An Inside Out Xmas Ornament

[sploo]

I wanted to have a go at making a copy of Frank Howarth's inside out Xmas ornament (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbAAdwlHudo). It'd be about the fourth thing I've ever turned (ignoring a few practice spindles), but hey, it's all just jabbing chisels into a chunk of timber eh?

I got some sycamore and purple heart, and started to prepare suitable stock:

Then through the table saw:

My initial attempt at the inside out turning part (just holding the pieces together with hose clamps) wasn't a good idea. In the end I screwed a block to the end:

The above cut was insufficient - when you flip the diamond shaped segments over you see no gap if you haven't gone beyond the middle of the diamond. I went back and cut a bit more, and got:

I used the bandsaw to remove a quantity of the waste, and started to round the spindle over. The second shot shows a problem; my hand plane skills aren't "engineering" standard, and so the pieces don't fit together perfectly. I did glue it in two sets of three, but should have spent more time ensuring the mating faces were flat before final gluing:

After some time with just about every tool I own, a massive catch that flicked the piece off the lathe, and a lot of sanding, somehow this appeared:

I added some Danish oil for "pop", but the purple heart was still looking distinctly brown - it usually reacts (and turns purple) much quicker, so I'm not sure what was wrong with this stock:

Fortunately the next day it was looking a lot better, so I applied sanding sealer then wax, and finished turning it off:

Finally a hole drilled for hanging, and we're done:

 

[CHJ]

Well done, good to see you combining wood component preparation and assembly with the turning.
You'll be doing them with 3-4mm thick walls by next Christmas.

 

[selectortone]

Wow! Well done.

 

[Dalboy]

A great first. May I suggest that next time when you turn the inside make sure it is a nice semi circle and then when you do the outside follow that so you have a nice even looking wall thickness. Also as Chas said with practice thinner walls.

 

[sploo]

Many thanks all.

Chas - that's my ultimate goal; big segmented turnings. Ironically it was the segment preparation and gluing that are the weak point here (which I've done lots of before). The turning actually went pretty well.

Dalboy - I was very nervous about cutting too much, and only realised the inside wasn't even visible once I took it off the lathe and turned the parts round. Lesson learned! Obviously I then had to put it all back together to take out more, and it wasn't quite as smooth an arc as I'd have liked.

I'm in two minds about thinner walls for this one though - a little more even would definitely be better, but I quite like the proportions. It's probably worth noting that all the shots were taken with my phone, which has a fairly wide angle lens; so objects close to the lens tend to end up looking a bit "fat".

I actually made this a few weeks ago, but wanted to wait until December before posting. I've just completed project #5 which I'll post up soon. That really turned out to have thin walls, but certainly not intentionally!

 

[gregmcateer]

Good job Monsieur Sploo. You're a braver man than most, (including me), trying something like that.

 

[Blister]

Love your videos excellent , No riving knife :shock:

Happy Christmas :ho2

 

[bobajobob]

Your 4th turning! That was pretty ambitious. You should be well proud. It was spinning tops for me...small wobbly ones.

ATB Bob

 

[sploo]

Blister - There's most definitely a riving knife there (look closer ). I wouldn't dream of running a TS without one. The only reason the guard was off was because it wouldn't fit for that cut.

bobajobob - project #3 was somewhat less ambitious, and is visible in a couple of the shots. It's a small (dark purple) lidded box - into which my wedding ring goes before I start turning (don't fancy getting that caught, and ripping a finger off).

 

[OM99]

Very nice Sploo, would go well on any Christmas Tree

Oli

 

[NazNomad]

Very nice Sploo, would go well on any Christmas Tree

Except mine, which will remain in the attic again this year. :-D

 

[boomerang bender]

My first try at one this week but only two segments i intend to put a snowman in the caged part but after turning i am tight for space to get it set correctly . My other concern is the size of the ornament and weight considering it has to go on a smaller tree. Hopefully my next attempt will give me more room.

 

[Jonzjob]

Sploo, that is a very nice bit of turning. Good on ya mate!

I have turned 3 insideouts. The first was a 4 bit, the second a 3 and for the third I went mad and did an 8! That really was fun. I went for the 8 so as to keep the cutting angles simple? Well, that was the principle anyway. I wasn't happy with the 4 as I hadn't taken out enough on the inside. The 3 I really like and it was done to hold the glass spherical candle holder. I didn't like the blue, so I also turned a mold and made a red one. I think that it looks a lot better.

They have come out on here bum first. The candle mould is there now as well. Quite an interesting thing to make and the first candle I have made. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I can't find any photos of the 8 bit and it's now packed for our house move!