Ornament How-To (my way!)

[Scott Hackler]

This place is great because I get inspired to do all kinds of different projects, but those Christmas ornament posts started something out of control. I had quite the learning curve at first but now have developed a method that worked great for me and I think that others might be able to benefit by using my technique, so.....

To start out I take a 1 1/4" diameter light wood and cut it in roughly a 3" diameter. Dead center is a 3/4" hole. I was lucky to find this knule post at a local hardware shop and got it for $25. It will be turned into a ton of ornaments. The dark wood (mine is walnut) is roughly 9 1/2" long and 1" square. I use a nail punch to indent one end at its center for the tail stock.

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or4.jpg

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or5.jpg

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or6.jpg

[Scott Hackler]

Ok, so next I clamp the square stock in the middle of my SuperNova2 chuck (loosely) and center with the tail stock hole. Clamping the chuck down hard, I turn it round. At this point I use a little gauge I made with the height of the topper marked on it. With a parting tool I turn down 5 widths of the tool (1/8" each") a little at a time until my gauge slips over the future tenon.

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or7.jpg

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or8.jpg

Then I part the two apart with a slight chamfered edge.

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or9.jpg

[Scott Hackler]

After parting I clean up the cut, to flush and add CA all the way around the headstock end. Press on the light wood blank and then the pendant piece. I use the tail stock to "press clamp" the whole assembly and leave the tail stock in place during most of the time.

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or10.jpg

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or11.jpg

Next I shape the "bulb" portion and carefully cut right down to the dark wood. Sometimes I really pay attension to not show the lighter wood as a tenon on top of the pendant, but I think the joints are so tight that either way looks pretty darn good.

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or12.jpg

[Scott Hackler]

I will turn the pendant kinda backwards from normal finial turning. Meaning I start at the big end and finish at the small end. I do, occationally, get some vibrations before done but light cuts generally help to finish. Before cutting the small end loose (or the final really small turning) I sand everything turned so far, up to 400 grit.

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or13.jpg

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or14.jpg

Next comes the topper (or what ever you call it). Now I realize that the closeness to the chuck is kinda frightning, but Im used to it. The length of the dark wood would allow you to start a little further away from the chuck. I just wanted the longest ornament possible with the blanks I cut.

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or15.jpg

[Scott Hackler]

Slap on the Boiled Linseed Oil and watch the grain come alive. Man do I love using BLO. A quick spin with a dry paper towel and bring on the poly or laquer.

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or16.jpg

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or17.jpg

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or18.jpg

I hope that this will help anyone who would like to try making Christmas ornaments. Now get to it, you have less than 12 months to get them all done!

[Scott Hackler]

Here is a pic of the ornament collection so far and the latest one that I did a little hollowing, piercing and woodburning!

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or1.jpg

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/or3.jpg

[Bernie Weishapl]

Scott those are some good looking ornaments. I take it the globe is not hollowed? How heavy are they? Just curious. I do like that pierced one.

[Scott Hackler]

No Bernie, they are not hollowed except for the 3/4" hole all the way through the blank. I really dont think that they are heavy at all. We have some glass ornaments that are placed on our tree every year that are 2-3 times the weight of my new wood ones. I spent a lot more time on the pierced one, just trying something different, but found it kinda hard to hollow something that small. I dont have any tools for small hollowing. It was just an experiment that turned out decent.

[John Keeton]

Hey Scott, can you spell A-D-D-I-C-T-I-O-N????

Neat little tutorial! I really got into doing ornaments this year, too, but the addiction didn't carry over after Christmas. Were I smart, like you, I would get back at it as I know I will do more this next time.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Scott - thanks for taking the time to put together this tutorial! It's always great to see how folks do things and I am sure this will help a lot of folks give ornaments a try! Nice work!

[Aaron Wingert]

Great tutorial...The idea of ornaments has always been a little intimidating to me but I might have to give your method a try now that I've seen it demonstrated. Thanks!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Thanks Scott. I was just curious as to the weight. The extra time on the pierced one sure paid off as it is a beauty. I like it. You are like me I have to start now so I will be done by next Christmas.:D Thanks for sharing a nice tutorial.

[Mark Patoka]

Great tutorial. I've been wanting to make ornaments for several years and your easy approach just might get me going for next year.

[MichaelA Cooper]

Beautiful ornaments Scott!!!
Thanks for taking the time to post the tutorial!!
It amazes me how you can turn a piece of wood so thin and long!!!
Michael

[David E Keller]

Very cool. Thanks for taking the time to take and post all of those photos. I love to see the different techniques that people use for any given project. Nice ornaments, too.

[Scott Hackler]

Thanks for all the nice comments.

A small disclaimer: This is just a method that I developed and is probably not the method that our esteemed "Master Turners" use. In fact I believe that several of the pros, turn each piece separately and even hollow out the bulb. I havent the confidence to turn exactly mated pieces and the patience to align everything back up for assembly, so I just used my noodle and thought up this particular method. For me, the 3/4" hole through the center of the "bulb" blank is all the hollowing I'm usually willing to do and the weight isnt gonna change that much for an additional 1/2" of inside hollowing, in my opinion.

That being said, I found this to be an hour to an hour and 1/2 project (per) and not to intimidating for a newer turner. So why keep it to myself. :)

If anyone has any suggestions for improvement .....I'm listening!

[Allen Neighbors]

Excellent tutorial, Scott! Mind if I try to put it into a .pdf file?

[Scott Hackler]

Allen, no problem. If you want of need the photos as a file or would rather me creat a word doc combining everything into one doc let me know and I'll work on it.

