# More recent turnings (by Duncan)



## duncanh (7 Sep 2006)

These have been turned over the last couple of months but I wait until I've got a few before taking photos...



_click images for a larger version_
Size: 11.5 cm diameter
This used to be a crown green (I think) ball. It's made from lignum vitae and the white insert on top is the original ivory that was in there. There should have been one in the bottom as well but I chipped it removing it when trying to find the original centres it was turned between. Underneath both centres were still there, which made it nice and easy to true up  
Hollowing was done held in a contracting dovetail using a sorby scraper with the tungsten tip (normal scrapers appeared to put too much force on the wood and weren't much faster anyway, and a bowl gouge was useless as it built up oily residue from the wood on the bevel too quickly). And I drilled out as much of the inner as I could because hollowing was taking ages.
The bottom had a small void which was filled with brass powder and superglue.
After sanding to 2500 grit there was hardly any need of a finish, but I applied some wax anyway.
The original ball had a black (laquer?) finish on it which was hard to remove and you can see this in the cracks on the full size image. I quite like the effect though.
I have plenty more of the balls so will be making more. Does anyone know the legality of using or selling items like this that have old ivory in them?

And now for something different for me... lightpulls








_click images for larger versions_
The first 2 are made from recycled rosewood of some sort (I think) and about 12cm long - the wood was used as packing crates for some stone flags my dad bought which had been imported from India. It's pretty hard and takes an excellent finish but unfortunately I only have 3 lengths about 80cm long x 5cm square, and they are a bit cracked and have a few worm holes. They're juggling clubs in case you were wondering - one of my other hobbies is juggling.

The second 2 are lignum vitae without any finish. They're 6cm long

The third is beech. 8cm long.

more to follow next week...


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## PowerTool (7 Sep 2006)

Very nice - looking forward to the next installment  

Andrew


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## duncanh (10 Sep 2006)

_click images for a larger version_

Ash. 30cm diameter. Chestnut finishing oil
Made after watching a demo at our club on making nested bowls from a single piece of wood. The bowl and platter it sits on are still connected. In the demo the bloke (sorry, can't remember his name) went on to colour the centre bowl. What intend to try is colouring and piercing parts of the bottom bowl.



_click images for a larger version_
Elm. 36cm diameter. Chestnut finishing oil and buffed
Made as a wedding gift for 2 friends who got married this weekend. The original plank was intended to a table but had sat unused in the shed for 2 years. I'm very happy with the result.



_click images for a larger version_
Poplar I think. 17cm diameter, 9cm tall. Chestnut finishing oil and still to buff
This wood was bought part seasoned at the Horrogate show a couple of years ago and I started to turn it immediately. I wasn't experienced enough to know to turn it thin and so struggled with parts of the still wet blank and a very wet and apparently rotten bark inclusion. In desparation I roughed out the shape, hollowed out part of the centre, made a chucking point on each end and coated every surface in several coats of watered down pva. Not expecting much from it I threw it under a bench and forgot about it. I found it again a couple of months ago and still thought I wouldn't be able to salvage much. In the end I'm very happy with the result - it's my first use of brass powder and like almost everything about it. All it needs is a bit more work where the foot meets the main surface, but I can work on that next time.

more to follow...


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## Alf (10 Sep 2006)

Duncan, the figure in the pot is absolutely stunning - super job on bringing out its best. I may be picking your brains about your experiences of turning the lignum bowl. I picked up four myself recently and, well, let's just say it seemed a good idea at the time, but now... 8-[

Cheers, Alf


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## colin macdiarmid (10 Sep 2006)

lovely work, i had a look at you'r other work on your website really nice stuff


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## duncanh (12 Sep 2006)

Thanks for the comments. Next time I do a lignum bowl I try to remember to take photos at each stage. No idea when that may be though. 
Here are the last of my recent photos... 



_click images for a larger version_ 
Beech fruit bowl. ~30cm diameter. 
Made for a friend's birthday. Finished with Danish oil I think 



_click images for a larger version_ 
Purpleheart with ebony band pen and pencil set and a box for them. 
A birthday present for another friend. Having read about the problems of colour fading with exposure to uv I tried letting high factor sun cream soak into the pens before polishing them. No idea if it works but I'm sure I found the idea somewhere on the net (must be true then!!) 



_click images for a larger version_ 
Spalted elm bowl. About 22cm diameter. 



_click images for a larger version_ 
A three point tool. Handle is about 20cm long. The steel is hss from one of the stands at the Harrogate show and has a flat badly ground into for the set screw to lock onto.. The ferrule was a plumbing fitting from B&Q - I just bought the one they had with the thickest wall for making a screw thread in. The tool works well and is very useful. The other end is now ground as a skew chisel


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## DaveL (12 Sep 2006)

Nice looking work Duncan.  

You don't have the big picture viewing setup correctly, it asks for me to log in as you to see the picture. :?


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## duncanh (12 Sep 2006)

Sorry about that - the large images should be ok now


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## DaveL (12 Sep 2006)

That works a treat, thanks for sorting it out.


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## duncanh (20 Sep 2006)

I'm really getting into light pulls at the moment. It's good for using up even the smallest of offcuts. It's also great for practicing with the skew.

To make these I drilled a held the wood in my Nova pin jaws and drilled a countersink followed by a 3mm hole all the way through. I then used my pen mandrel with the rod almost all the way inside the headstock except for a small length long enough to hold one of the bushings. The countersink fits over this and it works well as a friction drive. 
This was my first use of the spiralling/texturing tool and it went better than expected. It's still going to take a while to get the hang ot it though.



_click image for a larger version_

Juggling clubs made from elm.
Middle left walnut I think
Middle middle unknown
Middle right ash
Bottom row pau amarillo textured and spiralled with the Sorby tool, sprayed with ebonising laquer and then returned
Bottom centre tiny ebony offcut
Maximum length 8cm


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## DaveL (20 Sep 2006)

Duncan, 

Now I like those.  The idea of using what in my shop would feed the wood burner to practice on and get things that nice is a good one. =D> 

I am not a turner but an intrigued by the spiral lines, come on show us how its done. :-k


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## PowerTool (20 Sep 2006)

DaveL":2s3xminm said:


> I am not a turner but an intrigued by the spiral lines, come on show us how its done. :-k



In my case,I can make them just by a quick accidental bite with the skew  

Duncan - very nice work  

Andrew


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## duncanh (21 Sep 2006)

Thanks for the comments.

Dave - the spirals are relatively easy to make if you have the right tool - look at http://robertsorby.co.uk/SorbyMedia/310HTexturingSpiralling2.wmv on the sorby website to see it in action. It's a little bit pricey but I think it'll be very useful.
In the previous 2 issues to the current one of Woodturning magazine there were a couple of articles on it's use

Duncan


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## DaveL (24 Sep 2006)

Duncan, 

Thanks for the link, useful looking bit of kit. 

Warning for anyone on dialup, the video file is ~ 60Mb :twisted:


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## duncanh (11 Oct 2006)

Here are some more.....



_click image for a larger version_

Made from silver birch from my dad's garden. I thought I'd experiment with going thin.
Unfortunately the wood had several cracks in it so I had to remove more than I had originally planned. That's the reason for there only being a small amount of bark. It may look unsual but I like it like that.
16.5cm diameter, 7.5cm tall. varies from 1.5mm thick to 3mm at base.




_click image for a larger version_

A juggling club pendant made from an old piano key, with a silver loop.
5.5cm long




_click image for a larger version_

A few cufflinks. The ones on the left are from rosewood (I think - it was recycled from a packing crate from India). The others are from ebony and ivory recycled from old piano keys. The top 2 were a test which I won't repeat - ebony dust managed to get between the minute cracks between 2 layers of ivory.

About 2.5cm diameter




_click image for a larger version_

Splated holly. Yes, I did say holly! This is possibly the most stunning piece of wood I've worked on. It came from a section of trunk that had a dead knot in it from where the spalting spread. The wood was still pretty wet when I turned it and it had a strong smell - very 'agricultural', so I'm guessing the spalting was still active. 
The outside shape was a joy to turn but the inside was a real pain - I think the shape I chose was perhaps just beyond the limit of the Munro hollowing tool and I ended up making a small link to extend the reach. Also, the inside cut so well I was having to stop every 30 seconds to empty shavings. 
The piece is now drying and warping quite a bit. I would have liked to dry it before turning but it was starting to split. I just hope it doesn't warp too much and start to crack.
This is the only piece with spalting that I have, but I've packed shavings from it round part of the trunk that wasn't spalted in the hope that it'll spread.

21cm diameter, 9cm high, 3.5cm opening. Unsure of thickness but it's probably not as much as it should be


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## duncanh (12 Mar 2007)

My lathe is still out of action and waiting for repair  so all I've got to do is tidy the shed and take photos...

