tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58225152125437767632024-03-12T19:26:43.095-07:00Johnny TaylorA place to show and share the creations,thoughts,ramblings and whatever else of a woodturning person.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-43235218320498156842014-05-04T08:54:00.001-07:002014-05-04T08:54:55.466-07:00Update. I've been a bit slack with keeping the blog updated for a month or three! I've been really busy with non turning work and other than a bit of production turning in the form of things like large mushrooms, drawer knobs, some 'magic' wands and bowls for galleries , I've not had much opportunity to make any art. I am about to start work on extending our home so although I will be very busy I will be taking on less outside work and so will hopefully get some time in quieter moments to make some pieces to share with you all.<br /><br />
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Anyway I can't write an entry here without giving you something to look at! Here is a video I made with my quadcopter(my other passion) of the beautiful bluebells that flower in the woods nearby at this time of year.<br /><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HTgUpfvfnDg" width="480"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-25727553940249328632014-02-14T01:59:00.001-08:002014-02-14T01:59:30.975-08:00Mushroom Seats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QMUIZJp-9CY/Uv3SBXHtkLI/AAAAAAAAApc/K1tERmMTpQ0/s1600/prescjoolshrooms+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QMUIZJp-9CY/Uv3SBXHtkLI/AAAAAAAAApc/K1tERmMTpQ0/s1600/prescjoolshrooms+018.JPG" height="283" width="400" /></a></div>
The Pre-School my Daughter attends are making a 'Sensory Garden' for the children to enjoy (when the weather gets better!). They have a very limited budget and knowing that I was a 'wood man' they asked if I could help out by making some 'mushroom' seats for the kids to sit on'. I agreed that if they could source some suitable hardwood (I had nothing of a suitable diameter) I would gladly give them some time to make the seats.<br />
A local wood yard 'kindly' offered them ten 'hardwood' logs to use, the lady organising the project collected them in her horse trailer and brought them round, upon opening up the trailer I was confronted with one partly rotten Oak log and nine half rotten softwood fir trunks, years old and soaked in muddy water...great!( I have dealt with this woodyard in the past and wasn't in the least surprised at their 'kindness'..........)<br />
I felt bad telling the lady that this timber was no good, completely unsuitable for making the seats from especially as they can't be treated with chemical preservatives ( you can imagine how quickly even a fresh piece of untreated fir is going to start decaying and how rough the end grain tops would get as the soft part of the grain structure goes, leaving that ridged texture....).<br />
Thankfully after our disappointing start she managed to get some nice Oak logs elsewhere which were perfect for the job! I turned them on the lathe and made sure all the surfaces and edges are sanded smooth with absolutely no splinters to keep all those little hands safe!<br />
My kids were very keen to test them out before we delivered them!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-45749045494080764632014-01-27T09:32:00.001-08:002014-01-27T09:32:24.199-08:00'Nut'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oD8MpBrnmr8/UuaJapzCd3I/AAAAAAAAAos/Szoc8_50iMs/s1600/nutsmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oD8MpBrnmr8/UuaJapzCd3I/AAAAAAAAAos/Szoc8_50iMs/s1600/nutsmall.jpg" height="400" width="392" /></a></div>
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'Nut' is the second piece in my new 'Welded' series. This one has gone a bit rusty......<br />
I thought it would be interesting to make a threaded bar insert and a nut but to leave these in natural wood. I liked the idea of doing it this way as it's the opposite of what you may expect, that is, a turned vessel is usually wood (I know it is but you get the idea) and a nut is generally metal.<br />
I have made the threaded bar from Mahogany which has the added bonus of being naturally rust coloured, the nut and hollow form are Sycamore.<br />
I have a few more ideas for these but need to work out a few methods to get the results I want for the next ones.........<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cEQxBBHimrU/UuaJaib5VxI/AAAAAAAAAo4/bOgV4YwKbqo/s1600/rustythreadedbits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cEQxBBHimrU/UuaJaib5VxI/AAAAAAAAAo4/bOgV4YwKbqo/s1600/rustythreadedbits.jpg" height="245" width="400" /></a></div>
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I made the threaded bar much longer than needed so that it can be turned further out or in, which gives the piece a nice 'fiddleability'(new word? lol)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-52989637594969609012014-01-25T05:37:00.000-08:002014-01-25T05:37:22.212-08:00Small Elm Bowls.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nSC9nluDgTs/UuO8SqPAg7I/AAAAAAAAAoc/OPCeMBKExdU/s1600/smallbowlssmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nSC9nluDgTs/UuO8SqPAg7I/AAAAAAAAAoc/OPCeMBKExdU/s1600/smallbowlssmall.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
