Any C&C on my platter? :)

[miles_hot]

As this was my first natural edge and first platter I would be very interested in any comments you have on it.

I would also love to hear any suggestions you have around the trouble that I had with the Chestnut Spay Gloss Lacquer

Many thanks

Miles

 

[duncanh]

I like it but a couple of things don't work for me...

I think the lip on the top that separates the centre section from the rim distracts too much from one of the main feature - the natural edge. Maybe it's because of the height of it or maybe it's the neat, regular circle which clashes with the irregular edge.
Perhaps it might have worked better if it was shallower and created less of a shadow or perhaps a small bead would have been less distracting.
The foot might give a better profile if it was a little smaller but, obviously, this is a personal preference thing

Having said that, if this was my first platter I'd be very pleased with it.

 

[miles_hot]

Thanks for that - it was my intention to draw a distinction between the round and natural edge bit interesting that it seems to be too much; something to think about. The picture does make too much of the space "in front" of the circular rim which I think is due to the finish hassles.
If I was going again I.might have made the rim a little thinner however in the flesh I'm pretty around of it
Thanks for the comment.
Miles

 

[CHJ]

Miles, to me the top rim spoils the flow with its hard defined circle so close to the edge and holds the eye, does not look 'natural'

Full marks for the turning achievement though, the natural edge was a challenge in itself over and above the the need to turn a slim low profile platter for the first time.

The lacquer spray problems are just down to poor technique, having said that it's not an out and out criticism of you, using spray can lacquers and paints is an art in its own right and needs a lot of practice and a certain amount of luck to get it right when trying to do it on an occasional basis, I know I struggle on the odd occasions I use any on a wide surface.

1. You must ensure there is no dust whatsoever on the surface to be sprayed, use a "tack rag".
2. Distance between can and surface has to be within certain limits, far enough away so that it is not spreading lacquer by blowing on the surface but close enough that the lacquer droplets are not forming a skin before they impact.
3. There must be enough lacquer on the surface to flow and 'join the dots' between the particles but not too much that it forms runs or sags before it skins over.

Personally I would rarely use a spray lacquer on an article like your platter, I do use melamine reinforced lacquer if it is an item expected to receive some abuse from placing keys and the like on it or subject to wet wiping or the display of fruit that might weep, but a burnished sealer finish with canauba and/or microcrystalline wax on top should hold up well to cakes etc.

I have large fruit bowls that have been in constant use for several years holding a couple of kilos of mixed fruit like apples/oranges/bananas that were only finished with woodwax 22 and they are still looking good.
The ones we use for grapes, strawberries and the like have a melamine coating.

 

[Blister]

Hi Miles

My opinion of your platter is as follows

Nice wood / blank

Nice finish

Nice shape

The foot works well and is nice and wide to give the platter stability in use

The top face does not work for me ( My opinion only ) as it looks odd / irregular with only half a elevated rim to one side , this may have been your intention
I think if the top section was flat without the half and half rim you would have been a serious contender to win the platter challenge

Hope my input / views help

Allen

 

[miles_hot]

Allen - the rim goes all the way around; its not on only one side - I fear this impression is down to my camera work

Miles

 

[miles_hot]

Chas

Thanks for the thoughts about the spay - I knew it was users error, I'm just unclear what I did wrong I didn't dare buff the natural edge and hence needed some other idea, I'll just have to try something else next time

Miles

 

[gnu]

There is nothing majorly wrong with it and I'm sure someone would buy it but to me it looks a little flat and lacking in shape and tactile nature, Also with the base I would of gone for a simple a shallow recess which would of made the object deeper and you could remount the item to modify it if necessary. The double edge is also a little jarring. Essentially he has tried to do to much on the object when a much more simler and direct approach would acheive much more satisfying results. Its is llike in music where people try to cram in too many notes or in football when players try to play pretty football with too many intricate passes where one pass will do.

 

[duncanh]

Having looked at it again I have another couple of thoughts.
The raised rim might have worked better if it was from further from the edge. As it is the area of light wood at the lower left seems out of place on the rim when for the majority it's outside it (I actually noticed it this morning but forgot to mention it then - it's one of the first things I noticed). I know the proportions were specified by the contest though and not chosen by you.
On a second look I couldn't help wondering about the transition from the sloping inner to the flat. The top view shows 2 distinct boundaries when just one might be preferable. Maybe the centre and edge of the curve/slope could have been blended so the join couldn't be seen.