(all photos are clickable for larger versions)




16cm diameter, 6cm high burnt ash. 
Experimental piece following up on a demo we had at the club. Originally the centre was covered in metal leaf but I didn't like it and my family hated it so I turned it away (very carefully using my modified chuck cole jaws with 10cm bolts rather that the original ~2cm ones). Unfortunately I left a tool mark at the left hand side but as it was just a test I'm not too bothered. This was the first piece I've burnt and I love the feeling of the surface. 




28cm diameter Ash bowl/platter
The rim was burnt with a blow torch, the charring removed with a brush and sprayed with lacquer to seal it from dust. I then turned the inner and applied oil finish. The rim is a bit shiny for my liking, but I was just experimenting. The bottom is a nice shallow curve down to a foot that's about 1/3 the diameter. The base is slightly concave.




30cm diameter, 5cm high oak bowl
Another experiment for me - carving the top rim. People at the club thought the carving detracted from the wood but I like the effect that it creates when viewed from different angles - a kind of moire effect. Finished with oil but it still needs buffing. The base is the similar to the burnt ash one proportionally and in technique.




20cm diameter, 5cm high elm bowl
Yet another experiment that kind of works but would be better on light wood. Before I applied the finish this wood looked kind of boring so I used my new pyrography tool to highlight the grain on the top and on the foot. Or at least that's what I tried to do! At first the family hated it but some changed their minds. I'll try it with a lighter wood next time.




24xm diameter, 4cm high carved lime dish
Yet more experimenting. Lime is usually quite bland but good for carving so I was planning to carve the rim of this from the start. It turned out that this piece had some interesting grain.

More to follow when I can be bothered setting the camera up again including a stunning piece of ash 

Duncan


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## Paul.J (12 Mar 2007)

Duncan.
First time i've seen those earlier turnings.
Fantastic pieces.Nice variation.
More please.  
Paul.J.


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## duncanh (12 Mar 2007)

Thanks Paul. Some more of my older turnings can be seen here and here

Duncan


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## Anonymous (12 Mar 2007)

> ...pyrography tool to highlight the grain on the top...



Works for me Duncan, luv the undercut... and bowls that say 'touch me' :wink:


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## Paul.J (12 Mar 2007)

Duncan.
Fantastic again.I like the Leyandii piece.Justs a pity that it is Leylandii.
Just makes me feel i've got years to get to that sort of standard. :? All that practice  Very nice.
Paul.J.


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## wood yew believe it ! (13 Mar 2007)

some lovely work there duncan, i especially like your burnt pieces, looks like a lovely texture, all good shapes too, "eye candy" all of it!

dave


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## duncanh (16 Mar 2007)

Some more turnings. Hopefully I should get my lathe back tomorrow and get some more done...

(all photos are clickable for larger versions) 




Spalted beech fruit bowl with lemon oil finish. 
30cm diameter, 5cm high





Burr oak dish. Finished with Chestnut Finishing Oil
20cm diameter





Rippled ash dish. Finished with Chestnut Finishing Oil
31cm diameter, 6cm high





Elm dishes. Finished with Chestnut Finishing Oil
31cm diameter, 7cm high (large one)
This was my first use of the Sorby slicer for bowl coring and I'm now really pleased that I bought it. It may only let you get cone cores but it's the cheapest corer and is better than nothing. I could have got a deeper core but played it safe this time.





Burr elm bowls. Finished with Chestnut Finishing Oil
~23cm diameter, ~8cm high
My second use of the Sorby slicer. I had 3 elm burrs and hated the idea of wasting the middles of them so I bought the slicer. I've put of turning any off the burrs for fear of making a mess of them so I waited until I thought I had enough experience. 
Unfortunately the bark was loose in a couple of places but very firmly attached in others so the larger bowl has some areas with and some without and because of the areas without I left the walls quite chunky. I'd read and seen that one suggested thing to do when this happens was to scorch the bark and missing areas so it wasn't quite so obvious, and I tested this on the core. It kind of works but I'm not convinced by it so didn't do that on the larger piece.

Duncan


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## CHJ (16 Mar 2007)

All very nicely executed Duncan, made the most of the natural figuring without swamping it in unnecessary detail.

I particularly like the rippled Ash and Elm dishes.


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## ctb (17 Mar 2007)

Duncanh ........... inspirational work there, lovely shapes and forms with a good finish, well done.


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## Paul.J (17 Mar 2007)

Lovely work Duncan.
Looks plain and simple :? 
Paul.J.


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## wood yew believe it ! (19 Mar 2007)

lovely pieces there duncan keep it up mate


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## duncanh (10 Apr 2007)

I made these two pens for a couple of friends who collected some piano keys for me last year. I'm really pleased with how they've turned out.



_click for larger image_

The trickiest part of the whole process was getting the hole to drill accurately through the centre - I held them in my Nova pin jaws and used a jacobs chuck in the tailstock but as the keys taper it's hard to hold them dead square. 
Using a 7mm bit there's a maximum of ~1.5mm clearance at the narrowest part and because of this thinness the chances of cracking with heat are quite high. I used wax to lubricate the bit and proceeded very slowly - probably about 2 minutes to drill one key.

The glue used was polyurethane and it was a two step process...

Glue each full half pen onto a tube and wait for the glue to set (with potato stuck in the tube hole to stop glue getting in) - the same as is done for standard pens.

Then a short section is turned down to the tube to allow the thin ivory and ebony strips to be glued in place. 
These final lengths are then held in rubber clamp jaws until the glue has set.

Turn as normal

The finish is melamine lacquer with a top coat of home brewed of bees/carnauba waxes mixed.

Duncan


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## Paul.J (11 Apr 2007)

Nice job their Duncan  
They do look a bit tricky to do in piano keys. 

*Duncan wrote*
Using a 7mm bit there's a maximum 
Did you use a smaller drill first as a pilot hole.This makes the drilling with a larger drill after easier.
Paul.J.


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## duncanh (16 Apr 2007)

good idea. I never thought of that.

One handy tip that I saw somewhere was to start with a blank longer that the barrel and to drill a hole that was as long as the barrel but did not go through the end - it reduces the chance of a split at the end. One drilled remove the blank from the lathe and saw to required length

Duncan


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## duncanh (20 May 2007)

_click for a larger version_

Made from a standard 7mm pen kit but with the kit band replaced with a home made one.
The wood is rosewood (I think) recycled from a packing crate from India.
The band is ebony from a piano key


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## Paul.J (20 May 2007)

Another nice pen Duncan  
Paul.J.


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## PowerTool (20 May 2007)

Very nice,Duncan - particularly like the way it is all recycled timber  

Andrew


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## Bodrighy (20 May 2007)

A man after me own heart....hadn't thought of piano keys. Have you tried bone Duncan? Smells when turning but turns easily. Beef shin is good, looks like ivory. You can get them fre from local butchers who pack them up for dog owners (or their dogs :lol: )

Pete


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## Anonymous (21 May 2007)

> Beef shin is good, looks like ivory. You can get them fre from local butchers who pack them up for dog owners (or their dogs )



Alternatively you can get them from your local pet store/market ... bleached bone... no messin about boiling and skimming off the fat :wink: 

£1.20 each, last time I bought some!


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## duncanh (21 May 2007)

Never tried bone but if it turns as well as ivory then I may give it a go sometime. I have quite a few archaeologist friends who may appreciate them


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## duncanh (19 Aug 2007)

My first commissioned piece (even if it was from a family member)



_click for a larger version_

Mahogany platter 45cm diameter x 5cm deep

This is going to be an award at an horticultural show that my dad helps to organise. Amongst his roles he has to deal with all the cups and shields including the polishing before each year's show. When someone wanted to provide a new trophy he suggested something in wood. This platter will have a plaque along the edge giving the trophy's name and each year an engraved shield will be added with the winners name.

The hardest part of this turning was actually finding mahogany (specifically requested by the buyer) this wide. Then, when I got it home I discovered that there was a small hole (visible on the top left) with some discolouring. Fortunately this can be covered by the plaque.
I also had to re-arrange my workshop and rotate the lathe through 90 degrees to make space for the outrigger that I had to buy.

The base has a ogee down to a short, rounded foot. I left the dovetail recess in place in case repair work ever needs to be done, but I did put some decoration in the centre of the recess.


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## Paul.J (19 Aug 2007)

Fantastic piece Duncan  
Lovely looking piece of Mahogany.Nice shape,and finish.Like the bead in the middle.
Good idea to keep the recess in the bottom too.
Did it feel different when turning knowing it was a commisioned piece. :?: 
Paul.J.