I was asked by a gallery who sells my work to provide them with some more small plain bowls as they tend to sell ok.<br />
I made a batch up of mostly Sycamore but also used up these two small pieces of Elm that had been laying around for a while and were in the top of a box of bits and bobs. I was quite surprised at the lovely grain and warm colour of these when I had finished.<br />
They are five inches wide and are finished with nothing more than a bit of oil, which is my favorite finish for Elm as it really seems to bring the best out of it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-83481050215312115622014-01-19T13:44:00.000-08:002014-01-19T13:44:01.241-08:00'Junk Pile'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--J5pqXu7DsQ/UtxCOH38uVI/AAAAAAAAAoM/PiMTN_0_YUw/s1600/junkpilesmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--J5pqXu7DsQ/UtxCOH38uVI/AAAAAAAAAoM/PiMTN_0_YUw/s1600/junkpilesmall.jpg" height="400" width="287" /></a></div>
Here is the first item from the new workshop! The workshop isn't quite finished, there is a bit more rendering to do and I have yet to get some armoured cable to supply the electricity(currently using a couple of extension leads...) but apart from that, the lathe is in and there are benches to work at!!<br />
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I've been wanting to make some things in this 'welded together' style for ages. I've seen loads of stuff welded in the past and have always thought it looks cool. I came up with a plan to make the 'welds' which worked so well that I only did a test piece of about six inches long before doing it to the main vessel here! The colouring is airbrushed on and just copied from looking at some pictures of the burns (more importantly the colours) created by mig welding.<br />
I made the vase from Elm as its open grain structure would show through the decoration giving the keen eyed observer a clue to its true wooden nature. The piece is quite tall for me at seventeen inches(430mm) but was a lot of fun to turn. With the lathe now on a stable concrete floor I may do a few more larger pieces.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-17576655961069251442014-01-06T06:48:00.001-08:002014-01-06T06:48:57.343-08:00'Rust'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gJRPsYOZGNw/Usq5zOTEqLI/AAAAAAAAAn8/eEE9fQd0Ypo/s1600/rust1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gJRPsYOZGNw/Usq5zOTEqLI/AAAAAAAAAn8/eEE9fQd0Ypo/s1600/rust1.jpg" height="409" width="640" /></a></div>
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The new workshop is not yet finished but I really needed to make something, its funny how being away from producing new work and generally away from creativity starts to get to me. lol. 'Making' has become such a large and important part of my life and my own creativity seems as if it just needs to come out and be expressed! (That sounds horribly pretentious when I read it back....)<br />
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This piece has been rolling around in my mind for a while, I wanted to make something that represents impermanence and fragility, mainly due to my fast approaching 40th Birthday and for the first time my realisation that I'm impermanent and thoughts of my own mortality, the 'rusting bowl' represents this well for my mind.<br />
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Anyway, I would like to wish all the readers of this blog a very happy new year, I'm hoping 2014 will be a great year, I am very much looking forward to getting my new workshop finished and working in the lovely area we are lucky enough to now live!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-19343973863831205662013-11-22T10:38:00.001-08:002013-11-22T10:38:15.070-08:00New Workshop Progress!The new workshop is starting to take shape with progress being made with the blockwork despite the November weather trying to stop us! I'm making a timelapse video of the build and this is it thus far!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/CLIQjPgTlyw" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-83415623997940359212013-11-12T12:41:00.000-08:002013-11-12T12:41:02.671-08:00Been Busy..... I haven't blogged for a while or indeed done any woodturning! Since the second of September I have been working on renovating our new home as quickly as humanly possible. We had thought it would take until somewhere around Christmas time to complete the work to the inside of the house but somehow by working really hard seven days a week, more often or not into the evenings and the help of our family we have not only finished but also moved in!!<br />
The downside of all of this is that my former 12' x 8' workshop has moved with us but become nothing more than a storage shed for all of my tools and timber as I have had to fit the contents of three sheds into it!!! Rather than buy another, larger timber workshop I decided that building a more permanent structure was a better route to take even though it will take time to build. Now I know nothing about building so I am relying on the expertise of my Father in law who is very kindly helping me with it.<br />
