Fruit WIP

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Richard Findley

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Location
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Hi guys,

I recently posted a picture of a bowl of fruit I made for a customer. When I posted it someone asked for more info on making fruit and I offered to do a WIP as I had a follow up order to make.... so here it is - with LOTS of pictures!!!

For Apples pick a blank that is a cube. 3" x 3" x 3" is great but 2 1/2" cube works well too. Much smaller and we're into the realms of crab apples!! Mount between centres and turn a spigot for the chuck:

Fruitwip1.JPG


Once mounted in the chuck mark 30mm from the chuck (on a 3" blank) this will be the widest part and show us a divide between the top and bottom of the apple.

fruitwip2.JPG


It is now being held by the top of the apple and we can now shape the bottom and drill a hole to suit your screw chuck (in my case 4mm is perfect)

fruitwip3.JPG


Finish shaping, sand....

fruitwip4.JPG


and polish the bottom of the apple:

fruitwip5.JPG


If you are making a Pear, the process is the same just a different shape:

fruitwip6.JPG


This is my shop made screw chuck, made with a 6mm coach screw:

fruitwip7.jpg


Mount the blank onto the screw chuck with a bit of paper towel as padding between the chuck and the finished bottom:

fruitwip8.jpg


Turn the shape of the top. It is the tops that let many wooden apples down in my opinion, people often don't go deep enough. I use a 3/8 and then a 1/4 spindle gouge in the same cut you would use to hollow a box or goblet out to shear scrape and shape the core area of the apple:

fruitwip9.jpg


Once you are happy sand and polish as before:

fruitwip10.jpg


I then drill for the stalk. I use an electric drill with a 3.5mm or 4mm bit at an angle to make the hole:

fruitwip11.jpg


For the stalks there are a million and one ways to make them but this is mine. Cut a blank of about 10mm by 100mm (3/8 x 4") or you can use dowel, in any wood, this is beech:

fruitwip12.jpg


The angled top was done on the disc sander but you can saw this by hand or on a bandsaw.

fruitwip13.jpg


I mount this in a Jacobs chuck in the MT of the headstock. This is safe if you follow a couple of simple steps. First, give the JC a tap with a mallet (I use a Deadblow) to make sure the MT seats properly and then note the position of the tool rest. IF the JC decides to come out it can come no further than the tool rest and so is nice and safe. If you have a set of mini jaws for your chuck then all the better!!

fruitwip14.jpg


Shape with the lathe running fast and supporting the stalk with you fingers. I cut a long gentle cove and then a tapered glue spoigot:

fruitwip15.jpg


No need to sand, I just stain them with some Tudor Oak stain which is a dark green colour which I think suits nicely:

fruitwip16.jpg


I fit a Clove in the bottom but you could easily turn a little button or similar:

fruitwip17.jpg


Then glue in the stalk and thats your apple:

fruitwip18.jpg


I hope you have enjoyed this WIP. I also hope it is clear and makes sence to you. If you have any comments or questions please post them up here.

Richard
 
Thanks Richard, I have tried these before and just ended up with large light pulls. You make it seem easy but I'll try a gain and see if I can make some.

Pete
 
Great WIP piccys Richard :D
This is something else i have been meaning to do for ages.The fruit that is :D
Did you just screw your screw through the wood or have you glued it in as well :?:
 
Hi Richard,
Thanks for going to the trouble of taking and posting the pictures - it makes perfect sense now!
Something else to have a go at.

Malc :D
 
Many thanks Richard - the original pictures and wood guessing game whetted the interest and these pictures answer all but one of my questions !

You mount the half turned fruit on the screw chuck to turn the stem end - do you just leave the screw hole unfilled when the fruit is finished ?

I'm sure you must have investigated this but from my keyboard seat there would seem to be some logic in turning the fruit the other way round so that the stem fills the screw chuck hole ?

Many thanks for the WIP pictures and guidance.

OW
 
Nice WIP Richard.

OW, if you look at the 2nd from last picture it shows the base of the apple that was on the screw chuck. Richard has filled the hole by putting a clove in it to simulate the base of the fruit.

john
 
Oldwood wrote
You mount the half turned fruit on the screw chuck to turn the stem end - do you just leave the screw hole unfilled when the fruit is finished ?
I see what you mean that by having the larger hole for the turned stem to fit into would be better,and the smaller hole for the clove :?:
Or is it because the stem hole is drilled at an angle to give the stem better effect:?:
 
Oops - helps if you read the captions and not just look at the pretty pictures!! Sorry about that, and smart thinking to use a clove - all we need to do now is to bake it and we have baked apple with a clove in it!!

OW
 
Thanks for the refresher Richard, I first saw you do this as a demo at the Shropshire club. I had never turned an apple before the demo but I am really pleased with the results I am getting now, but I need to bore a bit more out where the stalk fits after seing your wip.
As you say there are lots of ways to make the stalks, I get my family to save all their pear stalks for my apples, I find them great once they are dried out . Thanks for showing us again.
Dave
 
Hi guys,

Glad you enjoyed the WIP and thanks for your comments.

OW, I must admit that I too am guilty of only looking at pictures and not reading the words on many posts :oops: :oops:

Paul, the screw chuck is made with a 6mm coach screw which is then epoxy-ed into the wooden body.

The hole is fixed into the bottom as it is straight but also because it would neet to be very long to get a good secure fixig into the top of the apple. Also, if there was any slight bruising from the screw chuck, it would be very obvious on the top of the apple.

Pete, these make a nice little project and seem to sell well. My best tip for getting the "perfect apple" is to buy one and take measurements off of it and generally study it. I found it helps no end!!

Cheers,

Richard
 
Richard I forgot to mention that when putting it on the screw chuck I use a piece of leather between the apple and the wood of the chuck. One side of the leather is usually finished and shiny but the other side is usually soft and a bit fluffy. I find this cushions it much better and since using it I havent had one marked.

If you go to DFS or similar and ask for some old samples you can usually get a few.

john
 
Pear was a flop lol...but I did finish a spalted pot.
Will give the apple and pear another go later on today.
Thanks for the pic tutorial.
 
hog&bodge":1ahrqec5 said:
Pear was a flop lol...but I did finish a spalted pot.
Will give the apple and pear another go later on today.
Thanks for the pic tutorial.

People like Richard always make these things look easy but it isn't is it? I have yet to make a recognisable one.

Pete
 
I've got as far as the top end of the apple and it's looking OK !! It will be typical though of all too many of my turnings - ruined by the last cut!!

Has any one tried Bobham's offset handle scoop - that is going to be an interesting challenge - all too many phases in the turning of that to get through without a failure.

OW
 
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