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## duncanh (19 Aug 2007)

Thanks Paul.
Yes, it felt very different - much more pressure. With my ill-health I had 2 weeks where I couldn't get any turning done at all. And when I do feel up to turning I tend to do only 30 minutes or so at a time before taking a break. The one day that I did 2 hours solid I was completely wiped out the next day :-(


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## PowerTool (19 Aug 2007)

Very nice,Duncan - the bead is just enough detail;it accentuates the piece,rather than overpowering it.
Out of interest,where did you (eventually) find the timber ?

Andrew


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## duncanh (19 Aug 2007)

The wood came from Keenleysides, which is the shop where my club meets. 
I didn't try them to start with as they don't usually have much in this size, but when my other searches failed I phoned them and they had a plank that was about 55cm wide.


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## duncanh (20 Aug 2007)

_click for a larger version_

Sycamore salt and pepper grinders using the Crushgrind system. 30cm high

A wedding present for my sister. My other sister got similar grinders from sycamore when she married last month.

I like the idea of grinders for a present as they are likely to get used everyday. I've seen the goblets with connected captured rings round the stem that turner often give but I really can't see the point of them.


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## Paul.J (20 Aug 2007)

VerY nice Duncan  
i'm sure your sister was very pleased with them.
Another question.
How did you find trying to get the 2 the same. :?: 
Paul.J.


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## duncanh (20 Aug 2007)

If you look closely (or even not closely!) you'll notice that they're not the same - that's the beauty of giving someone a hand-crafted present - it shows that it's not mass produced.

Seriously though, it's reasonably straight forward - turn the first one and then put it in front of you whilst you turn the second. You can transfer dimensions easily from one to the other with calipers


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## Paul.J (20 Aug 2007)

Thanks for the tips Duncan  
I had a go earlier this year to make 2 table lamp stands.
They were simliar,but not the same. :roll: 
Paul.J.


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## Anonymous (22 Aug 2007)

duncanh":11umf3kz said:


> Mahogany platter ...new trophy ...



Nice work Duncan.... must be more than a little pleasing to know your work is going to be around and admired for some years to come :wink:


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## CHJ (25 Aug 2007)

I like the Platter Duncan, clean lines and proportions look good.


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## duncanh (11 Nov 2007)

These are a collection of juggling club pepper grinders ordered by friends and acquaintances.
They're approx. 50cm tall and the variation in shape and size reflects the different clubs that are available.
The central ones are two-toned in the lower body to represent the decorations often used on clubs (and also to save using wider wood for the full length).



_click for a larger version_

They can be juggled but you have to adjust the pattern slightly because catching them normally aims them downwards and they eventually come apart


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## Bodrighy (11 Nov 2007)

I really do like these and have thought of making some for my son who both juggles and cooks. My main concern has been the level of accuracy that is needed for the mechanism. It involves measuring :lol: 

Pete


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## Paul.J (11 Nov 2007)

Cracking pieces Duncan  as per usual.
What woods have you used,and finish did you apply :?: 
Paul.J.


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## PowerTool (11 Nov 2007)

Very impressive work,Duncan - and what a great idea as well  

Andrew


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## duncanh (12 Nov 2007)

Thanks for the comments.
All the handles (top part from below the small knob down to the wider body) are sycamore,
starting from left the main bodies are oak, then a trio of mahogany + sycamore + mahogany, then mahogany + oak + mahogany, then beech
The knobs at the top are rosewood (I think) and oak.

Finish is sanding sealer followed by several coats of sprayed on lacquer and then a mixture of carnauba and bees wax.

They are glossier in real life than they appear in the photo.

Yes Pete, there's quite a bit of measuring involved. Especially the part where the mechanism fits inside the wood


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## duncanh (26 Nov 2007)

Something a little different for me. 



_click for larger image_

Unknown wood for the body, connection between body and lid is ebony, finial is an old ebony piano key. Total length is 23 cm
Finish is cellulose sanding sealer, melamine lacquer, beeswax/carnauba wax mix

Rather than my usual turning practice of designing before turning I came upon this body shape by just mounting some wood and seeing what emerged. I wasn't planning on using it as a box but after staring at the 3 vessels I produced I had a light bulb moment. With the weight in the tail the box/vessel lies so that it can't roll sideways - just in a small circle.
This one was for a friend' birthday


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## TEP (26 Nov 2007)

Very neat *Duncan*, really like this piece, and as much as I like making practical pieces. These ornamental pieces have a place in my stock of ones to make. Hope you don't mind me pinching your idea :lol:


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## Bodrighy (26 Nov 2007)

The only thing I don't like about this is the fact that I didn't think of it first. Love the lines, choice of wood etc. Brilliant. =D> =D> :mrgreen: 

Pete


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## CHJ (26 Nov 2007)

Love the flowing lines and proportions.


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## PowerTool (26 Nov 2007)

Very nice work,Duncan;finials look particularly elegant and delicate  

Andrew


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## Paul.J (27 Nov 2007)

Very nice Duncan.
The wood looks beautiful what ever it is  Like it all  
Paul.J.


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## duncanh (23 Dec 2007)

Finally got round to taking more photos...



_click for larger image_
These are the forms from which I developed the box that I posted previously
Timbers are yew, oak, flamed beech, olive, laburnum
The yew one is about 20cm long. Can't remember the finishes.



_click for larger image_
An excellent way to use up small off-cuts - decorations for the xmas tree. Also an excellent way to practice with the skew. All were turned with just that tool with occasional use of the 3 point tool. Skew was even used for roughing out.
Clockwise from the front - unknown, ebony piano key, 2 x unknown, elm burr, hawthorn, elm burr, 2 x hawthorn
The longest is 15cm. Finishes are wax, oil, lacquer



_click for larger image_
Turned the day after a demo at the local club by Nikos Siragas. The spiral is all turned by hand and during the demo Nikos used an angle grinder but explained how to make it without, which is what I did - use a lot of parallel vertical saw cuts up to the outline of the spiral and then prizes them out with a chisel. This was very monotonous so next time I'm thinking of creating a jig and doing it on the band saw. He then suggested using a variety of rasps to smooth out the curves but I had more success with a small drum sander in a flexible drill shaft. The cup at the top is just the right size for a night light (but that's more luck than design). I'll be doing more early next year and will try to photograph the steps if anyone is interested
The top is mahogany (I think) and the base is sycamore
Height is 29cm. Finish is buffed Chestnut finishing oil


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## Paul.J (23 Dec 2007)

Lovely pieces again Duncan  
I'd be interested in seeing how you do the spiral cup,and will look forward to seeing a wip.
Paul.J.


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## Hans (26 Dec 2007)

As always (well most of the time) admiring your work Duncan. 
This time however I was struck as much by the coincidence as by the workpiece. 

For some years I had the Axminster eccentric-spiral chuck lying around, waiting for inspiration. In the process of making a batch of candleholders, I tried something different:



In general I have followed Jack Cox' instructions from Beyond basic woodturning. The exif data tell me the picture was made 17 december 2006.

Hans


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## duncanh (12 Jan 2008)

Something different for me again, and I mentioned the technique in another thread so thought I'd better post it...



_click for larger image_

Elm. 39cm x 6cm. 
The texturing is done with the lathe stationary and the spindle locked. A circular wire brush in a drill is applied along the grain. This removes the soft wood and leaves the harder wood so the grain is still visible but gives a sand blasted effect. When the finish (Danish Oil) is applied this textured area ends up slightly darker and accentuates the effect.

The top side is worked in 3 steps...
1 - turn the rim and sand so that there are no tool marks - don't think that the texturing will hide any concentric lines that the tools may have left ,
2 - turn the centre. Doing this second should mean that you can create a definite step or separation between the textured and smooth areas.
3 - sand the centre section.

The bottom was worked similarly.
After sanding there will be a lot of dust in the textured pores and this needs removing before oil is applied. I used a small airbrush but I guess a brush would probably work.


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## Anonymous (12 Jan 2008)

Definitely a Bernard Mathews job Duncan :wink:


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## PowerTool (12 Jan 2008)

Lovely piece,fantastic grain pattern  

Andrew


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## CHJ (12 Jan 2008)

Like that treatment Duncan, beats the two days I have been struggling to make a bit of rogue grain comply with my wishes, unfortunately the bit of beech involved does not have the distinctive character of your piece to be any better if treat thus.

Memo to self, must get some clean wire wheels, mine are all contaminated with metal and oil debris.


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## Paul.J (12 Jan 2008)

Cracking piece and effect Duncan  
Love the grain,colour,and shape.Something else to try in the future.
Paul.J.


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## steve.b (12 Jan 2008)

really like the effect Duncan, must give it a go myself sometime.

Steve


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## duncanh (6 May 2008)

I haven't posted anything for a while so here's the first of a few things I've worked on since the last time...





