Pendants in work... my turn

[Alan Zenreich]

I just put up a page that shows some of our first experiments with using Richard Joyner's pendant backer plate.

My bride and I are exploring the possibilities by using different materials, offsets, techniques and finishes.

The photos below are of almost completed pendants. We're still deciding on final finish (Danish oil, lacquer, Tru-Oil, wax, buffing, etc. )
Keep in mind that these are just "firsts"... for almost every technique (offset scribing, inlay, beads, crystals, etc.).

I made a web page that has some early notes about materials and techniques, and more pendants as we add them.

To get to the page (because I can't post a link here), go to my profile's home page, then navigate to Projects and the Pendants.

Here are some of the photos.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Alan - very nice work on all of these! Great photos as well!

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I just put up a page that shows some of our first experiments with using Richard Joyner's pendant backer plate.

My bride and I are exploring the possibilities by using different materials, offsets, techniques and finishes.

The photos below are of almost completed pendants. We're still deciding on final finish (Danish oil, lacquer, Tru-Oil, wax, buffing, etc. )
Keep in mind that these are just "firsts"... for almost every technique (offset scribing, inlay, beads, crystals, etc.).

I made a web page that has some early notes about materials and techniques, and more pendants as we add them.

To get to the page (because I can't post a link here), go to my profile's home page, then navigate to Projects and the Pendants.

Here are some of the photos.

Very nice "first ones" Alan, no 1 is my favorite one, but they all do look good and balanced, very well done, and thanks for posting, I'd love to do some if/when I get some spare time :D

[Ted Calver]

All very well done. Number 6 (the bottom one) is our favorite.

[Roger Bullock]

I too purchased Richards backer plate a week or so ago. LOML said mine needed a little extra decoration so after a trip to the craft/hobby store and several dollars lighter for different color cords and a collection of beads from wood to rocks, we are experimenting on different looks.
Pendants meet my definition of turning fun. Easy to make (that is with the backer plate), fast, and the LOML likes them.
Enjoyed looking at yours, nice job and choice of material. I use rattle can lacquer, several coats, and on some I wax and buff.

[John Keeton]

Alan, thanks for posting this, and the website info. I keep looking at this pendant thing. Like Leo, wish I could pull myself away from other stuff and just jump into it.

By the way, the last one is my pic, as well. Is that Buckeye burl?

[Donny Lawson]

I'm with John on this one, I would love to make a few of these but I'm so busy with other things I can't seem to get to it.Maybe over the summer I can get caught up on some things and try this. My pic is the last two of them. I'm a sucker for the spalted look.
Donny

[Scott Lux]

I think you've got 6 winners. But, like Ted, I favor #6.

[David E Keller]

Nice looking group. I saw these on the IAP site, and you've snuck another one in on here. I still love the buckeye burl, but that 5th one is very interesting also.

[Alan Zenreich]

My wife's been wearing #6, the grey buckeye burl a lot.

I made #1 this morning, in time for her to go to a harp ensemble rehearsal.

I had a visitor today from a fellow from a few towns over... another woodturner. We met online when he ordered a pendant backer plate from Richard, and I recognized his zip code.

He has the backer plate, but hasn't had a chance to use it.

So he took a break from his work today and paid me a visit, meeting for the first time, and playing in the shop.

He's been doing bowls and other large items, he's never turned anything small, so we decided to do a pendant together. I think he had as much fun playing with the small Easy Wood carbide tools as anything else (we also did a little bowl turning and a few minutes showing him how acrylic turns with the carbide).

We used a conventional skew to do the concentric lines on the pendant.

So like the others, this piece was just a way for him to explore the techniques and get a feel for the tooling.

After I made the photo, my bride came home and put together a gold chain and a jump ring that connects to the pendant (and put it in a little gift box, of course).

My new friend should be getting home right about now, and will give this to his wife.

Great fun playing in the shop!

[Alan Zenreich]

David,

Both 5 and 6 are stabilized buckeye burl. I guess it depends on how they were dyed to bring them to different colors.

The blanks were originally destined to be bottle stoppers, but we decided that the figuring was so interesting that jewelry was a better use.

So, to the bandsaw and slice away!

With that much going on in the wood, it's easy to let the wood do all the work (no scribed lines or other decoration needed)

Lauren will hang some beads from #5, and perhaps do some other wirework below the pendant.

[Baxter Smith]

Very nice. I saved a few interesting little spalted maple pieces today for pendants while I was sawing out some blanks. Maple they will be dry by the time I get around to doing some!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really nice pendants Alan. My favorite is number 6.

[Toney Robertson]

All of them are very nice.

I will go with the last one as my favorite.

Toney

[alex carey]

I am REALLY enjoying these pendants. So hard for me to choose a favorite. I think its between 1, 5 and 6.

[Jon Lanier]

Sweet! :D