Endless Possibilities

Magnolia 

7 1/2 inches high by 13 inches in diameter

Milk paint finish

The spiral pyrography follows the grain pattern of the Magnolia.

Detail showing signature area on bottom of bowl.

Detail showing pyrography spirals.

Detail of bowl's rim and interior.

Lighthouses for Baseball Billet Challenge

The Mid-South Woodturners Guild's 

president's challenge for June 2019 

was to use a baseball bat billet section 

approximately 16 inches long 

to make any type of woodturning.

 Caveat:  the major portion of the finished piece 

had to be made using the bat billet.

I will be selecting one lighthouse for the challenge.  

I will be keeping one for myself 

and two others will be gifts.

The remaining ones will be sold

 at a price yet to be set.

Height - approximately 13 inches tall.

The crystal is a JIHUI Clear Glass 

Crystal Ball Prism Pendant Suncatcher 40mm

purchased through Amazon.com.

Beads of Courage Boxes

Five newly finished Beads of Courage boxes

featuring stave construction.

(photos will supersize if double-clicked)

Woods include Black Walnut, Cedar, and Poplar.

Lids are made from Birch plywood.

These will be added to other made by MSWG members

and delivered to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.

Tertiary

double-click to supersize photo to see greater detail

Tertiary is the next in my latest series.

Like Learning Curve and Crop Circles

(see two previous posts)

this one is designed to hang on the wall.

Measures approximately 35" x 35"

Crop Circles

 34.5 inches x 35.5 inches

Poplar on plywood

Acrylic Milk Paint and other finishes

Woodturning, carving, and pyrography and other techniques. 

Detail photo

Learning Curve

 32 inches x 32 inches

Poplar on plywood

Acrylic Milk Paints and  other finishes.

.

Featuring a variety of woodturning, wood carving,
 and embellishing techniques.

Note:  both photos will supersize
if double-clicked.

Tree Story

Cherry

Height 11 inch 

(more or less depending on how placed on stand)

Largest diameter 10-1/4 inches  

The tree was estimated to be just over 75 years old.  

It grew for years in a wooded area in west Tennessee.  

That land became part of a farm 

that later became a subdivision.  

Living in the subdivision at a fence line for 31 years 

must have been interesting for the tree

as it observed the lives of several families. 

Not long ago the tree met its end by the current homeowner.

I rescued this section from the base of the tree.

It was clear the tree had not enjoyed an easy life.

It had several scars and quite a few nails.

Detail of interior pyrography 

Now the interior spirals 

and windows open to the outside

honor the many stories this tree could have told.

Black Walnut Bowls

I've just finished turning 

one dozen black walnut bowls.

10 to 10.5 inch in diameter.

2.75 to 5 inches in depth.

Variety of beaded textures.

Walnut oil finish.

Beautiful utilitarian bowls.

(Shown here with Christmas ornaments)

Celtic Goblet

 This goblet was created for the 9/2018 

Midsouth Woodturning Guild's President's Challenge.  

It is 9 inches tall and 4.25 inches in diameter. 

Week at Arrowmont

I spent the week of April 15, 2018

at Arrowmont  with 10 other woodturners. 

There was no special class and we were free to do

what we wanted to do and to learn from the other turners.  

Another side benefit to not having a standard class

was not having any food service.

We took turns and cooked for ourselves. 

The food was outstanding!  

What did I do in the studio? 

Well, I tried something new. 

I used the book Woodturning Full Circle

and treated the book like I was taking a class. 

Following are my results.

The first learning projects were three Ribbon Streptohedrons.

I added magnets to the ends of one

so it could be used for paperclips.

I embellished these with pyrography on all surfaces.

Next I completed a ribbon knot and made it into a stabile.  

The ribbon knot can be placed on the hanger

in an infinite number of positions. 

 

My last item was a Marble-Run Streptohedron. 

The project included also making the required tools. 

For being the first one I have made I am pleased. 

I know the second one will be an even greater success.

* * *

And in case you were wondering,

I'm already signed up to participate again next year!

Circle of Retirement

Mahogany

15.5 inches tall

Circle is 14 inches in diameter

Flats on the circle and ribbon are 1.5 inches