It's poplar burr.
19cm diameter, 10cm high. The hole is 3cm. Thickness is about 5mm throughout but it's difficult measuring.

This is the most time consuming hollow form that I've produced as I could only turn for about 30 seconds before I had to stop the lathe, withdraw the tool, vacuum out shavings, re-insert tool and continue. I don't think I'll be using such a small entrance as this in the future.

Hollowing tools used were the Munro tool, the Sorby multi-tip hollower and a tooth-pick hollower which I fitted onto the end of a home-made extension to the Munro tool.
The inside is sanded to almost as good a finish as the outside using another home-made tip on the Munro tool. I was pleased that I went to the trouble of this as the first thing everyone at the club did when I showed it was to feel inside 

The finish is Chestnut finishing oil (3 coats I think) and then buffed.

Now the trouble is knowing how much to try to sell it for...

Duncan


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## Anonymous (6 May 2008)

lovely wood Duncan, price??? think of a number and double it... aim at the discerning buyer unless you want a quick sale :wink: 

Have you tried a bendy drinking straw to blow out the debris? ...if you do try it make sure you have eye protection. Maybe you need a new toy...cheapie compressor?

Different scales... I use a camera lens puffer :lol:


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## duncanh (6 May 2008)

I've used tube to blow out shavings in the past but forgot! I'm not sure it would work in this case due to the size of the hole and the angle where the top meets the body


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## PowerTool (6 May 2008)

Very nice,Duncan - lovely piece of timber ,and like the "ripple" pattern on the top.
And admire your patience in hollowing it  

Andrew


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## Bodrighy (6 May 2008)

In my thread you said somwething about wishing you were as productive.....I wish I was as good. I think your quality beats my quantity hands down. Hollowing that flat top must have been a right pig let alone sanding it. Still struggling on that front.....something to aspire. Please post more for us newbies to get inspiration from

Pete


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## Paul.J (6 May 2008)

Duncan.
Although you don't post your work often the wait is worth waiting for  
That is another amazing piece,i don't think that there isn't a piece of yours that i can't say i'm not keen on,that i've seen.
Timber is always nice and the style and finish are excellent.
All beautiful stuff.
Lets see some more and often.


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## CHJ (6 May 2008)

Great display piece *Duncan*, showing both the beauty of nature at its best and your ability to manipulate it to good effect.


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## TEP (7 May 2008)

It's all been said *Duncan*, a really nice piece.


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## hairytoes (7 May 2008)

I know that the hollow form must've been much harder & requires a lot more skill to execute - but I really love the simple lines of the platter, great method of highlighting an already beautiful grain pattern. 
I'm certainly going to try that soon.


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## duncanh (8 May 2008)

Thanks for the comments everyone

Pete - sanding inside the flat top was actually much easier than hollowing it. I finally realised that I could make a sanding tip for the Munro tool with a couple of bits of plywood and some stick on velco.


Here are the first of several pieces of laburnum that I've been working on. They're the first time I've tried such wings on natural edge pieces and were the the best way (I think) to make the most out of the crotch figure.




Circular part is 19cm diameter, 8cm deep. Wing is ~4mm thick
Finish is Chestnut finishing oil




Circular part is 16cm diameter, 8cm deep. Wing is ~4mm thick
Finish is Chestnut finishing oil

I was aiming to get a pretty rounded base on both bowls and to display them on a torus so they can be angled to get the best view of the wing. Didn't quite get the right curvature, and I haven't made the bases yet.

Both were turned wet-ish. There has been very slight cracking where the sap wood meets the round body on both but it's not major and appears to have stopped.


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## Anonymous (8 May 2008)

I've run out of superlatives... luv 'em both, there's something almost surreal about a bowl in a slice of trunk... wish I'd thought of that :wink:


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## Paul.J (8 May 2008)

Well Duncan another 2 stunners.Fantastic idea.
Same as Graham here just don't know what to say.
Think i'm becoming a fan  
How long do you spend on your finishing :?: 
How long had you had the Laburnum for before turning it,as i have just acquired some nice pieces of it :?:


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## Jenx (8 May 2008)

Good Lord ! Now THERE'S two pictures to remind someone just how much of a beginner he is , when he looks at his own efforts !... :lol: 
Duncan, those are absolutely breathtaking.
They _have_ to live together for ever ... don't allow the 'Bowl brothers' to become separated.. they belong as a pair in perpetuity.
What fabulous work.... truly brilliant. 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)


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## TEP (8 May 2008)

Absolutely gorgeous work *Duncan*. You have really shown the beauty of that timber.


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## CHJ (8 May 2008)

Can't think of anything meaningful to say about them *Duncan* that has not already been expressed, the most striking thing that makes them for me is the apparent lightness of the pieces achieved by hitting the optimum thickness/proportions of the wings.
=D> =D> =D> =D>


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## duncanh (9 May 2008)

I'm overwhelmed by the positive comments here. Thanks a lot 

Paul - I tend to spend a lot more time on my finishing than the actual turning and it's the part that I hate most. I tend to be a perfectionist so probably spend more time than I actually need to. I often sand to 1200 grit (because I have have sanding pads that go that far) and sometimes hand sand to 2500. 
The problem I had with these last 2 was sanding the area where the wings meet the body. Power sanding didn't really work as the edges of the pad and paper cut into the surface that I wasn't sanding.


Here are the last 2 laburnum pieces (until I turn the rest)...




23cm at it's widest, 17cm at narrowest, wall is approx 4mm
Finish is Chestnut finishing oil (3 coats) and buffed




22cm at it's widest, 18cm at narrowest, wall is approx 5mm
Finish is Chestnut finishing oil (3 coats) and buffed


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## Anonymous (9 May 2008)

Nice work Duncan... you realise that you've now heightened our expectations :wink:


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## PowerTool (9 May 2008)

All excellent work,Duncan,but the last piece comes out as personal favourite - lovely shape,and rich,warm colour  

Andrew


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## CHJ (9 May 2008)

Maintaining the standard I see *Duncan*, I admire your tenacity on going that far down the grits but your experience of spending more time on the final finishing of that odd little bit of rogue grain or awkward corner fits in well with my experiences also, I spend more time hand sanding or 'fixing' 2 or 3% of the object than the rest of the forming.


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## Paul.J (9 May 2008)

*Duncanh wrote*
Paul - I tend to spend a lot more time on my finishing than the actual turning and it's the part that I hate most. 
Thanks for the reply Duncan,just my thoughts too.
No matter how hard or long i try,or what abrasives i use i just can't seem to get a good finish,that looks as good,or near as what you get.Though i don't go down to as fine a grit as you do :roll: 
Is it the finer grades that make that much difference :?: I will have to start giving it a go.Just get fed up with it though.Back to Percy :wink: 

Another 2 gorgeous pieces by the way.Something to aim for,one day.


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## Bodrighy (9 May 2008)

You have pointed the finger straight at my biggest weakness. When I have turned a piece to shape I am to anxious toget it off the lathe on on with the next one. I s'pose if I am ever going to get close to your standard I am going to have grit my teeth (down to 1200 if necessary) and finish properly. Lovelly pieces that I suspect wouldn't look half as good if they hadn't been finished so well

Pete


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## boysie39 (9 May 2008)

Duncan,Duncan,Duncan, I thought That looking at everyones show pieces was beginning to kind of depress me . Now I think that it is a matter of getting your mind set and not think of time spent doing a chore,for someone to turn out thoes pieces and admit to hate doing what makes them admired by everyone . Has given me the shot up the rear end that I needed. I love turning Ilove sanding I love finishing however bad they all be I also love cleaning up every evening so I have set out my stall, I intend to give 100% to everything I do . And if it doesent turn out like your work I will have tried. And will have enjoyed it ,Thanks all, keep showing your lovely stuff I'm sure it will Inspire others as well as me. Regards Boysie


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## Bodrighy (9 May 2008)

When you see the sort of thing Chas Duncan, Tam, Chas and some of the others turnout it would beeasy to get depressed. Keep hold of some of your early stuff and compare. I'm finding that my early stuff that I was so proud of is c*** and so can see that I have progressed. IME you grow in jumps not gradually, suddenly something clicks and things improve dramatically. For me it's as I said in the earlier posting, my finishing gets rushed. That and design are the two big things for me at the moment.

Pete


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## duncanh (13 May 2008)

Thanks for the comments again.

Pete - for design ideas and inspiration I spend a lot of time looking through old magazines and any turning book that I can get my hands on. Particular favourites are ...
Woodturning Projects by Mark Baker,
Books by John Hunnex (full of wonderful photos), Richard Raffan, David Regester
I think most of them cover design as well as containing good photos.

If there's one nearby I would recommend joining a turning club. Mine (Northumberland) has a library of over around 50 books and probably the same for videos and dvds.

