Little ash box

[Castanea]

Inspired by Mike Waldt's little lidded box on YouTube I dug out a piece of ash and a tiny bit of walnut this evening and am happy with the result. The club member who demonstrated to the club this week handed around a demonstration bowl he'd been given by Dale Nish so this is trying to have a slight sense of the lift that piece had.
I suspect some will think the finial is too heavy - or at least too top heavy - and I might agree tomorrow, but today I'm happy to have a little lidded box which I like
As ever comments are very welcome - I still have an awful lot to learn!
The whole thing is about 125mm high

 

[woodpig]

Very elegant and the finial looks fine to me. I'd be well pleased with that, well done.

 

[Woodchips2]

Looks lovely Castanea, well done =D> =D> =D>

Regards Keith

 

[Castanea]

Many thanks for the comments. Both the piece of ash and the thin bit of walnut I started with were long enough to get another out of so now I have a pair. I'm meeting a couple of old school friends next weekend so they'll be a couple of timely gifts I'll try to put up a pic tomorrow. As always with my copy turning they're not as close as I'd like but are at least recognisably similar. Happy to find that the second was rather quicker than the first so that's a result! What I'm most pleased about though is the lack of catches on hollowing out the insides - I seem to have taken a forward step with end-grain hollowing with the spindle gouge. I was swinging the handle too slowly and catching the wing occasionally but was also tending to lift the handle so the cutting edge was being pulled around sideways as well as down. Now I'm getting the handle across quicker to avoid the wing and concentrating on keeping everythig level I'm getting much better control and no nasty catches dragging big spirals across the bottom. Touch wood - let's see what happens next time ;-)

 

[SVB]

Hi,

A nice box and many thanks for posting.

To offer some comments or things to think about (which you may or may not agree with and should not take away from a nice, clean and well finished item)

1) lid fit. Much is made an the 'pop' one can achieve with a super accurate fit but for this type of item such a pop fit is really for other word turners. An item such as this for rings etc on a dressing table should have a lift off fit for the lid as the lid will be lifted with one hand with the ring / item held in the other. What type of fit did you design / end up with on this item?

2) Balance: the base is narrow and ones eye is drawn to this by the design of the form you have used.

3) Curves vs straight lines. The over all form is a bit 'funnel like' in shape, perhaps next time allow a little more curves to develop in the body and base. This could still allow the light form and overall shape but may look more pleasing to the eye and avoid the balance piece in 2 above.

4) Base: It is sometimes possible to give a feel of lightness by 'tucking' the base under, I.e. having a small radius at the base so as to case a shadow rather than feeling like the item is 'planted' at the base. This may even allow for a slightly larger base to help with stability without making the pot look any less light.

Hope this helps,

Simon

 

[Castanea]

Thanks for the comments Simon,

Much as I love a nice pop-fit lid these are drop-in lids which I want to be able to lift with a finial so are intentionally slightly loose

I wanted a narrow based slightly impractical balance so I'm happy with that - I'm aiming for something ethereal rather than sensible - I have some way to go!

I tried to copy the first one when I made the second but unwittingly ended up with a slightly more curved form heading towards what you suggest. I think it does have more lift. I didn't want to just fall into a lumpy ogee and, as you say, going too funnelly isn't ideal either so I've still to work out quite what it is that I want. I now know what I don't want better than I know what I do! As you say, funnelly isn't good and, as I guess you were saying with point 2, it forces the eye down rather than letting it slide down naturally.

I'd like to play with the tucked under base at some point - it's an interesting thought - but here I really did want them to be planted. I love cup fungi, slime moulds and lichens so I was trying to create a sort of pod or fruiting body which was both firmly planted and lifting upwards. To be honest I'm happier with the base than the lid or finial. I think I like the more domed second lid so if I do another like this I suspect it will have a slightly more domed lid and a very fine simple tapered finial which comes out of the lid without a collar - just a fine slim extension of the lid. I think the mark XXV version of this might start looking quite nice

Many thanks for setting me thinking - my thoughts might make little sense to anyone else but I'm enjoying them!

The promised / threatened photos of the two pots together are below - first one on the left, second on the right.

All the best

Ian

 

[SVB]

They are really nice little boxes. The bit I forgot to mention was how nicely turned the finials are. The detail is really crisp, it is so easy round over details with abrasive at that scale and the balls that top the finials also look spherical, again not easy at that scale. The also look totally in proportion to my eye - nice job!

I'm glad you found the comments at least through provoking. I know I always learn something on here both from advice I got one my stuff and also reading comments on others work. Every day is a school day as they say!

Best regards,

Simon

 

[Lexx]

I really like them, If I had to pick one, I'd go for the one on the left with the slightly thicker base, but that's just my personal favourite, they are both sweet and the finial is grand, no doubt it will be resting on its side the odd time being a functional piece, and strong enough to take the odd handling knock.

 

[monkeybiter]

FWIW I like them both, I think the proportions are good and the finials just right for the intended purpose [i.e. a handle] My personal view of those tall thin finials is that they are a means of demonstrating ability/skill and usually not aesthetically pleasing.
As far as choice of wood goes, I love walnut but hate ash, but that's personal preference and I know it's contrary to most so enough said.
I think it's a point worth noting that your second piece took less time than the first, I think in all aspects of hobby woodwork [and other non occupational past-times] you need a first go to get your eye in, then subsequent efforts take less and less time. Maybe we should have a practise run? Sorry just rambling. Too much wine.

 

[Castanea]

Thanks Lexx and Mike, it's interesting to have different opinions (although as someone who's rather fond of ash . . .)
As for how much wine is too much - if you're rambling yet coherent I think we describe that as just the right amount rather than too much

 

[monkeybiter]

ccasion5: Thanks

P.S, Mrs.M really likes your avatar, is that you looking all god-like?

 

[n0legs]

Lovely work =D>

 

[Castanea]

At the risk of outstaying my welcome . . .

I've made another one!

They are getting taller and thinner based. At this rate the next one or the one after that will have to lie down on a cushion or the point will have to be shoved in the ground for it to stand up. This one has a bog oak finial. Next time the lid will be more domed - it came out rather more straight sided than I intended.

 

[SVB]

I think this latest one would look good in a little stand. Try turning a hemispherical bowl with hole in base to take pot when a slice is taken through centre and up-turned. Like this idea (all be it this is a more complex box turned from a plank by Jimmy clews).

S