Latest attempt at woodturning.
Ash and Black Mesquite with Black Walnut and Maple detail.
Slathered with a 20lb cut of shellac. 13" diameter - 5.5" tall.
Probably won't do another like this one. What a PITA.

Dry ash is hard as h*ll, and the mesquite was more like ironwood.
Both full of buried knots and black spots. Even the curlys are stiff
and unforgiving, especially when they get in your shirt or socks.
Boy does that sound odd...

http://webpages.charter.net/videodoc.../BigBowl01.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/videodoc.../BigBowl02.jpg

The ash grain is fairly, uh, vivid? And the mesquite lacks a certain
amount of the grain detail I was hoping for. And excuse the poor flash
lighting which makes the reflecting segments look different in color.
They are actually all one rather unnerving color - ah, such is "art".

I'm dubbing it the Axe Handle and Texas Trash Wood Bowl.

FWIW

Greg G.

Maybe I've not been doing this long enough to get persnickity about things.
I like the looks of it. It beats the snot out of anything I've done yet.
I'd be proud of it.


"Greg G." wrote in message
...

Latest attempt at woodturning.

snip

I'm dubbing it the Axe Handle and Texas Trash Wood Bowl.

FWIW

Greg G.



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Greg G. wrote:
Latest attempt at woodturning.
Ash and Black Mesquite with Black Walnut and Maple detail.
Slathered with a 20lb cut of shellac. 13" diameter - 5.5" tall.
Probably won't do another like this one. What a PITA.

Dry ash is hard as h*ll, and the mesquite was more like ironwood.
Both full of buried knots and black spots. Even the curlys are stiff
and unforgiving, especially when they get in your shirt or socks.
Boy does that sound odd...

http://webpages.charter.net/videodoc.../BigBowl01.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/videodoc.../BigBowl02.jpg

The ash grain is fairly, uh, vivid? And the mesquite lacks a certain
amount of the grain detail I was hoping for. And excuse the poor flash
lighting which makes the reflecting segments look different in color.
They are actually all one rather unnerving color - ah, such is "art".

I'm dubbing it the Axe Handle and Texas Trash Wood Bowl.

FWIW

Greg G.
Very nice! I can tell it represents a lot of work. Good job.

--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder.





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Gerald Ross said:

Greg G. wrote:
Latest attempt at woodturning.
Ash and Black Mesquite with Black Walnut and Maple detail.

Very nice! I can tell it represents a lot of work. Good job.

Thanks! It's one of those technically correct pieces that just didn't
turn out quite as expected. :-\

But I did use my home brew vacuum chuck to turn the bottom:
(Since you're now playing with such a device.)
http://webpages.charter.net/videodoc...uumChuck01.jpg

Man is that thing great - and only cost about $30. (Had the pump,
gauge, and many of the parts.) I've never reversed anything and
finished the bottom so quickly and easily. Held really well with only
1" Hg, and I used 5" Hg for the turning process. (On something this
large, 20"+ would probably destroy it.)

After this, I turned an exposed bark bowl from sopping wet magnolia.
It is the ugliest thing, and the nastiest wood, I have ever turned.
Kinda like politicians, black heart, and pale, featureless outer. ;-)
Hope it's good to burn in the fireplace, 'cause I'm not bothering with
turning the rest of the log...

FWIW

Greg G.

Greg G. wrote:

After this, I turned an exposed bark bowl from sopping wet magnolia.
It is the ugliest thing, and the nastiest wood, I have ever turned.
Kinda like politicians, black heart, and pale, featureless outer. ;-)
Hope it's good to burn in the fireplace, 'cause I'm not bothering with
turning the rest of the log...

FWIW

Greg G.

I have some nice bowls from magnolia. And some bad ones. Will post a
picture in ABPW of one that spalted (molded) after rough turning.
--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder.





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Gerald Ross said:

Greg G. wrote:

After this, I turned an exposed bark bowl from sopping wet magnolia.
It is the ugliest thing, and the nastiest wood, I have ever turned.
Kinda like politicians, black heart, and pale, featureless outer. ;-)
Hope it's good to burn in the fireplace, 'cause I'm not bothering with
turning the rest of the log...

I have some nice bowls from magnolia. And some bad ones. Will post a
picture in ABPW of one that spalted (molded) after rough turning.

