Post a photo of the last thing you turned

[Fred48]

Hi Pa t. You asked for our opinion. I think it's a beautiful bowl. When I retired many many years ago I stopped working to deadlines wondering how long it took me to make stuff, one of the most common question I would be asked.
For me it was about enjoying what I was doing and personal development. I knew the areas i wanted to improve in and it takes time to get there.
I went on a superb course with David Charlesworth and that took my skill/knowledge to a totally different level.
Maybe a course with a local highly skilled Turner would be an idea worth considering.
Fred

 

[Stigmorgan]

When I think back to when I started leaning to turn it dawned on me that my first attempt a bowl took me two days. So I set my self an exercise of turning a simple bowl with a decorative band around the top. 2hrs for the basic shape and on close inspection found some tear out on the exterior and 2 small ridges on the inside bit disappointed back on the lathe reshaped me bowl gouge fine cut the outside then scrapped the inside to get rid of the ridges sanded then cleaned before adding the decorative band added the colour and burnt in the heat rings with a bakerlight or bakerlite stick. After the colour was dry applied the sanding sealer. Left overnight applied a tung oil finish and altoough it says dried within 8 hrs left it for a further 24 hrs only to repeat that process again for a second coat. Today applied a coat of wax and here it is on the table drying for you guessed it another 24hrsView attachment 186383Ready for polishing tomorrow. So by my calculations this will have taken 3 and a half days. My conclusions from this exercise is I have gained more technical know-how that I didn't have before if I want a good finish its going to take more time than I'd like and don't rush the initial stages as the tear out and ridges testify.
I'd be intrested in what your opinions on this are good or bad room for improvement etc etc good or bad

A beautiful piece, as above I don't tend to worry too much about how long things take unless it's a commission or one off piece. I'm also not patient enough to spend more than a few hours on one bowl unless the wood is something really special or doing glue ups.
I like the fact that your band looks like it's constricting the rim a little.

 

[Stigmorgan]

A productive day today but not finished, finished turning the last 3 large pot covers, the 2 Ash and live edge Birch are turned, sanded to 240, I then mounted the spalted Ash that I soaked with resin on Friday and turned it, the spalting is so heavy the wood almost looks like Birch or Sycamore, once all 3 were turned and sanded I mixed up my last 2 tubes of 5 minute epoxy, the spalted Ash got a good coat on the whole inside, areas soaked up so much another coat will be needed, there wasn't enough to do all of the other two so I only coated the I side of the birch sections to help stabilise the bark which was threatening to come off, once I get some more resin I will put another coat in the Ash and finish the Ash/Birch, then I will use a Danish oil finish on the outside of the Ash/Birch ones, the last pic is the 4 centres I manages to save from the birch tops.

 

[pat from Marck]

A productive day today but not finished, finished turning the last 3 large pot covers, the 2 Ash and live edge Birch are turned, sanded to 240, I then mounted the spalted Ash that I soaked with resin on Friday and turned it, the spalting is so heavy the wood almost looks like Birch or Sycamore, once all 3 were turned and sanded I mixed up my last 2 tubes of 5 minute epoxy, the spalted Ash got a good coat on the whole inside, areas soaked up so much another coat will be needed, there wasn't enough to do all of the other two so I only coated the I side of the birch sections to help stabilise the bark which was threatening to come off, once I get some more resin I will put another coat in the Ash and finish the Ash/Birch, then I will use a Danish oil finish on the outside of the Ash/Birch ones, the last pic is the 4 centres I manages to save from the birch tops.
View attachment 186403View attachment 186404View attachment 186405View attachment 186400View attachment 186401View attachment 186402View attachment 186406

That set is going to be the dogs bollocks when you've finished and all the plants are posing in thier new pots

 

[Stigmorgan]

That set is going to be the dogs pineapples when you've finished and all the plants are posing in thier new pots

Yup it's a shame my lathe maxes out at 9.5 inch diameter, I need 2 10inch pots for a peace lilly and a monstera and can't afford a new lathe yet.

 

[pat from Marck]

Yup it's a shame my lathe maxes out at 9.5 inch diameter, I need 2 10inch pots for a peace lilly and a monstera and can't afford a new lathe yet.

Do you know anyone with a bigger one that would let you use it?

 

[Owd Jockey]

Hi Pat, one way to upgrade your bowl decor is to apply texture and 'glitter' to the decorative band. I got this idea from Emma Cook on YouTube. You don't have to carve the texture, just apply a dremel-type attachment. I made 13 of these little pots for the wife's annual sewing group get together as a gift. I used some pieces of Cherry, Spruce (glued-up) and Oak (glued-up from old Kitchen unit doors). The bits you need - Size/cord/flakes are not that expensive and will last you a long time.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Do you know anyone with a bigger one that would let you use it?

I do, my tree surgeon has just set up his first lathe, it can handle 13inch diameter but he isn't exactly close by, the peace lilly does need a cover, the monstera I have a plan for, the lady that gave it to me has no knowledge of the plant but had repotted it backwards and has put 4 plants together in 1 pot so I'm going separate them into their own pots, in nature they grow up trees so I'm planning to purchase a large piece of Cork bark from a local reptile shop, mount that to the wall and allow the 4 plants to grow up that, that way I can use smaller sheets of corkbark to surround the pots

 

[pat from Marck]

Hi Pat, one way to upgrade your bowl decor is to apply texture and 'glitter' to the decorative band. I got this idea from Emma Cook on YouTube. You don't have to carve the texture, just apply a dremel-type attachment. I made 13 of these little pots for the wife's annual sewing group get together as a gift. I used some pieces of Cherry, Spruce (glued-up) and Oak (glued-up from old Kitchen unit doors). The bits you need - Size/cord/flakes are not that expensive and will last you a long time.

