my latest mirrors

[john lucas]

I'm trying to get some things done to take to the AAW symposium. These two mirrors will be going. The first is a Red Mallee Burl that I picked up in the "scrap bin" for a much reduced cost at one of the vendors in the GAW symposium. I've had them for over a year but finally took the time to make a mirror from one. Fantastic stuff. Hard to cut really clean. I did the final cuts on both sides with the Hunter Osprey and only had 2 small tearouts to patch. I was able to turn the handle with a very sharp skew. Still had some small tearout. There was also a lot of small what look like checks but it's through out, not just in the ends. I was able to fix those sanding wet with thin CA. Finish is Minwax satin wipe on poly and then buffed with the Beal system.
The second one is a piece I call Curses, Foiled Again. It was a lot of fun. Thanks to Mike Gibson for helping me design the foil blade. You can't see good enough photos of the blades on the net. This is the tightest curly maple I've ever gotten hold of. I don't know what the red woods are, I've had them in my stash too long.

 

[hockenbery]

John,
Looking forward to seeing them in person.
Like them both especially the whimsical piece.

Al

 

[Jamie Straw]

Wow, totally cool. I, too, especially love the "Foiled Again" mirror!

 

[Odie]

Now there......is some great imagination at work!

Definitely destined for someone's sweetheart! 😀

I think it's pretty common to have very obvious shrinkage gaps/cracks in Red Mallee burl.

ko

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Great job John. I will look you up at the symposium

 

[John K Jordan]

...These two mirrors will be going.

Incredible. I want some of whatever vitamins you are taking.

JKJ

 

[Douglas Ladendorf]

Wonderful John. Both very creative use of wood and materials. Are you bringing other pieces to the symposium? I can't go this year so I'll take any sneak peak I can get. 🙂

 

[Bill Boehme]

Nice work, John. Red mallee burl is always full of tiny little cracks that follow the pattern of the swirls and twists in the grain. I buy Australian burls from www.australianburls.com and they said to always let the wood thoroughly dry before turning it. The ones that I have bought from them were mostly dry when I got them.