Cool - I would be interested in seeing those.
I was hoping that this would be spalted, as it was retrieved from the
ground, but not so. Doesn't seem to have much to recommend it, yet.
I believe it is southern swamp magnolia. The pickings are slim - green
wood isn't easy to find anymore, and I can't just cut down trees
because we live in the city. And all the forests around us have
recently been cleared for acres of dreaded McMansions.

That is one reason I do a lot of segmented stuff. I can buy a variety
of exotic wood easier than finding a tree - dead or otherwise. (!)
The neighbors have cut down trees, but it's usually a pine tree.
There has been one big poplar, a few tiny oaks, and a Bradford pear.
I turned some of the pear, but it sure is squirrely - seems to split a
lot while drying. But my favorite has been the cherry (laurel) that I
removed from our yard - which is what prompted the purchase of a Jet
mini last year. What a treacherous, downhill path THAT led to...


Greg G.

Scratch Ankle said:

Maybe I've not been doing this long enough to get persnickity about things.
I like the looks of it. It beats the snot out of anything I've done yet.
I'd be proud of it.

Thanks! I'm certainly no expert. Have owned a lathe for less than
two years, and then used it mostly in the winter months. I had no
idea how Ash would turn - and now I know.

Made a Maple and Black Walnut bowl last winter,
http://webpages.charter.net/videodoc...tedBowl05l.jpg
and was kinda driving for a scaled up version. It's bigger, for sure.


Greg G.

Greg G. wrote:
Gerald Ross said:

Greg G. wrote:

After this, I turned an exposed bark bowl from sopping wet magnolia.
It is the ugliest thing, and the nastiest wood, I have ever turned.
Kinda like politicians, black heart, and pale, featureless outer. ;-)
Hope it's good to burn in the fireplace, 'cause I'm not bothering with
turning the rest of the log...

I have some nice bowls from magnolia. And some bad ones. Will post a
picture in ABPW of one that spalted (molded) after rough turning.

Cool - I would be interested in seeing those.
I was hoping that this would be spalted, as it was retrieved from the
ground, but not so. Doesn't seem to have much to recommend it, yet.
I believe it is southern swamp magnolia. The pickings are slim - green
wood isn't easy to find anymore, and I can't just cut down trees
because we live in the city. And all the forests around us have
recently been cleared for acres of dreaded McMansions.

That is one reason I do a lot of segmented stuff. I can buy a variety
of exotic wood easier than finding a tree - dead or otherwise. (!)
The neighbors have cut down trees, but it's usually a pine tree.
There has been one big poplar, a few tiny oaks, and a Bradford pear.
I turned some of the pear, but it sure is squirrely - seems to split a
lot while drying. But my favorite has been the cherry (laurel) that I
removed from our yard - which is what prompted the purchase of a Jet
mini last year. What a treacherous, downhill path THAT led to...


Greg G.
I just got a truck load of spalted sweetgum from a neighbor, and just
down the hill is three dead elms already promised to me when they cut
them down. That is some pretty wood. My favorite tree cutter sometimes
drops off a log in my back yard, too. It's feast or famine.

--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder.





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Gerald Ross said:

Greg G. wrote:
That is one reason I do a lot of segmented stuff. I can buy a variety
of exotic wood easier than finding a tree - dead or otherwise. (!)
The neighbors have cut down trees, but it's usually a pine tree.
There has been one big poplar, a few tiny oaks, and a Bradford pear.
I turned some of the pear, but it sure is squirrely - seems to split a
lot while drying. But my favorite has been the cherry (laurel) that I
removed from our yard - which is what prompted the purchase of a Jet
mini last year. What a treacherous, downhill path THAT led to...


I just got a truck load of spalted sweetgum from a neighbor, and just
down the hill is three dead elms already promised to me when they cut
them down. That is some pretty wood. My favorite tree cutter sometimes
drops off a log in my back yard, too. It's feast or famine.

I love the Elm that I've seen, and have looked for a supply. But
can't find it dead or alive around here. Lumber places don't carry
it, and I haven't seen a live Elm tree in years. Birdseye Elm is
especially attractive. I'm not sure what sweetgum looks like turned,
but it's fairly common here. Spalted Hackberry is another wood on my
wish list.

Looked at your magnolia bowl - nice! I don't think the stuff I have
will turn out like that as the heartwood is almost black, and it's not
very pretty.

All the more reason I need to get out of the city...

FWIW

Greg G.