Well blow mme

 

[pat from Marck]

Hi Pat, one way to upgrade your bowl decor is to apply texture and 'glitter' to the decorative band. I got this idea from Emma Cook on YouTube. You don't have to carve the texture, just apply a dremel-type attachment. I made 13 of these little pots for the wife's annual sewing group get together as a gift. I used some pieces of Cherry, Spruce (glued-up) and Oak (glued-up from old Kitchen unit doors). The bits you need - Size/cord/flakes are not that expensive and will last you a long time.

Try again well blow me sideways am planning a trip to an open day at wiily Vanhoutte place in Belgium in September and the only UK guest Turner is Emma so have been watching a couple of her vidios . one the same as you linked in and the other one was cup cakes. Love your decorative band and old kitchen cupboard doors have normally not bothered with them as there all formica/MDF when out scouring in the reclamation shops over here. But will now be looking at those with renewed interest, nice tip thank you.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Spent this morning at the shop rearranging my table and doing some work in the back rooms (I've agreed to pay my table rent in handy man work when it's available) today I removed some built in shelving, I was expecting it to all be chipboard and carp pine but a lot of it was actually oak, most was too small/thin to bother trying to save but the two poles behind the glass shelve on the end are solid oak end to end so saved those for myself, also added some plants and pot covers to my table


That all only took a few hours so on my way home I stopped at poundland and emptied their shelf of CA and 5 minute epoxy, they are selling small bottle twin packs of CA for £1 and the epoxy is only £1.25, once home I spent a couple hours entertaining the pups then out to the makerspace, had a good tidy up and de-dust then 2nd coat epoxy to the inside of the pot covers, pretty sure I got all of the dry spots after yesterday's coating, once semi dry I put the first coat of Danish oil on the outside and I'm absolutely in love with them both

 

[pat from Marck]

Jean Claudes fire wood. Part 1. Dropping off the honey dippers to JC and his wife for Sunday's brocante I was treated to the grand tour of the garden the bee hives and was impressed on how after he has finished collecting the honey all his equipment he used was placed by the hives so any leftover honey and wax residues were cleaned up for re-use. Saves on washing up I thought. Anyway on the way back to the house stopped of at his fire wood pile and he kindly offered for me to help myself. I was in a rush so helped my self to a piece that looked promising for making a plate. Wrong. Anyway heres the lump

I cut the wood into 3 pieces ad found the end grain to very dense and very white in colour

the thin piece was not to my liking so filled that in the wood bin. The lager piece I put on the lathe and had a little play. And came up with this

Finished in the work shop for the day and went indoors to check out types of wood. At this moment in time I was thinking along the lines of poplar. Some research on google left me a bit befuddled as it threw out maple beach walnut and oak of all things. Not much help.

 

[pat from Marck]

Jean Claudes fire wood. Pt 2. Few days latter got this sitting on the table

the second piece I've cut in half and made a small rustic sugar spoon for Steph as she likes these sort of utensils.

and as for the type of wood still no the wiser prehaps a type of birch. Opinions gratefully received.

 

[Fred48]

Jean Claudes fire wood. Pt 2. Few days latter got this sitting on the tableView attachment 186495View attachment 186496View attachment 186497View attachment 186498View attachment 186499the second piece I've cut in half and made a small rustic sugar spoon for Steph as she likes these sort of utensils.View attachment 186500View attachment 186501View attachment 186502and as for the type of wood still no the wiser prehaps a type of birch. Opinions gratefully received.

Hi Pat. Sorry don't know
Fred

 

[Stigmorgan]

Found a pot the right size to re-pot my dragon tree so before doing so I took it out to the makerspace and made a cover for it from o e of the centres from the Ash/Birch pots, was o ly just big enough, think the base is under 3mm thin , because it's such a snug fit I decided to give a heavy coat of CA rather than epoxy, the wood soaked up 3 of the little bottles, the base hasn't fully dried yet but the sides have, I may do another coat tomorrow just to be sure the wood is fully sealed.

 

[Owd Jockey]

Hi Pat, I like the small scoops, a couple of years ago I made about 15 of them as gifts for the wife's craft group. The two in the photo are of Beech and Oak. I got the idea from Paul Lockwood.

 

[pat from Marck]

Hi Pat, I like the small scoops, a couple of years ago I made about 15 of them as gifts for the wife's craft group. The two in the photo are of Beech and Oak. I got the idea from Paul Lockwood.

Nice am hoping to do a load more probably large medium and small to go with my spice spoons I turned when I started out

 

[pat from Marck]

The potpourri cover

was give this metal cover many months ago and have been waiting for a good piece of wood to come along till I use it. Well in my birthay package was a piece of elm. I must admit this project has taken a week to complete. This was due to unseen soft pockets and cracks I discovered during the hollowing out. The outside had 8 anomalies so hardy surprising really.

As shown in the picture above there is a crack in the bottom so due to this and all the other internal aswell as external hollowed out to allow 2cm thickness bottom and sides would have liked to have gone thinner but thought it prudent not to. For a change just using tung oil for a matt/satin finish

someone may think I ought to have filled in the cracks. But because there were 8 all different I just left them as. Any how after all the trials and tribulations on this I am one very happy bunny as to how it turned out.

 

[Stigmorgan]

@pat from Marck that's a gorgeous piece, the pewter lid is sweet too, I buy mine from Yandles.
2 more pot covers today made from 1 branch of willow, the one with the natural surface was nerv wracking, at the thinnest point it's probably only 1mm.
One finished with wax and the other with Danish oil

 

[Blackswanwood]

They look seriously good @Stigmorgan