Boysie - one of the main reasons I dislike sanding is that in addition to my usual dust mask and visor I also wear ear defenders as I have to stand next to a loud dust extractor and an ambient air filter. I power sand when I can but even then I often sand by hand along the grain with the lathe stopped. 
One thing I do when sanding which may help get a good finish is to stop the lathe, lock the spindle and power sand along the grain with the edge of the sanding disc parallel to the grain.

Now for a completely different type of project...

Last Friday our club had a competition title 'Decorative bowl of dish'. I try to enter these competitions when I can and often try to make something specially for them to try to push myself with new ideas. The competitions title is very open so I want' sure what to expect - non-practical items, items with decoration, decoration applied off the lathe...
I came up with this




17cm diameter beech. Rings are friction burnt and the inner is hand pyrography. As well as my first time off centre this was my first pyrography.
The off centre turning was done in a lethal looking home made donut chuck.

I really like the effect


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## hairytoes (13 May 2008)

Excellent.

You have a real eye for design, all that bedtime reading has done you some good!! :wink:


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## PowerTool (13 May 2008)

Very nice - how did you do in the competition with it ?
Suppose the doughnut chuck gives you chance to add some counterbalance weight when the piece is offcentre - or did you just "whiteknuckle" it,and live dangerously ? :wink: 

Andrew


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## Anonymous (13 May 2008)

duncanh":31cs7u7g said:


> I really like the effect



me too Duncan... and the strikingly simple design, so simple, so effective :!:


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## Jenx (13 May 2008)

Lovely piece again, Duncan .... a great example of the 'less is more' philosophy in the finished article, although I can only imagine there was a huge amount of thought in the conceptual idea and execution.
Fabulous 8) 

If its not rude to ask the question... did you win ?


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## duncanh (14 May 2008)

I came last out of around 10 entries. I wasn't expecting to win and didn't mind at all that I didn't - the point of entering was to push myself to something new.
Because of the openness of the title there was a wide range of entries - mine was the smallest and the largest was a solid + segmented bowl on legs. 
All club members gets 2 votes - 2 points for first and 1 point for second. The segmented bowl was the run-away winner but I think I was one of the few people that didn't vote for it. As with all turnings of this type, I admired the amount of time put into it but the final effect wasn't to my taste at all. 

When the winner was announced it was revealed the it had been made by one of our well known older members who had died 2 weeks previously and finished off by his friend. It was a very moving moment.

Next time we have a comp. I'll try to get some photos for our still in development club website.

Andrew - I didn't add a counter weight to the chuck but may do next time. It wasn't that scary to turn - the most dangerous part is the bolts protruding from the back :shock: 

Jenx - no real concept behind the piece at all other than to brighten up some plain old beech.


Whilst I'm on a run of photo taking - here's something I made last year...





Burr Yew with ebony collar
17 cm diameter, 
7cm high
Finished with Chestnut finishing oil
There were quite a few surface checks in it so they were filled with copper dust flooded with CA
Unfortunately there are a couple of dents in the surface so one of these days I'll re-finish it


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## Bodrighy (14 May 2008)

Looking at your work I think the thing that makes it stand out for me is always the quality of finish. Definitely somehing that I need to focus on. Yo also seem to prefer somplelines with the main attraction being in the wood itself which Personally I find really appealing but it would not be anywhere near as attractive unless the finish was of the quality you produce. Definitely inspiring Thanks

Pete


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## Paul.J (14 May 2008)

Yet another 2 fantastic pieces Duncan.
Can't believe you came last.The standard must have been preety high :shock: 
Love the Yew piece :roll:


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## duncanh (14 May 2008)

Pete - simple lines is what I aim for. A piece of burr yew like this doesn't come along every day and so I knew I had to do something that made the most of the wood. I'd had this piece and also the burr poplar several years but put them to one side until my skill level was worthy of them. There was no way I was going to make a simple bowl out of them and lose most of the wood to shavings. A bowl saver might have been appropriate but I wanted the full surface of the wood to be on display.

One advantage that I may have with the finishing is that because I live alone I am able to bring the work into my kitchen and apply oil finishes in the comfort of the home. This means there is less dust around and I can return to an oil finish more often. I apply a coat and then leave it for a day or 2 before the next one.

Paul - I've given up trying to judge how people will vote in the competitions. The winner involved a lot of work but there were many details that were poorly finished. The second place I actually voted for first.
One of the entries was a box but I think voters forgot the competition title! Several by one person were large (>30cm) diameter bowls with interesting decoration but very poor finishing in places.
As I said - winning wasn't important to me at all.

Now, just to show that things don't always go to plan, here's what I was working on last night and this morning...


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## CHJ (14 May 2008)

duncanh":zklfiefb said:


> Now, just to show that things don't always go to plan, here's what I was working on last night and this morning...



Await the artistic joining bead solution with interest. :lol:


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## duncanh (14 May 2008)

No, it will be going on the shelf next to the lathe to remind me to be more careful.

Joining isn't an option anyway as the wall is too thin. I'd always see the join and know it as a failure.


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## Bodrighy (14 May 2008)

Boy does that look familiar. And it's so nice to see that it happens to other people as well

Pete


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## duncanh (15 May 2008)

I'm on a roll so thought I'd better take photos of as many things as I could whilst I was at it...





Magnolia
26cm square
finish is Ronseal 'Ultra Tough' clear varnish watered down with white spirits.

I got this blank at a wood sale day at our club as it has very interesting colours and I'd never turned it before. I also bought a deeper piece which looks to have some nice rippling in it. This was turned first just to get a feel for the wood. It turns very nicely with lovely peeling shavings. It's a little soft so was hard to sand without leaving any marks.
I had intended to put a couple of grooves in the reverse to match the front but it had warped too much.

I saw the finish used on a Chris Stott video and thought I'd give it a go here.


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## Anonymous (15 May 2008)

so simple and so appealing!!!

Roll on Duncan :wink:


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## Bodrighy (15 May 2008)

As Graham said, simple and appealing. Not so easy to get as well finished and even though IME. Colouring looks like a discrete laburnum.

You've got some nice pieces tucked away Duncan, keep 'em coming please.

Pete


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## PowerTool (15 May 2008)

Looks nice,love the colouring  

Andrew


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## Paul.J (15 May 2008)

Keep the roll going Duncan  
Never heared of Magnolia been turned before and didn't think you could get it that size :shock: 
As Pete says does look like Laburnum.Pity about the other piece :roll:


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## duncanh (17 May 2008)

Something completely different...

I've had some offcuts of burr elm for a while now with not much idea of what to do with them. Here's my first effort





11cm wide, 12cm high with lid on
The base and the lid are from 2 different pieces

The base was turned using a glue block with paper join, with the block held on a screw chuck. The lid was the trickiest part as there was no way to hold it in a chuck to hollow out inside. I ended up doing it between centres and hollowing it with a spindle gouge, leaving a small nub to remove with a knife.

I like the result and I'll be doing more. My original plan had been to have several boxes and lids in the same piece of wood, so I may try that next time.


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## PowerTool (17 May 2008)

Nice idea;like the shape,works well  - I've had a couple of pieces of burr elm,and it's always a challenge to find something to make out of them to retain the beauty and character of the timber - you definitely succeeded!

Andrew


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## Paul.J (17 May 2008)

Yet another great idea Duncan nicely done


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## Anonymous (17 May 2008)

small pieces of burr make great pocket watches :wink:


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## duncanh (29 May 2008)

Again, something different...

My brother had twins (or at least his partner did!) before xmas and we're having a celebratory bbq this weekend. What an good excuse for a woodturning gift  I remembered a demo at the club for baby rattles so gave it a go...





Made from hawthorn (which is a beautiful wood to turn)
18cm long
Burnished wood with small amount of bees/carnauba wax
small bells inside

The body has ~3mm wall thickness - the holes are there as an aid to gauge thickness whilst turning as well as decoration to let the sound out.


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## CHJ (30 May 2008)

Well done *Duncan*, those are some of the neatest I have seen.
And your choice of wood in my experience is perfect for the task.


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## Bodrighy (30 May 2008)

They are lovely, much better than the normal ones which look more like mallets with rings to me.

Pete


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## Paul.J (30 May 2008)

Superb Duncan  Yet again.Just amazed at the quality of your work time after time.
I have to agree that Hawthorne is one of my favourite timbers that i've used and do have some pieces left.Must get round to using it :roll: 
My twins were born xmas eve 16 years ago :shock: 
Wheres the time gone going,:roll:


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## hairytoes (30 May 2008)

Excellent gift for your nice/nephews, a real keeper for them I'm sure.

Great quality craftsmanship too, lovely sentiment.


