Some Pieces for Critique

Slim · 12 Mar 2011

Hi Everyone,

I would be interested in your comments about this first piece. It was a bit of an experiment with trying to get a natural form.

Padauk 9" long.

leaf

Secondly, here are a couple of mallets. The shape is loosely based on the Blue Spruce Mallet. I joined the bubinga head to the oak handle with a 12mm stainless threaded rod. The rod runs the length of the head and about 3-4" into the handle. The join is disguised with a bronze inlay.

mallets

Thanks for looking

Jonzjob · 12 Mar 2011

They look pretty good to me. I love the shafe of the leaf. Did you cut the shape after turning it? Whatever it looks really nice. Bubinga? Heavy? Once again they look good, but almost too good to use!

The inlay on the mallets, bronze again?

Nice work and a nice finish all all 3. Well done mate! Thanks for showing

Edit : - My mallet was one of the first things I had turned. All beech and it is starting to show its age. You may well have spurred me to replace it

Silverbirch · 12 Mar 2011

Your pieces look very nicely designed and appear to be finished to a high standard.
I like the shapes you have used to make the cut-outs in the leaf. You have obviously given this a good deal of thought - each one is an interesting shape and seems very crisply finished. How did you go about making the leaf cut-outs?
I wonder if your leaf might have looked lighter if the edges had been tapered (but perhaps this wasn`t your intention)?
I think your mallets look very classy!

Ian

gnu · 12 Mar 2011

The leaf is an interesting concept although I would of kept it like a solid leaf and and carved, burnt or painted in the veins of the leaf and done it in a local light coloured grainy wood that has a little more character. The general public quite hostile about the use of impored tropical timber if thats what padauk is and that is an issue that all woodworkers take on board these days. The mallet is a competant and tidy piece of work that any professional woodworker would be delighted with.

Slim · 13 Mar 2011

Thank for the comments chaps.

The leaf was cut out on the bandsaw after it was turned. This was followed by a mammoth sanding session to get rid of the bandsaw marks.

John, yes both of the inlays are bronze. The bubinga is quite heavy, but the threaded rod adds a nice bit of weight as well. They weigh about 16oz.

Ian, I agree with your comment about it needing to look a little lighter. Thank you.

gus3049 · 13 Mar 2011

Love the mallets. As John says, they look a bit nice to actually use. I turned five in different sizes a while ago and they are no longer the size they started out. More than a bit bashed.

The leaf I find very 'heavy' The individual elements, for me at least, need to be lighter and more shall we say, leaf like!! Probably not easy on the bandsaw. I think a scroll saw or coping saw would be my choice.

Nice looking wood though. I have yet to try turning any 'exotic' wood. Homegrown, barn or woodpile for me!