simple segmented vase

[Random Orbital Bob]

My first in fact. I've some truly ancient reclaimed materials from an old wardrobe one of which were some small offcuts of 3/4" veneer'd blockboard. The veneer was a dark hardwood and the core an ash or beech or some such blonde. I've never been able to bring myself to throw them in the fire pile because the quality of the blockboard back then was so very good. The veneer is thick and the woods used are beautiful hardwoods with no voids or blemishes. But I didn't really have enough to make much due to the poor sizes. So I thought I'd see if I could make a sandwich with some oak and then turn it. So this vase is simply 5 pieces about 8" long and 4" wide glued together symmetrically ie oak/blockboard/oak/blockboard/oak. The idea was to get two cores of blockboard running through the piece with a core and both outsides of oak. The veneer in the blockboard I was hoping might provide a kind of stringing effect. Anyway, see what you think:

 

[CHJ]

Excellent re-use of materials, and good control of the blank to keep the laminates balanced across the finished piece.

An unusual and attractive piece.

 

[Woodmonkey]

Very nice, really effective pattern. What do you mean by blockboard, it looks like solid timber?

 

[Grahamshed]

That looks really good Rob, makes a fantastic patten.

 

[woodfarmer]

Absolutely endorse everything CHJ has said, brilliant piece.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

very kind of you all

Blockboard, Woody is a form of manmade board. Although still available today it's been substantially replaced by ply and/or MDF. It's a veneer'd board where the outer covering is something nice and good enough for furniture (a nice hardwood like Mahogany for instance) but the core is strips of solid wood glued together. The modern stuff of course use a lot of rubbish pine as the core but the older ones were often beautifully straight grained hardwoods in their own right. Also the modern ones have a pathetically thin veneer whereas the antique ones were often up to 5mm thick. Also no voids compared to the utter rubbish on sale now etc etc. Basically they oozed quality which is why even though I only had scraps I couldn't bring myself to throw them out. The sandwich idea was born out of adversity because I didn't have enough to make the thickness I needed so I borrowed some oak from a blank making session (more offcuts) and while assembling it figured evenly spacing them would create a symmetrical pattern as long as I was careful about the centering.

Edit: I thicknessed the oak so it was the same as the blockboard ie each laminate was exactly the same to keep any symmetry that might emerge once the curves were turned.

 

[Grahamshed]

and it was one huge success, it looks great.

 

[winemaker]

Very nice

 

[Woodmonkey]

The colours just work don't they, a longer piece would make a great lamp I reckon.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

haha....if only I hadn't run out of antique blockboard

 

[n0legs]

Lovely effect. The shape and size is spot on =D>

 

[J-G]

Excellent control of symmetry in construction of the blank and centring on the lathe.

If only block-board of that quality were available today !

JG

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

It is J....its just buried in old wardrobes and dust frames in chests of drawers

 

[Dalboy]

Well done I agree with what has been said about the symmetry of the laminations many just laminate and stick it on the lathe without thinking of that side of things

 

[procell]

Just goes to show that nothing is really scrap wood. That is a stunning piece you can be very proud of it.