What’s on your lathe?

[Alan Weinberg]

Second turned today a piece of iron bark eucalyptus. Bought the rough turned bowl at last woodturner meeting. Really like how this wood turns and looks after one coat of Mahoney’s. About 9 inch diameter. Probably need better pictures since there’s some visible dust when I magnify them.

 

[Alan Weinberg]

also finished the maple burl piece I had posted yesterday, a few posts above. Bug holes, cracks, voids, dust—it had it all.

 

[John K Jordan]

5 goblets a “bowl” and a “plate” made out of the same toothpick.

Nice, clever!

One idea: Commercial toothpicks are often made from birch, for several reasons. I find it easier to make clean cuts on tiny things if I use a harder, finer-grained wood. I often use ebony or cocobolo, but they won't look like they are from a toothpick!

If you are set on turning from toothpicks, maybe turn a few toothpicks from a wood such as boxwood, pau marfim, or hard maple. Then the tiny detail and finishes could be cleaner.

John Lucas has made some extremely small goblets. I think he made special tools to help turn them.

JKJ

 

[John K Jordan]

This is the beginning of a cooperative piece that I am making with my daughter for our club’s March challenge. It is inspired by a recent posting in the photo Gallery by Dave Landers, https://www.aawforum.org/community/media/tri-corner-goblet.25143/

My daughter will be doing the stem portion because I have been told my finials look like pawns on a chess Board. The base may or may not be included in the stem. That will be my daughter’s choice. I may be responsible for the base.

I thought I was getting off easy doing the tri corner goblet portion. However, it was my first attempt at turning a tri corner and it is not easy. (At least for me.) The points of the goblet are about 2 1/4 inches apart. The wood is Oak. Left over from a recent platter.

View attachment 72550View attachment 72551

Sounds like a great challenge and project! Seems like the oak might provide it's own challenges!

I assume you started with with a cube of wood. That's the easiest way I know to make 3-corner things.

Our club had a tri-corner challenge a few years but I don't remember anyone making a goblet. I'd like to try one.

For that I challenge made a 3-corner "thing" from a maple cube, then made another smaller one from e. indian rosewood and joined them so the thing could stand on three feet. Maybe that would be an idea for a goblet base if two tri-corner pieces were joined with a stem.



(A kind gentleman brought me an antique glass fishing float from one of his far east trips and I thought they looked interesting together.)

JKJ

 

[Gary T Egbert]

This is one of six cherry bowls I have first turned. I have never turned such very wet wood before, but what a great experience. There was a stream of water running down the flute as I turned. I was surprised how much the weight changed in the first couple of days, but I must stop checking and let nature work. The bowls are in grocery bags with some dry shavings.

 

[Jay Peterson]

Sounds like a great challenge and project! Seems like the oak might provide it's own challenges!

I assume you started with with a cube of wood. That's the easiest way I know to make 3-corner things.

John, You are correct about Oak providing its own challenges. I started with a scrap piece of Oak to use as a practice piece because I had never tried turning a tri-corner before. Watched a bunch of YouTube videos. I got real lucky and it did not blow apart. Walls are 5/64 (.078) at the points. I like the grain. Used very sharp tools to keep the tips from getting knocked off.



My daughter now has her portion of the challenge on the lathe. She plans on taking it down another 6 inches where we will fashion a base together. Things are at a stand still until she has a day off from work to finish the stem portion. This is African Black Wood. She says thin is better, however, I have serious concerns about just how thin she is planning on going with the stem over the next 6 inches.

 

[David Wyke]

Second turned today View attachment 72824View attachment 72825View attachment 72826a piece of iron bark eucalyptus. Bought the rough turned bowl at last woodturner meeting. Really like how this wood turns and looks after one coat of Mahoney’s. About 9 inch diameter. Probably need better pictures since there’s some visible dust when I magnify them.

Beautiful piece of wood and excellent shape!

 

[Gary Beasley]

Just off the lathe. A block of unidentified mexican wood finished to 600 grit, shellac then Yorkshire grit regular and fine topped off with Howards Feed n Wax.

 

[Alan Weinberg]

love the design. Very cool.

 

[John K Jordan]

...the stem portion. This is African Black Wood. She says thin is better, however, I have serious concerns about just how thin she is planning on going with the stem over the next 6 inches.

I often turn African Blackwood, sometimes thin. It's quite strong so even if thin it should support OK. I might be a little concerned about how the two would look together it the stem is thin, but it's hard to imagine the visual balance without seeing them together, From what's on the lathe so far, it looks like she has a good eye for form so I suspect it will be great!

BTW, I think the outcome of the tri-corner experiment must have been more skill than luck! That figure should look spectacular with finish. And the unfigured Blackwood should nicely complement the figured oak without conflict.

Ooo, I just had a thought - if you two decide NOT to add an oak base below the blackwood, it might be interesting to make a little oak lid to fit a bit down inside the goblet bowl and a short Blackwood finial on top, a bit of an echo of the stem.

Can't wait to see the final piece!

I like turning ebony too - a gentleman from Atlanta once brought me a bundle of Gaboon Ebony, 1"x1", some 40" long! I like to make these wands, especially from hard, fine grained woods like Blackwood, Ebony, Cocobolo, etc.


Cedar and Ebony


Purpleheart



Hey, has she made any wands or possibly have an interest? I posted a document about how I turn these (and other thin spindles) in the Tutorials and Tips section here.

JKJ

 

[Isaac Litster]

Nice, clever!

One idea: Commercial toothpicks are often made from birch, for several reasons. I find it easier to make clean cuts on tiny things if I use a harder, finer-grained wood. I often use ebony or cocobolo, but they won't look like they are from a toothpick!

If you are set on turning from toothpicks, maybe turn a few toothpicks from a wood such as boxwood, pau marfim, or hard maple. Then the tiny detail and finishes could be cleaner.

John Lucas has made some extremely small goblets. I think he made special tools to help turn them.

JKJ

I knew the results would be poor because it is birch, I wanted to see if it was even possible to get the features even if there was a bad surface. I have some other woods, such as Persian ironwood and mountain mahogany sapwood that would look nearly white, and are extremely hard and fine-grained. However, I wanted to see if I could turn a toothpick from the store, which I had on hand.

I have turned quite a bit of miniature, maybe I will post soon some pictures.

 

[Isaac Litster]

Some miniatures I have turned. Not amazing proportions or quality, but this was a while ago.

 

[John K Jordan]

When I turned miniatures like these...



... two people told me I could sell tiny turned things, if made to the right scale, to doll house collector fanatics and make a fortune.

Said these people would buy all kinds of things, well-made little tables, bowls, platters, goblets, chopsticks, pepper mills, kitchenware (rolling pins, etc), 3/4-legged stools, round mirrors or picture frames, light fixtures, lamp stands, bed posts, wig stands, jewelry boxes...

But if I started making things for money, it might feel like a job.

JKJ