The new workshop will be 26.5' x 12' as this gives a footprint of the thirty square meters that is the maximum size of outbuilding that can be built before the cost and hassle of 'Building Regulations' comes into play. I hope to get the whole thing constructed in the next month and get back to doing what I enjoy doing the most, turning and making!!<br />
This morning with the help of my Father in law, Brother and Nephew I have the foundations filled with three square meters of concrete which we had to barrow across the garden from the back of a cement mixer lorry and I now feel that I have a proper start made to my new workshop!!! :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A start.</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-11835780510975538522013-08-31T00:51:00.000-07:002013-08-31T00:51:14.262-07:00Nebula!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kQpLwkFZdd8/UiGdUH9sJhI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/BkbRZs19L8o/s1600/nebula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="397" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kQpLwkFZdd8/UiGdUH9sJhI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/BkbRZs19L8o/s400/nebula.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Here is something a little different and a bit bolder and/brighter than what I have been doing of late!<br />
I treated myself to some quality airbrush paints, I got some water based ones called 'Wicked Colors' as I had seen them being used in a few youtube videos and the colours looked to be as vibrant as solvent based colours but with less toxicity and easy clean up!<br />
I've got to say I'm very impressed with them, both in how they colour and the way they spray. All this despite the limitations of my cheap 'ebay' airbrush (may have to treat myself to a quality one......).<br />
As the title suggests(I hope) the design is based on a nebula or more specifically the star forming region of a large nebula where the gases coalesce to create new stars.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-4262301070380013252013-08-27T23:39:00.000-07:002013-08-28T00:05:24.114-07:00Blue Bottle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q0wG4A_i9-8/Uh2apWlqGcI/AAAAAAAAAnA/aIj4Qw0o_OM/s1600/bluebottlesmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="367" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q0wG4A_i9-8/Uh2apWlqGcI/AAAAAAAAAnA/aIj4Qw0o_OM/s400/bluebottlesmall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm still playing around with this teardrop shaped vessel and finial combination. This piece like the others is made from Sycamore and is five and a half inches tall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Rather than carve, blast or texture the vessel, with this piece I decided to use a decorative colouring technique I have been experimenting with to create this stone/marble look.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The colours are plain old artists acrylics and the finish is a lacquer that doesn't dry too flat and shiny which makes the piece feel nice in the hand and not 'plasticy as some high gloss lacquers tend to. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-66317531464128370312013-08-02T11:36:00.000-07:002013-08-02T11:36:10.457-07:00Horse Chestnut Burr.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gGdZbJpxBYw/Ufv6BBPG4PI/AAAAAAAAAmw/V4NGviex4cE/s1600/burrsmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gGdZbJpxBYw/Ufv6BBPG4PI/AAAAAAAAAmw/V4NGviex4cE/s400/burrsmall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #323d4f; font-family: Lucida Grande, Trebuchet MS, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.19444465637207px;">This little hollow form is the first piece from some Horse Chestnut that I was kindly given around eighteen months ago. The tree had blown down in a garden just up the road from me and the nice man who owned it called Paul came and asked if I would like some. I had a six foot trunk section that Paul kindly helped me slab up with my Alaskan mill which has a lot of nice burr in and several smaller burrs from other parts of the tree. This is from one of the smaller burrs that has dried out nicely in my wood store. As Paul would not take anything for the timber I am going to give him this little form as a thank you. It is just under five inches tall.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-15886270495827143072013-07-19T12:28:00.001-07:002013-07-19T12:28:28.973-07:00Dark Urn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P_3S2ONy06g/UemRx3Ge5zI/AAAAAAAAAmg/7D1-ouqBAaU/s1600/dark-urn-001b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P_3S2ONy06g/UemRx3Ge5zI/AAAAAAAAAmg/7D1-ouqBAaU/s400/dark-urn-001b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Here is another piece based on a teardrop. These seem to be becoming a series. This one is five and a half inches tall, it has been shotblasted to give an uneven surface on the panels and then textured over the top of that. I have also created a texture to look like cast metal on the outer 'cage' part of the main vessel.<br />