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## TEP (30 May 2008)

Beautiful work *Duncan*, as has been said great style and shape. A lot better then the c*** you buy in the shops today. A great keep-sake for the young-ins.


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## santiniuk (30 May 2008)

A great gift Duncan, I'm sure they will be very pleased.

I spent some time viewing your gallery too from the picture link. Quite an amazing array of items you have made. More for the to do list !

Saying that, I'm the father of twins aged 7.5 and at this rate after I finish running around after them for skating lessons, Swimming lessons and now the latest craze football lessons! I don't have that much time to turn 

Cheers


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## CHJ (30 May 2008)

santiniuk":1omwbruw said:


> .......Saying that, I'm the father of twins aged 7.5 and at this rate after I finish running around after them for skating lessons, Swimming lessons and now the latest craze football lessons! I don't have that much time to turn .........



It's just practice for the sessions over the next 30-40 yrs doing the same with the Grandkids :lol:


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## woodyone (30 May 2008)

wow nicely turned duncan well done

Woody.


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## PowerTool (30 May 2008)

Very nice,Duncan  

Haven't had chance to turn any hawthorn,must keep my eyes open for some.

Andrew


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## duncanh (2 Sep 2008)

Crikey! I didn't realise it had been so long since I'd posted any work.

Here's something I made recently





Oak bowl, sisal rope with ebony ends.
Chestnut finishing oil, buffed
28cm diameter, 10cm deep

The reason I added the rope was to hide some cracks across the top surface of the piece. I didn't want them as a feature, filled with brass etc, so I tried filling them with glue and sawdust but they were still too distracting. Rather than turning the wood away I decided to hide them under rope.
I'm glad I did because I really like the effect. I'll definitely try it again.
You can't tell from the photo but the rope is slightly charred to get rid of most of the frayed fibres.

The only thing I'm unsure of is the size of the knot and the ebony ends.

More postings to follow in the next week (hopefully!)


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## CHJ (2 Sep 2008)

Interesting embellishment *Duncan*, just a personal preference but I think the knot size question mark is down to the diameter of the rope as a whole. I think a slightly smaller diameter cord would have been a little more balanced for the size of the bowl, but of course that would have been conditional on the restraints of the practicality of closer hole spacing.


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## cornucopia (2 Sep 2008)

I like it  

I think the knot and ends are fine, but i wonder what other methods you could have used to finish the rope without a knot? I wonder if some sort of turned disc with with 2-4 holes in? so that the rope was threaded through- pulled tight- then maybe a tiny drop of ca to hold it there?

or maybe some sort of scouts woggle- a tapering tight fit to pinch the ropes in?

i like your elm box on the previous page aswell


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## PowerTool (2 Sep 2008)

Like it also - the rope idea works well  

Andrew


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## tekno.mage (2 Sep 2008)

Your rope idea is very good - another way of finishing the rope off might be by using two pieces of rope and making "handles" on opposite sides of the bowl out of decorative knots, or from small loops made by wrapping the bare ends together with thinner cord (like joining rope).

tekno.mage


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## Paul.J (2 Sep 2008)

Very nice Duncan and another good idea using the rope round the top edge.
I think i would have used a more contrasting colour for the rope or even a coloured cord.
Also like the shape of the bowl,the rim and the grain of the wood.
How do you get such clean cut holes :?:


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## duncanh (4 Sep 2008)

Thanks for the comments.

My original plan had been to try a small wooden disc or perhaps leather rather than the knot, but when I took it home to my dad's without the ebony ends and used a temporary knot to hold then together the consensus was that it looked good as it was. I should probably have experimented further though.

For the holes - I originally turned the rim thicker than the final version, drilled the holes and then turned the rim to it's final thickness. I think this helped clean up the edges on them. When I was happy with the rim I turned out the centre of the bowl - leaving the centre in for drilling meant there was less chance of the rim moving, making it easier to re-turn the rim, and it also gave me more options if I decided that I didn't like the rim idea.


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## duncanh (4 Sep 2008)

Here's some more...




10cm square Ash
These started out as a single piece of wood. I thought the figuring would best be displayed on a shallow platter so I decided to rip the blank in half on the bandsaw and make a matching set.




10cm square Elm
The edges have been textured with a wire brush and burned




20cm high Elm
This was turned in 2 pieces and joined at the decoration lines.

More to follow...


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## Anonymous (4 Sep 2008)

Luv the dishes Duncan and colour... who said ash was bland :wink: 

Grain on the vase... just right! (for me)


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## TEP (4 Sep 2008)

Seconded, I really like the shape of the dishes, and colour. Luverly vase as well, and a canny way of hollowing. I find it a lot easier than hollowing through the neck. 8)


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## CHJ (4 Sep 2008)

To me the simple little Ash squares epitomize the the wonders of nature captured in wood, no amount of design embellishment or training in art techniques or form can come anywhere near the perfection achieved by nature if you take the time to look/discover/appreciate and not least of all Enjoy.


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## Paul.J (4 Sep 2008)

Thanks for the explaination Duncan  
Yet more Beautiful looking pieces Duncan.
All that's been said really,and i for one am just glad that you are sharing your work with us


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## cornucopia (4 Sep 2008)

CHJ":2zzbthzu said:


> To me the simple little Ash squares epitomize the the wonders of nature captured in wood, no amount of design embellishment or training in art techniques or form can come anywhere near the perfection achieved by nature if you take the time to look/discover/appreciate and not least of all Enjoy.


 :sign3: 
fantastic


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## Paul.J (4 Sep 2008)

Yes George i agree.It's what turning is all about for me  
Just wish i could produce such fine pieces.


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## Bodrighy (4 Sep 2008)

As always I like all this but do have a soft spot for the square platters. I really like the simplicity.

Re the knot in the rope. Try whipping it with a small cord or alternatively if you turned a small ring and glued it in place to hold it tight against the bowl. As someone said, the size of thenot depends a lot on the size of the cordage but also on what the cordage is made of Sisal is rough and has a really open lay and will not pull as tight as manilla for example. I do fancy knotwork and rarely use sisal for this reason.

Pete


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## Jenx (4 Sep 2008)

Fantastic, as per usual, Duncan.
Again, the matching square fella's there do it for me 8) 8) 
The two piece vase is a beauty too though ! :wink: 
Chas got the sentiments 'spot-on' !


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## duncanh (4 Sep 2008)

Thanks for the all the positive comments.
Pete - where do you get your manilla rope from. (btw - if you like knots, have you seen this site for shoe laces )


Here are a couple more to show that ash isn't always bland...




Ash, 26cm diameter, chestnut finishing oil, buffed





Ash, 34cm diameter, chestnut finishing oil, buffed





Ash, 30cm diameter, chestnut finishing oil, buffed

I think that's it for ash at the moment


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## Bodrighy (4 Sep 2008)

duncanh":19odafr8 said:


> Thanks for the all the positive comments.
> Pete - where do you get your manilla rope from. (btw - if you like knots, have you seen this site for shoe laces )



No I haven't seen this site. I have often used them to make small monkey's fists for people though. Leather bootlaces are also usually cheaper than buying leather thongs from cradft supplies IME as well.

Try here. Alternatively if there is a ship chandler near you it might be worth looking there though in my experience it tends to be a bit more expensive.

It's expensive compared to sisal but it is much nicer to work with and looks really good. You can also colour it with vegetable dyes if needed. When I've done bell ropes I soak it in water based paint and leave to drip dry. Works fine. 

Hope this helps

Pete


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## duncanh (5 Sep 2008)

Thanks Pete. I'd thought of future projects with different coloured rope so manilla could be just what I'm after.


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## loz (5 Sep 2008)

Pete,

Would you happen to know how to make Fenders for Narrow Boats ???

I've been looking for a tutorial !

Thanks

Loz


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## Bodrighy (5 Sep 2008)

loz":3bqg5nbl said:


> Pete,
> 
> Would you happen to know how to make Fenders for Narrow Boats ???
> 
> ...



I presume you mean this type.

Basically fenders are mats which are plaited around a coil of rope or an old tyre, anything really that is hard enough to give it shape but has some bounce. You will need a reasonable size cordage and sisal would be ideal unless you want to go posh with cotton which would cost a fortune. I don't know of any sites that have tutorials but a good book is the knot makers bible. 

It's called 'The Book of Knots' by Clifford W. Ashley. It's not cheap, probably about £40 by now but if you want to do any kind of knotwork it's the bees knees.


Duncan: If you are going to colour rope / cord etc, make sure that it isn't oiled as some cordage is if it is for a nautical use.
Pete


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## loz (5 Sep 2008)

ThanKs Pete - i'll have a look on amazon for old copies

Regs

Loz


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## duncanh (26 Oct 2008)

After looking at this bowl for a while and after the comments on the original version I decided to re-work the rope and knots.





