My latest turnings

[duncanh]

These have been turned over the last 3 months or so, but I've only just got round to posting them...

click images for a larger version
This is my first natural edge vase. Made from wild cherry from my dad's garden. Height is approx 19cm. Finish is danish oil. Hollowed mainly with Monro tool. Turned wet


click images for a larger version
Lacewood. 10cm high x 15cm. Finish is danish oil. Hollowed using Sorby straight multi tip hollowing tool.


click image for a larger version
Silver birch from my dad's garden. 17cm high x15cm. Hollowed with the Monro tool again. Turned wet. Danish oil finish. Unfortunately the base on this developped a crack within 4 hours of taking it off the lathe. You can see the super glued fix in the picture. It was only afterwards that I thought I should have put some aluminum powder in it to make a silver fix in the silver birch.


click image for a larger version
Silver birch. 14.5cm diameter x 2.5cm high. Danish oil finish. From the same tree as above - made from an odd branch that I didn't want to waste.

click image for a larger version
Yew natural edge bowl from a tree in the graveyard in the village where I grew up. Approx. 20cm diameter x 12cm high. Turned wet. Danish oil finish


click image for a larger version
From the same yew tree as above. 13cm diameter x 8cm. Turned as an experiment - it's cross grain and contains the heart and pith, which all everyone says not to do as it's likely to crack. Well, this has a little, but it's not huge. Turned wet. Lemon oil finish.


To enable me to sand most of the wet pieces I sprayed them with meths which I then lit. It's a technique I saw Jimmy Clewes use and it works well. The larger ones needed to be sprayed several times.


Unfortunately my shed's unbearably hot after just 10 minutes of working at the moment, so it'll be a while before I have anything else to post.

Duncan

 

[CHJ]

Nice work Duncan, I take it you prefer turning green/wet wood.
I particularly like items 2 and 6, and also the proportions (shape and colour banding) of item 5.

 

[PowerTool]

All excellent pieces of work - I like the proportions and they all look nicely finished

Does your dad mind you chopping all his trees down ? :wink:


Andrew

 

[humanfish]

They look great, i particulary like the edge on the opening of the sixth bowl. very nice. I'm try to cajole my dad into building a seperate shed for his motorbike so we could get a lathe into the space :twisted:. It's something i would really like to start.
they look like really nice pieces
well done

 

[duncanh]

Thanks for the comments.

CHJ - I've no real preference for green wood. I just have a lot of it (it usually comes via my dad who lives out in the country and has lots of contacts ) and I can't be bothered waiting for it to dry. It is more pleasant to turn green as there's less dust, the tools cut better and last longer between sharpening.
The downside is that I'm not a particularly fast turner and I can only fit a couple our hours in on an evening, so I usually have to wait for a weekend when I can finish a piece in one go and I don't have to worry about storing the half finished turning without it warping or cracking too much.
There's something strangely satisfying about having a single long ribbon shaving probably longer the the lenth of my shed (12ft) flying over my shoulder

Andrew - unfortunately dad has now got rid of all his trees, but I probably have enough left to keep me going well into next year


Here's one I forgot...

click image for a larger version
From the same yew tree as the others. Abour 20cm high. Danish oil finish that's been buffed.

 

[Cutting Crew]

Duncan,

The simplest way to avoid wet turnings splitting or developing tiny cracks is to turn with thin walls and base section. Most of my work is about 2mm thick.

The only time I've ever had a problem with splitting is by trying to rush the drying process, and over heating when microwaving the piece.

Regards....Mike
Mike Swain RPT

 

[Horst Hohoff]

Hello,
I too like nos. 2 + 6 best. The others are nice too, but IMO no. 1 would look better, if the curved sideline would go all the way down and the base should be narrower.

 

[duncanh]

Mike - I know the theory of thin walled wet turnings warping instead of cracking - it's just the practice I haven't quite mastered yet. The silver birch vase that cracked has quite uniform 4mm walls and they've warped quite a bit. I just miscalculated on the base. The previous wet wood I've turned wasn't as prone to shrinkage so I've got away with turning unevenly in the past, and perhaps was a bit lazy with this piece.

Horst - I agree on the shape of number 1. I definately need to work more on my forms.

Duncan