I have made another timelapse video of the turning part of this so that you can see how I go about it (at high speed). As ever the colouring is done with acrylics.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-87350310179130503752013-07-10T09:03:00.001-07:002013-07-10T09:03:46.736-07:00Red Urn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ESFn71idcYo/Ud2AWAHh98I/AAAAAAAAAmQ/7T_qUux4k6w/s1600/redurn-003a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ESFn71idcYo/Ud2AWAHh98I/AAAAAAAAAmQ/7T_qUux4k6w/s400/redurn-003a.jpg" width="345" /></a></div>
Hello dear readers. I haven't had a chance to turn anything since April!! That is far too long to be away from what is my passion and far too long since writing anything here! I can only apologise for my absence but sometimes life jumps up and gets in the way of what I would like to be doing....<br />
Today I got to blow the dust off from the lathe and get down to what |I love doing, turning. I made this little urn from Sycamore, its about seven inches tall with the lid. It has been turned, hollowed,sand blasted and coloured with acrylics.<br />
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I will try to be quicker with my next post.... :)<br />
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Here is a timelapse video of me turning it.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-23922740303388520642013-04-05T09:49:00.002-07:002013-04-05T09:49:30.945-07:00Dark Energy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6U_bxchKP6g/UV74CLVktRI/AAAAAAAAAlI/BTSxqmTbuGk/s1600/DEsmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6U_bxchKP6g/UV74CLVktRI/AAAAAAAAAlI/BTSxqmTbuGk/s400/DEsmall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I was reading about the possible discovery of what 'dark matter' actually is the other day and this got me thinking, as these things do....<br />
The other great mystery of the universe is 'dark energy' that makes up about seventy percent of the Universe causing the ever accelerating expansion of everthing and nobody has a clue as to what it is.<br />
This mystery energy is what inspired the design of this hollow form, I have it streaming forth from another dimension (Ok the opening!) and permeating the Universe in a great flow. It is funny where inspiration comes from sometimes but the Universe and as a consequence, the true reality of everything is something that is often in my mind.<br />
The form is from the same Sycamore stash I have been working through for the last week or two. It has three carved feet to keep it stable and a carved curved tail. It has been textured and then coloured with acrylics and the high points picked out with silver.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-77609079661651596942013-04-02T10:57:00.000-07:002013-04-02T10:57:34.871-07:00An Unquiet Mind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ABG0V276_c/UVsZIvir3OI/AAAAAAAAAk0/4OE5f89ntuI/s1600/An-Unquiet-Mindsmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="465" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ABG0V276_c/UVsZIvir3OI/AAAAAAAAAk0/4OE5f89ntuI/s640/An-Unquiet-Mindsmall.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Another Sycamore hollow form with carved feet! I just love making these little forms and decorating them. This one is four and a half inches tall and has been both decorated with pyrography and textured with a rotary tool.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jZ0GDsrKTew/UVsZIiVsnxI/AAAAAAAAAk4/DToHoYdKRRs/s1600/unquiettopview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jZ0GDsrKTew/UVsZIiVsnxI/AAAAAAAAAk4/DToHoYdKRRs/s320/unquiettopview.jpg" width="320" /></a> The title relates to the piece by way of the 'streams' of thought eminating from within and being generally random or chaotic,sometimes looping, sometimes joining and sometimes diverging, yet they still fill the piece making a 'complete' pattern that seems to be a single entity.... This is the way I see the human mind, well mine anyway, lol!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-50960190003517341162013-03-29T11:00:00.001-07:002013-03-29T11:00:17.640-07:00Wiggle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h0bGkye8n60/UVXWGKodyeI/AAAAAAAAAkg/wdviRp4yCTE/s1600/wiggle-001small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h0bGkye8n60/UVXWGKodyeI/AAAAAAAAAkg/wdviRp4yCTE/s400/wiggle-001small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Not much to say about this, its just a variation on a theme from the last piece. Sycamore, four and a half inches tall with an untextured 'wiggle' band,Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-23027353875084085162013-03-27T11:54:00.000-07:002013-03-27T11:54:31.486-07:00Sycamore Form With Carved Feet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iz-I3n2v7u4/UVM7qsJsLpI/AAAAAAAAAkI/k7JztcN0LQo/s1600/texturedfootedformsmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iz-I3n2v7u4/UVM7qsJsLpI/AAAAAAAAAkI/k7JztcN0LQo/s400/texturedfootedformsmall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I cut up a four inch thick slab of my home milled Sycamore, it wasn't the longest piece I had but it made enough blanks to make my next twelve hollow forms from. It's great to finally have my own timber dry and ready to use, now I'm just waiting on my Walnut slabs to dry.....<br />
