Somewhat new -- first piece posted

[Chris Hayes]

I've been reading this forum for a couple years now and have been trying to get my pieces to be at least in the ball park as all yours. I think this is the first that I'm really ready to see what you all think.

This HF is 7 inches tall and 8 inches wide. It's an end-grain turn from Pine that came from my in-laws farm in Northern Indiana. I finished it with BLO and semi-gloss lacquer.

I really didn't expect this piece to live given the number of times that it jumped off the talon chuck last Friday. I covered the tenon with Elmers and reseated the piece. That seemed to create enough friction that the log wouldn't launch across the garage when I was hollowing past the knots.

I may be a bit strange, but I find pine to be one of the more troubling woods to make HFs from. But when I get the sanding done, get a couple of coats of Tung oil on it; and come back to it in a few days, I'm absolutely astounded with what the oil brings to light. This is like the fourth or fifth peice I've done with Pine -in an end-grain turn- and I'm consistently amazed. (not as much as what I see from you all..but I'm amazed something like that can come from me)

Please let me know what you think.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Very nice work Chris! Love all the knots! Very pleasing form and finish! Don't know why you would hesitate to post anything here - we all are learning! I did find that once I started putting my stuff out there for others to comment on - I listened, learned and then really started to improve my turnings. Participation does make a difference!

This is nice work and I can see why you like to use Pine! Looking forward to seeing what you turn next!

[Rob Cunningham]

I think that came out great. The knots give some interesting grain patterns, and the form and finish are nice.

[Chris Rae]

Nice work! I love the knots in it. The finish is great too.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Very nice piece. Really like the form and finish looks really good.

[curtis rosche]

nice work. what did you use to hollow it?

[Norm Zax]

Great piece and nice save working with pine. The wood is feared by many and usually left alone due to extreme softness vs hard rings and nots. Most other woods are more uniform.
Keep'm coming.

[charlie knighton]

very nice, ya might want to oil your chuck, it might lessen the number of times that you get the jumping :D

[Richard Madison]

Nice work Chris. Do not be afraid to show us more. We learn from each other (successes and failures).

[michael gallagher]

That looks really nice, especially with all of the knots.

I grew up in Northeast Texas, which is surrounded with pine trees; living in the Houston suburbs, i really don't see pine trees much. I never thought of pine as a good turning wood, what with all of the sticky sap that seems to ooze everywhere. Could you give us a little verbage on how it was to turn? Did your tools gunk up with the sap or was this dry enough it never was an issue?

[Chris Hayes]

Thanks all -- I'll definitely be sharing more as they get completed (I've got a couple more that I finished over the holiday weekend but no pictures available here at work).
I can that I've been learning from what all has been discussed here...outside of my local Woodcraft, the next closest place for me to get advice is MASW (about 35 miles from my house) -- and that can get expensive quickly (although it is my version of Mickey-world)

Curtis -- I used a combination of tools to hollow it. I think the biggest tool used was patience...especially through the knots. But my small straight Sorby hollowing tool, the long goose necked Sorby (both the scraper tip and the carbide tip on both tools), and to start the whole thing - a Forsner bit in a Jacobs chuck to get the depth just so.

Charlie -- What I think was causing the piece to jump was due to 2 things. The first -- me being a meathead and trying to hog out alot of material instead of small graceful passes. The second was I had a monster length set aside for tenon creation. I didn't know what it was going to be this time...so I erred to the side of caution.

[robert hainstock]

It is a very nicely shaped, well finished piece of turning. My back yard is full of "Jackpine" which are considered by most nothing more than a big weed. One of our turning club members showed a J.P. bowl recently that makes me think I should stop burning it. I'm full of admiration for your ability to control the stuff, given the aforementioned problems. ATTABOY Keep em coming. :):)
Bob

[Wayne Leach]

Chris,
It was well worth persuing this as it turned out extremely well. Nice form, interesting wood and attractive finish. Show us more of your work!
Wayne

[Bill Wyko]

That is quite beautiful. Very nice job. Welcome to the Vortec called SMC:D