I much prefer this version so thanks for the original comments.


For anyone else that doesn't know - when you buy manila rope (and possibly other types) the diameter is that of the original manufacturing process and the rope will no longer be that size. I had to buy 6mm to go through the 8mm holes

Duncan


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## CHJ (26 Oct 2008)

I'd go along with this version Duncan, looks a little more rustic but a little less contrived in my eyes because of it.


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## maltrout512 (27 Oct 2008)

Nice work. Your getting exellent results.


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## pete honeyman (3 Nov 2008)

I recently sold two square bowls to a customer, and she wants another - this is the third attempt, the first she didn't like because of the 'cracks', the second because 'the edge wasn't finished properly' (it had dried a bit and become a little wavy). Hopefully one of these will do the job, from bought blanks so hopefully stable, alright so far after two days in the house. let me know what you think.


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## cornucopia (3 Nov 2008)

they look really good- pity the photos arent a bit bigger as i would have really liked a closer look at them especially the top one


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## pete honeyman (3 Nov 2008)

here's a bigger version!











pete


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## Blister (4 Nov 2008)

Pete , I like these a lot , cant see why your customer is so fussy :? 

After all wood is wood and has its own character :lol: 

As it was a living thing it will do its own thing , thats what I like about it .

Who pays for all the rejected bowls :?: :?


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## cornucopia (4 Nov 2008)

thanks- thats better for me old eyes :lol: 

it looks great- i'd be very happy with that piece in my collection :wink:


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## TEP (4 Nov 2008)

Luv' 'em all *Pete*, some really nice forms. Know what you mean by her asking for another when she finds a small blemish. I don't know why they don't buy plastic bowls if they feel like that, but I suppose the customer is always right ](*,)


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## pete honeyman (4 Nov 2008)

tMany thanks for the kind comments - Igood to get some reassurance occasionally! I prefer the larger one (the one without the enlarged pictures) as the other is a bit too in-your-face for me.


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## duncanh (4 Nov 2008)

I like them all Pete. 
As turners we all know that wood has defects and voids, and these are often what gives a turning it's character. Any none turner who knows nothing about the process is likely to see any blemish and think that it's down to an mistake by the turner. Unfortunately if they still think that after the process has been explained then there's nothing we can do, and they're the ones with the money :-(

I once did a turning for an order and finished it with my standard non-glossy finish using Chestnut finishing oil as that's the look which I prefer. The customer wanted it shiny so I had to buff it up.


By the way Pete - this thread has so far had turnings posted to it by me, and was intended as an ongoing record of some of my work. I guess the thread title didn't make that clear so I've changed it (or I'll try to). 
It probably a good idea to start your own thread to make your work easier to find in the future

Duncan


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## duncanh (4 Nov 2008)

Here's something recent that I tried when I had to remove a crack that I found in the wall of a bowl as I was approaching final wall thickness





27cm diameter mahogany


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## loz (4 Nov 2008)

Very Nice


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## PowerTool (4 Nov 2008)

Nice recovery job,Duncan - looks great  

Andrew


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## cornucopia (4 Nov 2008)

very good  - what material are the stiches?


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## CHJ (4 Nov 2008)

Smoothly done *Duncan*, the rescue does not look obtrusive, which it could easily have done on a piece with such fine lines.


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## Paul.J (4 Nov 2008)

Lovely pieces *Pete*

Yet another lovely piece Duncan  
Nicely stitched up too


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## pete honeyman (4 Nov 2008)

sorry - I was looking for the 'work for critique' thread but obviously didn't find it !


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## Paul.J (4 Nov 2008)

*PeteHoneyman wrote*


> sorry - I was looking for the 'work for critique' thread but obviously didn't find it !



Pete.
If you want your work up for critique,put it on a new,seperate post with an heading asking for critique.
Chas (CHJ) will then put it on the critique thread.
HTH.


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## duncanh (5 Nov 2008)

Should have said - the stitches are leather bought from HobbyCraft. I should really find somewhere I can buy it in bulk.

I used a lacing pattern from here


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## DaveL (5 Nov 2008)

That is a nice looking bowl and the stitching adds to it, I like that a lot.


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## duncanh (12 Nov 2008)

I have a carrier bag full of salvaged piano keys and they're just the right thickness for pens. This photo shows the variation in colour that you get in the ebony. 
Looking at them now I should have switched the colour of the fittings on the 2 outside ones as that would have matched the wood better.
Finished with melamine lacquer.





I bought this blank at Harrogate a couple of years ago and it's been sat under my work bench since then until I got some inspiration for the shape.
It's burr chestnut. 19cm diameter
The finish is Fiddes hard wax oil
I decided to try it after seeing Tracey Owen use a similar product at a demo. It's a little thick so I've thinned it with white spirit. It builds up nicely and only needs a couple of coats. It gives a nice smooth finish. It's aimed at use on flooring so durable and can also be used on kitchen worktops, so I assume it's food safe.





I don't do much pyrography as I'm not much of an artist (unfortunately, despite both my parent being art teachers!). This was requested so I thought I'd give it a go.
It's sycamore, 26cm diameter with the same hard wax finish.





I've never done any traditional style salt/pepper grinders but, again, these were requested
They're sycamore, 23cm and I'd been saving the lovely figured wood for such a project. The black in the top of one of the is from a piano key. The finish is chestnut lacquer. I've used the Crushgrind mechanism


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## CHJ (12 Nov 2008)

I like the elegant lines of the pens *Duncan*, the ebony certainly enhances the effect.

The frog platter for me has just the right amount of embellishment to balance the blander wood.

Chestnut is one of those woods I find very hard to pass by whenever I come across it, never seen a piece that does not have some interesting grain characteristics just waiting to be promoted.

Mills look well executed and finished, although personally for some reason I am not smitten by the traditional balls and beads style and prefer a more modern simplistic form. Chestnut is a good choice though for making them stand out from the crowd, or should I say 'Run of the Mill' examples often seen.


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## Jenx (12 Nov 2008)

Hi Duncan, - once again, your work just astounds !
For 'not being much of an artist', that Frog is superb !

Every time I catch sight of your stuff, and Cornucopia George, Chas, and some of the other guys, I'm convinced I should throw my gouges in the skip  

Some great pieces there, once again
Lovely work 8)


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## TEP (12 Nov 2008)

Some really nice work once again *Duncan*, can't say much more, I really like it all.


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## Bodrighy (12 Nov 2008)

Again some nice pieces there Duncan. Simple but better for it in my opinion. By the way, how do you get the black marking in the grooves? I've tried a few ways but never seem to be able to get an even line as you have

Pete


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## Paul.J (12 Nov 2008)

More beautiful work again Duncan which is always a pleasure to view  
I like the SnP.I like the swirly grain effect on the bottom.
Lovely looking piece of Chestnut too.
Love the frog.Will this be an on going effect with a set in mind :?:


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## PowerTool (12 Nov 2008)

Another nice selection of quality work  

Andrew


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## duncanh (13 Nov 2008)

Thanks for all the replies

Chas - previously I've turned more modern designs for grinders (not many though) and thought I wouldn't like these. After holding them I admit that they feel nicer in the hand and the traditional shape is growing on me. The reason I haven't done this type in the past is partly down to lack of confidence in my spindle turning and being afraid of them not matching.

Jenx - I cheated with the frog and just found some clipart on Google. 
Don't be dispirited by the work you see - it's meant to inspire. 

Pete - for the black lines in the face of work I've tried a few methods. The one that I've found works best is to turn a groove, turn up the speed and hold a thin piece of fibreglass against the wood. Maplins sell the fibreglass for making circuits. I bought some years ago and etched off the copper so I could make boomerangs with it. A turner at our club uses some sort of thin plastic from kitchen work surfaces (I think). Both of these will probably be giving off nasty gases so be careful.
For the line round the edge I used standard wire burners

Duncan


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## Woodmagnet (13 Nov 2008)

Excellent work Duncan, especially the platter. 8)


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## Jenx (14 Nov 2008)

duncanh":38w98bp8 said:


> Don't be dispirited by the work you see - it's meant to inspire.



It does a wonderful job of doing just that . :wink: 8)  
Its great.
As are many, many of the other examples of work posted by people... fantastic ! 
I find reading everything written and 'shown' by the guys (and ladies ) here extremely helpful and a huge source of inspiration to try things out.
-- Some work, some ermmm.. not so much !, but the learning process is about as much fun as you can have wth your clothes on... its brilliant


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## duncanh (23 Dec 2008)

A lignum vitae vase...