This one is four inches tall with carved feet, I have used the same texture pattern I used on a bowl a few posts back. I left the feet untextured to match in with the band and keep them obvious!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-40736564459102028112013-03-26T06:22:00.000-07:002013-03-26T06:27:36.762-07:00Cracked Yew Hollow Form<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_98EDB0UC8k/UVGadTrVYvI/AAAAAAAAAjw/OKnvF71RBu4/s1600/yewwithfeet-001small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="357" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_98EDB0UC8k/UVGadTrVYvI/AAAAAAAAAjw/OKnvF71RBu4/s400/yewwithfeet-001small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I don't know why I keep messing around with this Yew log, it cracks and moves and is generally a pain in the proverbial!! Maybe its because Yew just seems like it should be treated with respect, there is just something special about this slow growing, long lived timber that just seems to make me persevere with it even though I probably shouldn't bother!<br />
This little form is about the same in width as it is in height,that is about four and a half inches. The section of log it came from had, or so it seemed at the time, no cracks in it whatsoever, just for a moment I wondered if it would stay that way(it has been dried for a decade!). Of course as soon as I started working it, or more to the point hollowing it, the cracks started to appear! At this point I could have easily tossed it into the shavings, muttered something obscene and done something more constructive with my time! However I wanted to carve some feet on a short fat form to see how it looked and decided to continue, after all if it looked bad it wouldn't matter too much and could be consigned to the unsuccessful prototype collection(the fire bin....) .<br />
I completed the form and collar and was very happy with what the little legs did for the look of it, I had of course seen many examples of cracks 'stitched together with leather and thought that would look good on this and 'save' it. I must admit that I just whacked the holes through with the drill and haven't tidied up the edges of the holes but I think it adds to its rustic charm! LOL. It was a lot of 'fun' cough, cough. to thread and tie it through the opening of the vessel but I got there in the end. It has moved enough just to raise the edge of the collar a bit but apart from that I think its kind of 'cute'.....Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-16843917460826469512013-03-21T10:46:00.001-07:002013-03-21T10:46:42.490-07:00Yew and Ebony Bottle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s7B2gwHuqX0/UUs-qeQUcMI/AAAAAAAAAjY/xAYwXB2TzVM/s1600/yewbottleebony-001yewebony600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s7B2gwHuqX0/UUs-qeQUcMI/AAAAAAAAAjY/xAYwXB2TzVM/s640/yewbottleebony-001yewebony600.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
As I tend to do, I put the bottle form I made yesterday on the little sideboard that is under our TV so that I could look at it and more importantly think about it. I think it helps a great deal to do this, that is to be self critical, by doing so you can see where you could improve a design and through that hopefully develop and 'grow' a little more as a woodturner.<br />
In this case I felt strongly enough about the design `changes I would make that I had to go and make another more refined version today. This one sits with me a little better than the other but they will both be standing side by side for a day or two on the sideboard so I can study them!!<br />
The changes are to the overall shape of the form,the proportions of the parts and timber choice(for the stopper). Although this is roughly the same height as the first (its about 1/2 an inch higher) the bottle is an inch shorter and the stopper an inch higher which I think balances better. The shape is a little more rounded towards the bottom to give a more elegant 'drop' like form. The bands are also a little lower down but keep the same proportions relative to each other(the distance between the middle and top ones is about half that of bottom to middle. I have also used a piece of Ebony in place of the Oak for the stopper.<br />
I'm much happier with this one........Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-57953739620638849132013-03-20T11:55:00.001-07:002013-03-20T11:55:40.394-07:00Yew Bottle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JnATMpjE9qM/UUoDMoUN-gI/AAAAAAAAAjI/UNDeJ2STEY8/s1600/yewbottle600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JnATMpjE9qM/UUoDMoUN-gI/AAAAAAAAAjI/UNDeJ2STEY8/s640/yewbottle600.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
I was given a piece of Yew last weekend and was asked to make something from it for the guy that had given it to me. It wasn't very wide, infact it was a five inch wide branch,felled a decade ago, bone dry but full of cracks. To be honest its not a piece of timber I would have bothered with if it wasn't 'given' to me but I said I would make him something and so did.<br />
