Forest Fire

 

 

 

Oak hollow form

with double opening

 

Torch finish

 

12 inch diameter

 

9 inches high

 

Double click to enlarge photos for more detail

 

 

 

Custom Made Pizza Cutter

Wood Handle:

African Padauk 

 

Scientific Name:
Pterocarpus soyauxii

 

Distribution:

Central and tropical west Africa

 

Tree Size:
100-130 ft.

 

 

Handle was made extra long to use two hands.

 

Design is for those who have strength problems

with their hands and/or wrists.

 

 

Ruler added to help visualize actual size.

 

Christmas Ornament 2012

double click for detail

Holly hollow form

Pierced and air brushed/painted

Base paint is Wicked Colors Crimson
with a very light top coat of Interference purple
(gives it a subtle glistening quality in sunlight)

The small finial inside is ebony.

Gifted to our daughter in law

H 5”

Dia max 2 ¼”

MSWG Holiday Gathering 2012

Double click for more detail

The Mid South Woodturners Guild

held their annual holiday gathering last weekend.

Good conversation, good food, and great artwork.

* * *

I participated in the "gift swap."

(bring a wrapped turned item /  get a wrapped turned item)

The wrapped gift I chose from the table

was made by Keith Burns.

The wood is Ancient Kaouri from New Zealand.

(shown above on the left)

* * *

Then came the auction to raise funds for the guild.

I bid on and won two pieces --

The ornament was made by our guild president, Skip Wilbur,

and features a Celtic cross made of Purple Heart.

(shown above, center)

The carved vessel was made by Dennis Paullus

using a fabulous piece of maple.

(shown above on the right)

Persimmon - Post 3 of 3

 

These candle holders (3.5" to 6" in height)

were made by chainsawing the Persimmon logs 

into sections roughly 20" long by

half the original 12" diameter of the log. 

 

 

 

 

Using a bandsaw,

the short sections were rough cut into blanks. 

 

The blanks were prepared for drying

and air dried for four months.  

 

 

 

 

The candle holders each received one coat of gloss urethane resin finish

followed by six coats of wipe-on satin urethane resin finish.

 

 

 

 

Frosted glass votive holders shown here using tea light candles.

 

 

Persimmon - Post 2 of 3

 

 

Persimmon Bowl No. 1

 

8.25" diameter x 4" tall

 

 

 

Persimmon Bowl No. 2

 

9" diameter x 3.5" tall

 

 

Persimmon Bowl No. 3

 

9" diameter x 3.25" tall

Each bowl received one coat of gloss urethane resin finish

followed by five coats of wipe-on satin urethane resin finish.

 

 

 

I also made four unique persimmon bottle stoppers.

 

Finished using a special Walnut oil 

considered the premium oil finish for wood

 and not typically used on bottle stoppers

because of high cost, both in product and time. 

 

Brass thread inserts allow

for removal and washing of

the stainless steel stopper. 

 

(please see next post for additional persimmon pieces)

Persimmon - Post 1 of 3

 

 

July 2012

 

Logs from a recently-cut Persimmon tree that died of old age.

(estimated at just over 100 year old) 

 

These were given to me by a local attorney

as a commission / challenge:

 

"Maybe you can make some candlesticks

or something else functional."

 

(The tree came from his grandparents' farm,

which has now been restored as his family's country house.)

 

The logs were cut with a chainsaw into short sections

roughly 12 inches long and half of the original 12" diameter. 

 

Using a bandsaw, the short sections

were then rough cut into round blanks. 

 

The rough round blanks were

turned on the lathe into bowl blanks.

 

  The turned bowl blanks were treated for bugs,

then prepared for drying.

 

The air drying process took 4 months. 

 

It should be noted that Persimmon is a very challenging wood

to work with because of its tendency to crack during the drying process. 

 

For this reason, bowls made of Persimmon are uncommon. 

 

 

December 2012

 

(see next post for more about these pieces)

 

 

 

French Rolling Pins

 

 

 

Made from Goncalo Alves

 

20" long

 

Finish - Walnut Oil

 

Thank you Dennis Paullus

for showing me this wonderful design.

 

 

Sold!

Sweet Gum (also known as Black Gum)

Hand-carved flutes

6" height x 15" diameter

Milk paint finish

Endurance

19.75" tall x 9" diameter

Hand Carved Sweet Gum

(note:  photos will supersize if double-clicked)

* * *

Endurance 

is the ability of an organism to exert itself 

and remain active for a long period of time, 

as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from,

and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue.

Before & After
 

Endurance was made from the center of

 

a Sweet Gum log 24" long and 20" in

 

diameter. 

Singing the Blues

9.5" diameter x 9" high

Southern Magnolia

milk paint finish

I was a cast off.

I'd been sitting on the shelf for years

waiting to be used as test wood. 

I was really ugly.

Look at me now!!

Ready and Waiting

Materials organized for the presentation.

Saturday, July 28th

Mid South Woodturners Guild

Turn What You Like, Like What You Turn (June 2012)



My Dream Catcher (19.5" diameter)

I recently took a week-long class with

Clay Foster and Jennifer Shirley

at the Appalachian Center for Craft.

(Smithville, Tennessee)

Some of the students began by working on

woodturning fundamentals

before moving on to embellishing.

I chose to focus on the numerous

surface embellishment techniques

shared by Clay and Jennifer.

I had made my segmented lace wood ring

at home, ahead of time,

and packed it and my dream catcher plan

in with my tools and supplies.

I also took my pendant making jig

with a plan to use the turned disks

to capture and display a variety

of embellishment techniques.

After weaving my dream catcher,

I added my newly-embellished disks.

* * *

There are many variations in the tellings

of dreamcatcher legacy, history, and symbolism.

I invite you to begin your reading here.

Canyon Walls III

Willow Oak hollow form

Carved rim, red interior

7.5" tall x 8.5" diameter

Detail view.

* * *

Update 

Photo by Lynne Tyler (July 2012)

And here it is on Lynne's desk

in New Hampshire.

Happy Birthday, Lynne!

Canyon Walls II

Willow Oak hollow form

Natural Edge rim

11" tall x 11" diameter

Canyon Walls I

Willow oak hollow form

Carved rim

7" high x 8" wide

Willow Oak Bowl

Oak (Willow)

Hand Carved Fluted Bowl

7" high x 8" diameter

Magnolia Series 2012

Magnolia Series

The eight light wood bowls are from

one Magnolia tree left at the side of the road

near where my wife works.

All eight pieces have been gifted.

A Matter of Perspective

A Matter of Perspective

 Materials: Maple burl and hickory

 Technique: Interior pyrography

Size in inches HxWxD*  9” x 9” x 6”

Where we stand influences our cone of vision --

what may be seen, what cannot be seen,

and the degree of detail available. 

Each of us sees and perceives differently

depending on our unique vantage point

at any given moment in time. 

Things are not always what they seem.

Old Growth New Growth

Old Growth New Growth

Materials: Cherry, copper, and resin

Technique: Two hollow forms with frayed finials

Size in inches HxWxD* 20” x 14” x 14

 

 

Our elders provide us with physical and emotional context. 

Our youth provide us with energy, curiosity, and potential. 

The forest is no different.