[Allen Neighbors]

Scott, the tutorial pdf is done. Email me and I'll send it to you. :o)
amneighborsATSIGNsbcglobal.net

[Scott Hackler]

Hey all,

Allen was kind enough to create a PDF file with the ornament tutorial I created. If anyone would want the file on thier computer or to print it off for future reference, the link below should bring it up.

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS-By Scott Hackler.pdf (http://members.cox.net/cabletech/CHRISTMAS%20ORNAMENTS-By%20Scott%20Hackler.pdf)

Thanks again Allen.


Scott

[Jim Underwood]

I havent the confidence to turn exactly mated pieces and the patience to align everything back up for assembly, so I just used my noodle and thought up this particular method. For me, the 3/4" hole through the center of the "bulb" blank is all the hollowing I'm usually willing to do and the weight isnt gonna change that much for an additional 1/2" of inside hollowing, in my opinion.



Scott,

Anyone who can turn a small spindle that nice, and size it well enough to fit a drilled hole, has the skills to hollow and fit something together. (Good looking ornaments by the way- you have a nice shaped globe and icicle.)
Sizing things to fit together is pretty easy with a sharp parting tool and a bit of trial and error. There's a trick I've used to get to the right size quickly, which I show in my mini birdhouse tutorial. (http://www.classiccitywoodturners.com/Birdhouse%20and%20Eyelets.pdf) What you do is taper the tenon enough that the hollowed or drilled piece that it's fitted to will partially cover the tenon while it's spinning. Then you hold it on that taper until you get a fine burn line. Then you know within very close tolerance where you've got to part down to, in order to get a good fit. It's pretty easy.
I encourage you to give it a try.

[Allen Neighbors]

You're welcome, Scott... my pleasure.
Jim - That's a good tip!! Thanks for taking the time! :)

[MIKE E BEE]

Nice work. Nice tutorial. Rookie here so really helpful. Thanks

[Ron Radliff]

Hey all,

Allen was kind enough to create a PDF file with the ornament tutorial I created. If anyone would want the file on thier computer or to print it off for future reference, the link below should bring it up.

http://members.cox.net/cabletech/CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS-By Scott Hackler.pdf (http://members.cox.net/cabletech/CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS-By Scott Hackler.pdf)

Thanks again Allen.


Scott

Is this pdf file still available anywhere? It seems, over time, the links and images in this thread have all been deleted.

Thx

[Scott Hackler]

Wow this is an oldie! Ron, I will email the PDF to you if you care to PM me with your email address. Our internet company discontinued the use of personal web space (for free anyway) so the old link goes nowhere ....now. I am in the progress of rebuilding my own site and when I find the time I will upload this PDF to my host and post the link for downloading for everyone interested.

Now here is where it gets really wierd. This request is about the 4th such request for this PDF in the last few months (without this thread getting resurrected!) Very strange that there were multiple people looking at this old thread.

I might also add that although I still see value in this method of quick and fast ornaments, I no longer do my ornaments this way. Now (after some experience under my belt) prefer to do the pieces separately and hollow out the globes to a very thin state. Just an FYI. Thanks

[Ron Radliff]

Thanks, Scott. I've sent the msg.

Always eager to pick up different methods and ideas.

[Charlie Myers]

Hi Scott...please add me to your list for the PDF. I tried sending a PM but apparently there must be loads of others in the queue because I got an error message saying that you've exceeded your stored message quota.

charliemyers at frontiernet dot net

Thanks!
Charlie

[Jim Underwood]

If you can find the old images Scott, why not just upload them in the right places?

If you can't, then I'm sure someone can deconstruct the PDF file and get them that way.

In fact, you really should put this into the Authors Forum/section.

[Scott Hackler]

A little update. My INBOX has been filled up with requests for this older PDF file and I have missed a bunch of your messages. Please either resend them or send me an email directly at scott.hackler AT thespinninglog DOT com. I believe I have sent it out to everyone who has ask for it (that I have an email address for).

I will, as soon as time allows, post a link for downloading the PDF direct and possibly editing this thread to fill in the photos (if I still have them).

Thanks

[David DeCristoforo]

Am I the only one who is not seeing any pictures in this thread? Not even a "missing picture" icon. Just blank space. I know there must be pictures because everyone else is apparently seeing them. I even tried logging in on another computer but still nuttin... Please tell me I'm not going blind!

PS When I click on the PDF link all I get is:

about:blank

Something strange here...

[Scott Hackler]

Your not seeing strange things David. My ISP recently abandoned offering free personal web space (where I used to store all my photos and such). So, all the photos I used to link to are all dead links now. I am going to spend some time and try to fix this thread once I start re-hosting the photos (if i still have them).

[Scott Hackler]

OK, I finally got around to hosting this PDF file, so if anyone else would like to download it you should be able to click and get it here:

http://www.thespinninglog.com/picturebank/CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS-By Scott Hackler.pdf

I am also in the process of fixing the broken links in the first few post and uploading replacement photos, thanks.

[Scott Hackler]

Well so much for that idea! I guess because this thread is so old I no longer have the ability to "edit" the first few posts, so I am unable to upload fresh copies of the photos. :(

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Scott,

Members and Contributors can only edit their posts for 24 hours after they post them.

[Primvs Aebvtivs]

Amazingly well explained Scott, many thanks! I think I may have to try this now (I was a bit scared of messing up before christmas).

[Jim Underwood]

What you might do, Scott, is to ask the moderators to help you submit this tutorial to the Author's Forum.

[James Roberts]

Thanks for the tutorial Scott, put it in my "stuff i really have to try" file.