I decided to make him a 'bottle form' from it, and I must say despite the cracks it is quite an attractive piece of timber. I have hollowed it down to a thickness of around half an inch as there are many cracks and I didn't think it would take being any thinner without exploding on the lathe. The stopper is made from Oak, a small piece that was laying on the bench left over from another job. It is fifteen inches tall and finished by sanding with boiled linseed on the paper to try and fill the cracks and a hand buffed wax over that.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-47832711187110274482013-03-11T12:05:00.002-07:002013-03-11T12:05:44.541-07:00Round Bottom Bowls The two little Sycamore Bowls pictured below are the first pieces turned from a tree I cut into slabs about eighteen months ago. These were from a three inch thick slab and I was happy to find it was bone dry.<br />
They are both about four inches wide and around two and a half inches in height. The textured pattern is done by eye to give it a random look and they have a simple oil finish. The small slate base has also been textured to match the 'lined' pattern on the bowls.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pRqEaNnUwbg/UT4q7MEba-I/AAAAAAAAAi0/UuhFmd4pV7U/s1600/sycamoreroundbottoms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pRqEaNnUwbg/UT4q7MEba-I/AAAAAAAAAi0/UuhFmd4pV7U/s640/sycamoreroundbottoms.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-49368999121018529952013-03-02T01:51:00.001-08:002013-03-02T01:51:01.790-08:00Tear Drop Bottle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NYdaN0PmGPg/UTHDociuY6I/AAAAAAAAAiY/1vuiNcCev18/s1600/tearbottle600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NYdaN0PmGPg/UTHDociuY6I/AAAAAAAAAiY/1vuiNcCev18/s640/tearbottle600.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
Here's something a bit different to my usual stuff, its obviously born from the shapes I was playing with in the 'Windblown Trio' posted below, I often find that a new idea is had while working on the previous one.<br />
This piece is made from Oak, that has been sand blast textured and coloured with acrylics. I have created a dull silver patina on the parts I wished to appear as metal. The 'metal' cage around the bottle frames the four 'eyes' that you get with endgrain Oak, two made by the grain and the other two at ninety degrees to them created by the rays.<br />
I have made the tear drop stopper what may in some peoples opinion be over size but I wanted this as it makes the whole piece appear 'bolder' than a smaller one would. I can imagine a bottle like this in the ancient world holding some precious oil or potion.<br />
I am really enjoying playing with the textures and effects that shot blasting can achieve.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-20519433404970084952013-03-01T12:28:00.000-08:002013-03-01T12:28:24.778-08:00Simple Bowl.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qetn01IsOQ4/UTENnmnK2LI/AAAAAAAAAiI/LJSiZoaOc0Y/s1600/elmbowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qetn01IsOQ4/UTENnmnK2LI/AAAAAAAAAiI/LJSiZoaOc0Y/s400/elmbowl.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Sometimes I just need to turn something like this, a simple pleasing form, from nice timber with a good finish. I get a great deal of pleasure from things like this when I am in the mood and it is nice to remind myself that I can make these!<br />
Its just five inches wide by three inches tall and made from one of my last few pieces of English Elm from a large tree, the likes of which have all long since died from 'Dutch Elm Disease'.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-88444318083722530562013-02-01T10:42:00.000-08:002013-02-01T14:40:27.260-08:00Wind Blown Trio<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DHip_nTQlow/UQwLnBGYvtI/AAAAAAAAAh0/eMDNkXv18bQ/s1600/windblowngroup600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="371" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DHip_nTQlow/UQwLnBGYvtI/AAAAAAAAAh0/eMDNkXv18bQ/s640/windblowngroup600.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandblasted Douglas Fir</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here is the completed trio of heavily sandblasted hollow forms made from Douglas Fir. They are presented on an Elm base that has been smoothed and gently blasted to give the appearance of driftwood.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822515212543776763.post-66759543347396617562013-01-31T10:15:00.002-08:002013-01-31T10:15:24.294-08:00Windblown.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FsLbI_bdTxE/UQqxlOfK40I/AAAAAAAAAhg/HomgN58jvFM/s1600/600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="331" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FsLbI_bdTxE/UQqxlOfK40I/AAAAAAAAAhg/HomgN58jvFM/s400/600.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandblasted Hollow Form<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here is the first of an intended trio of heavily sandblasted Douglas Fir hollow forms with the soft grain completely removed around the top area, which hopefully gives the impression of being eroded away by wind and sand.<br />
Its just four inches tall and turned in a tear drop shape to around 3mm thickness down the sides with the bottom left about 12mm to keep it standing. Although the bottom is thicker you cannot tell it is visually by way of careful hollowing to keep a matching gentle curve to the inside.<br />
As said I plan on completing a trio of these and will mount them on a base. Watch this space!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06597559989537879307noreply@blogger.com0