Time to drop a few photos.

[nicguthrie]

I'm a pretty introvert type, and life doesn't do a lot to encourage me to change, given my circumstances, but this forum has encouraged me out of my shell a little. I thought I'd drop a couple (very poor quality) pictures of the things I've made since you guys encouraged me back out to the workshop and into doing some stuff for myself while the wife's chemo goes on.

Oak Box with Teak (I think?) lid

Spalted Sycamore bowl - odd shape cos I wanted to practice the flat base and only slightly fluted sides for another project. Gorgeous wood, not such a pretty bowl. Originally it was finished to a high shine, but I brought it into the house just as a dozen females were putting handcreams etc on in a bodyshop do, and the wax got a special assorted hand cream buff to matt it out at the end!

Underside very subtle foot - deliberate, but doesn't look very good on a bowl.

Spalted Alder This was the toughest turning I've ever done- the spalting was VERY soft on one side so turning kept taking divots from the grain, it couldn't be sanded under power as the spalted area just rubbed away, and for some reason the Alder it's self was awkward as sin, getting friction marks or losing fibres if the tool was just slightly mishandled.

I did like the shape in the end tho - it was a wee experiment that went right!

Any comments appreciated, especially if they improve my future stuff

 

[KimG]

Nice to see your work Nick, I like the box and very much like the Alder bowl, that is particularly interesting to me (see log cutting post!) the little bowl in the middle would possibly have worked a bit better if it was less square in shape and with a more constant wall thickness as opposed to a tapering wall, it's got some nice features in the grain that a more curved shape would have brought out, the Alder bowl is a very nicely shaped piece though, with a good balanced and even look to the wall, the best of the three for me. Keep posting stuff up!

 

[Graham Orm]

Lovely stuff Nick, I like the oak especially. ;-)

 

[Penny]

I don't know - I like the Sycamore bowl - maybe a flatter bottom would work better, but I like the nice, simple shape of it. Much more my style!

 

[gregmcateer]

Very nice, Nic.

If that's what comes of being an introvert, then stick with it and keep making lovely things like them!

Greg

 

[Woodmonkey]

Lovely stuff, I like the oak particularly, are you sure the last is alder, the end grain and colour look very much like robinia along with the white sap wood...

 

[KimG]

Lovely stuff, I like the oak particularly, are you sure the last is alder, the end grain and colour look very much like robinia along with the white sap wood...

I think you nailed it WM, definitely a legume of some sort at any rate.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

You've got an eye for it Nic. Keep it up fella...good work.

 

[nicguthrie]

Thanks folks!

The last one was sold to me as Alder, but that may have been a best guess identification from a long-time stored lump of wood, cos it was from a local wood turner/yard who only does it part time, so I'd forgive him for mis-identifying it. In fact, I hope it is something odd as that means I won't dread working with Alder in the future! If it's any help for positive ID, the grain, end-on has a near bamboo-like "dottiness" to it, but inside the bowl where it's cross grain, it's gotten a lovely "flame" gleam. The colour isn't quite as dark as the pic, it's between fresh yellow pine and white oak.

The Sycamore one I'm in two minds about myself. I'm very much a techie, rather than an artist, I can't pre-visualise stuff like an artist can, and I'm best working from measurements etc. It was an experiment to make a utilitarian, tough bowl to hold sweeties for visitors The sides don't actually change width quite as badly as the bad photo angle makes it look, they go from around 6mm (around where I stop all my bowls, it feels "right") to around 4mm then half an inch from the top I started to both taper it and flare it more. Unfortunately, after resting it's warped a bit despite being bone dry, and I've not left a mountable base on it to correct it. Live and learn.

The Oak Box is my personal favourite faceplate turning that I've done. When it was finished the top had the lovely "phumph" noise fit, but after a couple of months, a tiny crack got worse, and slightly changed the lip's shape to the point that the lid is very stiff now. Again, I've left too little lip to cut it again cos I wanted the shapes to flow into each other, and there's no mount left on the base to correct it.

This learning thing is fun - but wouldn't it be nice to know how the wood's going to change in advance?

I'm going for my first platter next, part of the reason I was practicing the flatter shapes. Got a lovely chunk of Yew for it and I'm just praying that I can do it justice!

Nic.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

don't forget that with bowls and platters you can always turn them undersize, leave them bagged with damp shavings for a few weeks until they stop losing weight/warping and then finish them off dry. That will mitigate for the last bit of moisture loss that screws up the shape and really speeds up time from freshly cut.

 

[Waka]

I especially love the box.

 

[blackrodd]

Really Nice bit of turning, I've not done any for a long time!
I particularly like the Alder bowl, An excellent finish.
It looks like elm to me, not being familiar at all with alder of that size, grain etc.
Regards Rodders

 

[nicguthrie]

don't forget that with bowls and platters you can always turn them undersize, leave them bagged with damp shavings for a few weeks until they stop losing weight/warping and then finish them off dry. That will mitigate for the last bit of moisture loss that screws up the shape and really speeds up time from freshly cut.

Worth a try, thanks. I've heard of folks Microwaving small blanks to get them dry, would that work with a rough turned bowl too?

Anyone any thoughts on the best method of chucking a platter? And don't say "like a frisbee"!

It sort of worries me that there's so little depth to make a tenon or to cut a dovetail recess, without risking the whole blank. The wood I have is 8" by about 1.5" I think. I was considering hot glueing it onto a ready mounted wooden chuck?

Nic.

 

[Graham Orm]

don't forget that with bowls and platters you can always turn them undersize, leave them bagged with damp shavings for a few weeks until they stop losing weight/warping and then finish them off dry. That will mitigate for the last bit of moisture loss that screws up the shape and really speeds up time from freshly cut.

Worth a try, thanks. I've heard of folks Microwaving small blanks to get them dry, would that work with a rough turned bowl too?

Anyone any thoughts on the best method of chucking a platter? And don't say "like a frisbee"!

It sort of worries me that there's so little depth to make a tenon or to cut a dovetail recess, without risking the whole blank. The wood I have is 8" by about 1.5" I think. I was considering hot glueing it onto a ready mounted wooden chuck?

Nic.

Youtube Frank Howarth and ask him either through You tube or see if he has a website.

 

[lanemaux]

Nice figure on the box mi amigo.I never tire of the pics in the turning forum, gives fumblefingers like me something to aspire to. The alder also strikes a chord , nice one Nic.