are intended to be used, not to be showpieces. Made from eastern hard maple. 1-5/8 x 18.

A lot of fiddling around getting the curve constant from end to end and equal on both sides, measuring and trimming, measuring and trimming over and over, quite time consuming.

Then I got a Vega duplicator. First time I used it for rolling pins, I made 30 in one day.

 

[Mel Genge]

23 inch French rolling pin. Centre is 8 inches is 1 5/8" tapered to 1 1/8 inch at the ends. Timber used is recycled Douglas fir from the Quaker Oats flour mill built in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1909. I t was demolished in 2015. A special thank you to Michael Hosaluk for this piece of timber. It is finished with butcher block oil.

 

[Tony Kopchinski]

14 inches long x 1 3/4 thick. Curly maple separating the four sections of: birdseye maple, curly maple, padauk, purpleheart,yellowheart, cherry, black walnut and birch.
I teach woodturning to four Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation purple heart veterans. This is a four day session with an instructor for each Hero. I have a rolling pin blank like this for each one to make and take home along with many other projects.

 

[Pamela Bozkurt]

Here is my entry. Turned it from a piece of hardwood I had laying around. It is 21.2 inches long. From the middle to six inches right and left of the middle... it is flat and 1.42 inches wide. It tapers down to 0.92 inches on both ends. After turning it and doing the initial sanding .. I used sanding sealer to seal it and then sanded it to 220 grit. I read that if you sand it any finer... the flour won't stick...and "they" say pastry chefs want flour to adhere to the pin when rolling out the dough....I'm a turner not a chef! And I don't know who "they" are.

 

[Tom Mann]

18" long 1.75 " dia maple with walnut body and walnut handles French rolling pin. Handles are tapered to 1" dia. Handle and Body are separated with a band of Turquoise inlace. Mineral Oil Finish

 

[John Suhreptz]

Since I had to make a blank for the challenge I decided to make three while I was at it. Good thing. Cut three side by side blanks out of the same piece of 2" X 7" X 22" hard maple. After finish turning, one had an interior hidden crack about 1" long and one had what looks like a branch bud and a tiny but long branch inclusion right through the design. Double Celtic knot, dimensions 1 5/8" X 20" long, tapered ends, hard maple with walnut inserts, finished with walnut oil. Thanks to a guy named Lew on another woodworking forum for the design for the cutting jig.

 

[Jean-Louis Meynier]

French rolling pin, 13" long, 1" diameter, in Maple for a friend to do Chinese Dumpling wraps .

 

[Bernie Hrytzak]

"French" Rolling pin 10" long x 1.5" dia. tapering to 1 .062" at the ends. Material is English walnut and beads were created in order to get more surface area to trap butter particles in rolling out puff pastry. The procedure is to roll dough into a rectangle, fold into 3 like a letter, rotate 90 degrees and repeat the rolling and folding 3 times. This procedure and the beads create a flakier crust. The beads pictured give a 57% gain in surface area in the rolled surface, (theoretical). The bands at the ends are used to gauge dough thickness (~ 1/2") The apple turn-overs by the way were excellent!

 

[Jean-Louis Meynier]

The turning challenge for January 2022 is to turn a French rolling pin. This is a project that is within the reach of all skill levels and yet making a French rolling pin is challenging in getting the curve and ergonomics fine-tuned so that it will feel "like an extension of the baker's hands", according to one description that I read. If you Google "French Rolling Pin" you will get more information than you can use. So, let's get in the shop, have fun, give it your best shot and then show us what you did.

And now, the legal stuff:

• Only one entry per person and only one photo of the entry. This is a turning contest, not an old photo contest, LOL. So make sure your work is something you turned for the challenge.
• Turnings submitted for the January challenge must be started no earlier than January 3, 2022.
• Entries must be posted in this thread.
• The deadline for posting entries is midnight Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on January 24, 2022.
• Voting will take place from January 25 through midnight UTC January 31, 2022.
• The winner might have to pass a lie detector test before collecting the prizes. Good luck, have fun, make shavings!!

When voting begins you are allowed one vote and once you have voted you won't be able to go back and change your vote. After you have voted you will be able to track the vote totals. The voting is secret (just like a real election) so nobody other than you can see who you voted for (not even the moderators/administrators). The voting will end at midnight UTC on January 31, 2022. In case of a tie vote, the forum moderators will gather in a virtual smoke-filled room to sort out the winner.

How do you vote?

 

[John Walls]

How do you vote?

They will shut off/close this thread and start another one for voting.

 

[Jean-Louis Meynier]

Thanks John!

 

[Tom Albrecht]

Sapele
21" X 1.5"

 

[Bill Boehme]

How do you vote?

There will be a poll posted late this evening a couple of hours after the close of the contest at midnight UTC (coordinated universal time) which is approximately the same as GMT. So, the poll should appear at approximately 6 PM PST.

 

[Bill Boehme]

The January Turning Challenge is now closed. The poll will be open later this evening.