Serious critique please

[gus3049]

Hi all,

This is the first piece that I have made after my six month deadline for 'practice"!!

It will really help me to know how I'm doing for you lot to be strict, insulting even.

I am quite pleased with it. Its in walnut and cherry. The finial is made from Ramin dowel, stained black, lacquered and polished with wire wool and paste wax. In the flesh it looks exactly like ebony. The bowl / form whatever is also lacquered and rubbed back with wire wool and paste wax.

I am moving away from the highly polished look I have always tried to achieve - I guess that's left over from musical instruments. I feel it looks a bit more 'wood' like this way.

In trepidation.....

(I changed the pics 'cos the wife said the originals were rubbish!!! I know better than to argue!

 

[Wood spoiler]

it looks good to me.

Looks well made and finished.

The only thing that slightly jars, and i don't know why, is the Cherry.

That said - I would be proud to have made it and would definitely give it house room.

Overall I would say the 6 months were well spent.

 

[Bodrighy]

This looks rather tasty as they say. The overall shape is pleasing and the colour contrast between the cherry and the walnut works for me at least though at first I wasn't sure. Personally I think I would have had a slightly shorter finial but again that is perhaps more a matter of personal taste. The finish looks good, no sanding marks etc that I can see :lol: and you have got a nicve shape to the main body as well. Chalk this up as a definite success in my book at least.

pete

 

[Paul.J]

Yes these piccys are a lot better
Nicely turned pot/box but the three colours don't blend together for me.
I think the finial would have looked better if that was turned using the same Cherry to blend it all in with the lid.
Gives a better contarst of the two timbers used.
The finial looks good but would have liked the base slightly more bulbous.
What size is it :?:
Looking great though after six months

 

[gus3049]

Hi Chaps,

Thanks for the kind comments. The cherry/walnut mix is one I like as the effect is quite subtle. Plus, in the flesh, this bit of walnut has lighter streaks that almost match the colour of the cherry which helps it make more sense.

I agree about the finial. I ran out of dowel!! So I use the bit I'd done and glued it in. Next time I'm in town I get some bigger stuff so I can make the shape a bit fuller in places. I like the ramin, easy to turn, takes stain well, strong and most important - CHEAP.

I've been making crotch bowls today just to see how they go - quite fun, except the the cherry tree I had been given (yup TREE) was mostly rotten!! I reckon I've got enough solid stuff for ten somethings. Lots of punky bits to test the sharpness of the tools.

Thanks again.

 

[Blister]

Gordon , As a project you have designed and made it looks good

However on a personal to me side of things , I will give you my input

1, The shape of the pot is slightly off , would look better if the shape was rounder

From the neck it starts to enlarge then meets a shoulder then the shape changes and continues to the base :? it looks like 2 forms / shapes joining at the shoulder


2, Overall the shape of the lid and finial work well , however like others the cherry looks a bit odd / intrusive , breaks up the flow / shape of the lid

Thanks for showing us :mrgreen:

We like photos :wink:

 

[gus3049]

Yes these piccys are a lot better
Nicely turned pot/box but the three colours don't blend together for me.
I think the finial would have looked better if that was turned using the same Cherry to blend it all in with the lid.
Gives a better contarst of the two timbers used.
The finial looks good but would have liked the base slightly more bulbous.
What size is it :?:
Looking great though after six months

Hi Paul,

Forgot to tell you the size. The pot is 270mm high including the 100mm finial. Its 140mm diameter. I've left the walls about 1cm thick so it feels a chunky thing. Next step is to see how much I can get for it!!!!

 

[Wood spoiler]

Next step is to see how much I can get for it!!!!

The ultimate critique .... and the only one that truly counts

 

[myturn]

I like it, nice shape, good finish and I do like the contrasting wood which I think works very well.

Only thing I don't like is the finial, but then I don't like finials much anyway as I thing they are too fussy, I prefer a good old fashioned knob!

 

[Jacob]

Nice urn. Could be a nice little earner.

 

[gus3049]

And here is its baby brother!! This time the finial is definitely wrong and will be changed when I get the wood. Probably won't be black either.

 

[RogerP]

I like it, nice shape, good finish and I do like the contrasting wood which I think works very well.

Only thing I don't like is the finial, but then I don't like finials much anyway as I thing they are too fussy, I prefer a good old fashioned knob!

I'll echo that, for me a knob would suit better.

 

[Jonzjob]

Gordon, the first box is a lovely piece of work and I love the combination of the walnut and the cherry. The grain on the walnut really stands out. But I have never been a fan of finials. They look great on roofs, but for me not on a lovely box as you have there. The work on the finial is also great, but for me they just don't go together?

The shape of the box and lid works so well. The bit on top just pushes it so high that it looks unballanced to me?

This looks the bees knees, just a bit of rounding on the cut at the top?

 

[fingerless]

I have to say I like the shape. I thought at first it should be more rounded, but looking at it again, I think it works really well.

As you and others have said, the finial isn't quite right. In both cases I think your finial is too long. In the first pot, the finial should thin down more quickly after the first join (mirroring the bottom), such that it naturally becomes shorter. In the second case, I'd shorten the finial to below the first bead, and just finish in a point. I think removing the finials completely will make the end product look dumpy, cookie jar like.

On the smaller brother, the curves on the urn bit look to a bit all-over-the-place (I can see 3 or 4 changes in flow on the right hand side), but that may just be the photo.

But if this is after 6 months, I can't wait to see your results in 6 months time.

 

[gus3049]

I have to say I like the shape. I thought at first it should be more rounded, but looking at it again, I think it works really well.

As you and others have said, the finial isn't quite right. In both cases I think your finial is too long. In the first pot, the finial should thin down more quickly after the first join (mirroring the bottom), such that it naturally becomes shorter. In the second case, I'd shorten the finial to below the first bead, and just finish in a point. I think removing the finials completely will make the end product look dumpy, cookie jar like.

On the smaller brother, the curves on the urn bit look to a bit all-over-the-place (I can see 3 or 4 changes in flow on the right hand side), but that may just be the photo.

But if this is after 6 months, I can't wait to see your results in 6 months time.

Thanks for the kind words. The baby one is smooth as a baby's bum - honest. Its the pic. The finial will probably end up as you suggest. These were my first ever finials so its alll work in progress and experimental.

Much as I hate to disagree with Jonzjob, You are also right about the big one. I added the finial precisely because it needed the height, to my eye anyway. His pic illustrates the point I think - sorry John.

This is the power of the critique idea. It make you think about things and other peoples views can be incorporated (or totally ignored of course, depending on the size of the ego) Much as I enjoy the praise, to put my six months into perspective.... most I think, would have their time spread out rather. Mine has been forced to be virtually full time because of my health problems. I expected to be further on quicker!! I underestimated the skill levels involved. As someone else said, "after all, its just poking some metal thingies into a lump of spinning wood" - init?

 

[gus3049]

I have to say I like the shape. I thought at first it should be more rounded, but looking at it again, I think it works really well.

As you and others have said, the finial isn't quite right. In both cases I think your finial is too long. In the first pot, the finial should thin down more quickly after the first join (mirroring the bottom), such that it naturally becomes shorter. In the second case, I'd shorten the finial to below the first bead, and just finish in a point. I think removing the finials completely will make the end product look dumpy, cookie jar like.

On the smaller brother, the curves on the urn bit look to a bit all-over-the-place (I can see 3 or 4 changes in flow on the right hand side), but that may just be the photo.

But if this is after 6 months, I can't wait to see your results in 6 months time.

Hows this? Better?
The patches are sanding dust I am to damn lazy to remove at the mo! )