Height is 16cm, diameter 13cm

This lump of wood has been sat under my bench since I first tried to turn it years ago. It came with a load of wood and tools that I bought and had already partly been shaped. When I first got it I tried using a gouge but it just wouldn't cut well and I gave up. 
I came across it again whilst tidying up. I gave it another go and this time tried scraping and freshly sharpened gouges. The inside was hollowed with sorby multi-tipped scrapers and shear scraped. The inside finish isn't as smooth as the outside but finishing was a real pain due to the oily wood.

I ended up wet sanding lubricated with paste wax and went down to 2500 grit. I then made the mistake of buffing but this generated a little too much heat so there are a couple of discoloured patches.

The wood has several cracks in the top which I tried filling with brass powder and glue. Unfortunately this mostly didn't stick so I turned most of it away and just left the cracks. There are a few surface cracks on the outside as well that I couldn't hide or accentuate.


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## Bodrighy (23 Dec 2008)

Lovely looking piece Duncan (as if we'd expect anything lwess from you) Must confess I am a fan of these thick walled vessels. Lignum Vitae is supposed to be very oily isn't it? Maybe this is why it wouldn't stick. Last time I used any it was at school when I got a piece out of the wood store thinking it looked really attractive. The response from the teacher wasn't quite so attractive when he saw me with it on the lathe :lol: Haven't been able to find any since I started turning properly and there doesn't seem to be any growing in the woods around me. 

Pete


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## duncanh (23 Dec 2008)

Thanks Pete, but it isn't a thick walled vessel - the walls are ~5mm thick throughout (but thicker at the base for stability). Or are you saying that 5mm is thick and that I should be aiming for less ;-)

Yes, lignum vitae is very oily and when I've used it before I haven't even applied a finish - the sheen after 2500 grit was incredible. It feels silky smooth and everyone enjoys handling it.
The oil causes a problem by building up on gouge bevels if you rub them too hard and will build up on the edge of a scraper.

According to Wickipedia it's listed under CITES and possibly endangered.
You may be able to buy it in specialist shops - the last time I was in Keenleysides. Northumberland
they had a fair sized block in but I can't remember the cost (do they need a license to sell CITES listed timber?).

If you want to try turning it your best bet would be to get hold of some old wooden bowls (crown green type) as they were usually made of this. They crop up on Ebay.


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## Bodrighy (23 Dec 2008)

Ok Ok so I didn't read your message properly. I was going by the looks of it. and had registered the bit about being hollowed out. I am in no position to say 5mm is too thick.

I read 'vase' and stopped. Blame it on the Christmas spirit.....

Still like it even if it that thin :lol: 

Pete


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## Paul.J (24 Dec 2008)

Very nicely done Duncan  
Lovely finish as usual.
The grain pattern looks Lovely


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## duncanh (13 Feb 2009)

I thought I'd post something that shows just how much wood can warp when drying.





13.5cm bark-to-bark, 2mm wall thickness

This is made from the trunk of a smallish American Red Oak which I helped cut down whilst clearing non-native trees from a wildlife trust site. It was turned wet and I used a lamp behind the wood to get an even thickness.

Before drying the top was flat and it's now dropped about 20degrees on one side.


The whole trust project is very interesting, and will hopefully lead to a managed coppicing site. Last week we planted 200 hazel saplings and there's going to be elm and other native species added over the coming weeks (over 2000 new trees in total).


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## johnny.t. (13 Feb 2009)

When I have something warp it always looks awful but that looks great, like you made it that way.
Always good to hear about proper native tree planting, our local woods was apparantly mainly sweet and horse chestnut, oak and beech but they felled the lot to farm pine in the 50's only leaving one huge oak in the middle, known as the grandfather oak. A huge shame.

JT


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## Jenx (13 Feb 2009)

It looks "right" ! like it was intended to be that way... 
a 'happy accident' !

Do you think its done moving, Duncan ?
be a shame if it went and split on you ... its different, in a very pleasing way !

8) 8) 8) 8) 8)


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## Soulfly (13 Feb 2009)

A very nice range of professional looking work and beautifully photographed.


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## PowerTool (13 Feb 2009)

Alun has summed it up for me as well - it "looks right"  
It's certainly moved a lot,but has moved quite symmetrically,and looks very nice as a result.

Andrew


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## Paul.J (13 Feb 2009)

Very nice Duncan


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## TEP (14 Feb 2009)

Mornin' *Duncan*. Once again, really nice work. Been reading John Jordan's article in Woodturning about using wet wood and how to orientate it for just those drying effects. Makes for very interesting reading.


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## Bodrighy (14 Feb 2009)

How come yours 'artistically moves' and mine just splits? 

Lovely piece.

Pete


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## Jenx (14 Feb 2009)

Pete, yours don't "split" .. they become ' authentically rustically enhanced"

--Potential marketing opportunity ? 8) 8)


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## Bodrighy (14 Feb 2009)

Jenx":2sivaoyc said:


> Pete, yours don't "split" .. they become ' authentically rustically enhanced"
> 
> --Potential marketing opportunity ? 8) 8)



I wish.....some splits are just that   

Pete


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## mark sanger (15 Feb 2009)

Duncan 

IO have just been looking through this thread and have to say that there is no doubt that you are very talented at what you do. 

The work is a pleasure to view. Your design and finish is excelent. Thank you for sharing. Wat way to spend a Sunday afternoon, looking at beautiful work such as this.

Take care 

Mark


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## duncanh (16 Feb 2009)

A big thank you to everyone who commented.

Pete - If I hadn't turned the walls as thin of as uniform then I'm sure this would have split. Once it was turned I left it unfinished sitting in the shed for a week before bringing it indoors. Pretty much all the movement happened whilst it was still in the shed.

Here are a few more recent items...




22cm diameter elm
Bought in a job lot box of of elm which hadn't been suitable for the original purchaser. This blank had a large inclusion which I strengthened with super glue and then levelled with used coffee grounds flooded with thin glue. There's a filled area opposite which is why there's a flat in the photo.





20cm diameter elm 
This is from the same box as the previous one but quite lighter even with the same finish.
I tend to make these type of enclosed forms for highly figured wood as I think they allow the grain to be showed off the best. If I'd turned a bowl I could have used a corer to get more pieces out of it but if the bowls had been used to contain anything then the grain would be hidden.





22 cm diameter ash
My woodsman cousin saved this ash burr for me and I was quite excited to see what was inside. Disappointingly I didn't find the typical swirls that you get in elm or oak burr but these do have a pleasing highlights.
Cored with the Mcnaughton system.


All these were finished with Fiddes hard wax oil designed for floors. It's similar to the Osmo oil (I think) demoed at our club by Tracey Owen, but cheaper.


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## Jenx (16 Feb 2009)

Wow ! Duncan, they are really stunning !...
really like the way the forms 'dip' before rising back to the openings, gives them almost a 'liquidity' to them.. that really works well !
Reminiscent of the 'stone into a pond' sort of image, if the stone were the opening. They're gorgeous. 8) 8) 8) 

The set of bowls , equally so.
You can imagine someone looking at them and pondering 'how on earth did he manage that ?' in respect of the 'edge' on a matching set.

Super work, yet again Duncan.
Keep them coming... its truly inspiring stuff 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)


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## CHJ (16 Feb 2009)

Well executed and rescued on the burl hollow forms *Duncan*, I love the 'natural looking' effect that is achievable with coffee grounds, did good with keeping the bark intact on the nested bowls, did the bark/wood joint need CA treatment?


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## duncanh (16 Feb 2009)

Thanks Chas.
No glue needed at all on the bark. There are some worm holes just under the bark and these add a little interest. Hopefully there are no worms left in there!


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## mark sanger (16 Feb 2009)

Lovely work Duncan. 
Mark


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## PowerTool (16 Feb 2009)

Hollow forms are very nice,Duncan - but I'm really drawn to the rustic simplicity of the nest of ash bowls  

Andrew


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## Paul.J (16 Feb 2009)

Beautiful pieces Duncan  
Isn't great to see all this beautiful work from our more experienced turners.One day :roll: 
Brilliant


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## Bodrighy (16 Feb 2009)

Lovely pieces Duncan. What do you use to get into the shoulders on those forms?

Pete


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## duncanh (16 Feb 2009)

Thanks again...



Bodrighy":qng8jemo said:


> Lovely pieces Duncan. What do you use to get into the shoulders on those forms?
> 
> Pete



A lot of patience
The tools I tend to hollow with are the Munro tool with the original links and some extra ones I made to bolt on and get more reach.
To get right into the corner I use a variety of cutters according to what works best on the day - short pieces of sharpened masonry nails, Sorby TCT tips, cutters made from planer blades.

I'll try to get a photo of my hollowing tools


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## Bodrighy (16 Feb 2009)

Thanks Duncan. Something else to try

Pete


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## Lightweeder (1 May 2009)

Lovely stuff Duncan.  

LW


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