I hope you don't mind the input. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and am just as critical, if not more so, of my own work. I recently smashed up half a dozen that I just didn't like!

Also - are you sure that it's walnut? If I'd come across this I'd have said one of the Australian burrs due to the colour and very tight looking grain. I've never turned walnut though so could be wrong, but I thought it was darker

 

[myturn]

Hi Miles,

That's a great result seeing as it's your first NE and very well finished too so you are right to be pleased with it.

I agree with the others that it could do without the top raised lip so that the top rim just flows naturally into the platter surface with no boundary. I also think the foot could do with being less pronounced and possibly the bottom edges rounded over as you would find on a pottery plate.

I'd be happy to make something like that and it's always easier to judge someone else's work.

 

[skeetoids]

Hi,

This is one of the best platters I have ever seen.

Take everyone else's comments and I feel the exact opposite.

The raised rim between the natural edge and the internal platter is excellent and works very well indeed. The base detail is excellent too, giving the platter a nice accent and stability.

The way the natural edge curves up into the top of the platter and subsequently curves downwards in the underside photo is awesome.

The finish is beautiful and your photography is spot on, very good photos indeed.

Keep going in this direction if you want, I think there is lots for you to explore.

Well done mate,

Lee.

 

[miles_hot]

Following some comments on WOW which echoed the majority view on here (thanks for the exception Lee ) I've had a think:

1) If it wasn't for the design requirement for 100% flatness I would probably have had a very slight slope on the inner bit giving the view of a very shallow bowl / dish emerging from the wood. I think that this would give more of a "reason" for the shape of the rim detail
2) Everyone who has held it (though friends and family) have loved it so either they're being too nice, have the same taste as me or I've take a rather poor picture of it.
3) I set out to throw the round nature of the rim detail (and the intrinsic shape of wood turning) against the random natural edge. This has succeeded but maybe it was all a bit too much - sort of conflict for the sake of it with no visual "reason" - see thought 1
4) The dimension of the rim was set by the competition however it was also basically the max size that could still be round which was sort of the point of 3 but I take Duncan's point about the white wood.
5) Duncan - your other point about the two transitions from the rim detail to the flat is an picture thing - it is picking up a finish difference which I think occurred when I had to sand off the lacquer finish and I think I managed to get a slightly more glossy finish on the rim than the flat bit In reality it is a smooth and tactile transition but the finish issue no doubt cost me points (and rightly so I guess with finish being one of the criteria).

If I get time at some point later in the year I'll have another go at a platter / bowl with no rim detail; maybe an overflowing shape...

Thanks for all the comments - it really helps as it makes me think about it and question what I decided (and either decide to do it differently next time or affirm my original decision)

Miles

 

[duncanh]

4) The dimension of the rim was set by the competition however it was also basically the max size that could still be round which was sort of the point of 3 but I take Duncan's point about the white wood.

I'm often guilty of this myself, but it's not always for the best to make something as big as you can from a blank (I know this rim was constrained by the challenge though). Sometimes, especially when working with figured timber or natural edges, it's best to look at the overall design. It's difficult though as this can sometimes mean making something smaller than the maximum possible from the wood (which can often mean cutting away wood that you've paid for :shock: )

 

[skeetoids]

Hi Miles,

I may well be in the minority but I'm getting used to it, all the advice you have received has come from a genuine interest in your work and in no way constitutes a list of facts or instructions about what you should have done or what you should do again in the future.

It's always nice to receive a proper critique of any item and there are some very well thought out points on your piece, with great explanations and alternative options for you to try.

Remember that these are all just subjective opinions and if you adhere to most of them then I believe you won't necessarily grow but end up making stuff that pleases everyone else.

As said before, for me your platter was the winner, and while I mean no disrespect to other entrants (myself included) I feel that you don't need any critique. Just keep going with what your doing.

Cheers,

Lee.

 

[big soft moose]

looks good to me mate - I agree to an extent about the suddeness of the rim but as you say thats partly caused by the requirement for absolute flatness and is beyond your control

what wood is it ? - did that start life as one of the burrs you bought from me ?

 

[miles_hot]

Moose - thanks chap, no this was a burr which one of the Programme Managers at work gave me; he used to do some turning but stopped when the detonation vs pleasure equation become too one sided

Miles