#28 Mahogany Tiger

[John Keeton]

This seems to be the season for "alien turnings", what with Leo's recent UFO!! I did a previous clamshell turning where I turned two separate turnings, glued them together, and returned them - the "flying saucer" or Telstar turning. I really enjoyed the multiple turnings and the challenge of getting them all to come together correctly, so I thought I would do another one.

When Ms. Keeton saw this one, she commented it reminded her of a tiger - thus the name!

This turning is actually three separate turnings, plus the finial. There is the bottom mahogany "bowl", the top curly maple, and the inset mahogany plug in the center of the maple. If there is any interest, I did take some in progress pics on this one I could post.

The mahogany I brought back from Jamaica in the mid-1980's, and it is the "good stuff."

On the curly maple, I used black dye, and a mixture of deep red and some brown to try to bring the mahogany color into the maple. This dye job was a little more fun than the previous one.

Finish at this point is BLO and shellac. It will get a couple of coats of gloss lacquer, but rubbed down a little.

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The rings in the top are black epoxy. The finial is African Blackwood, and it is just barely over 1/16" thick at the neck.

7" wide, 4" tall to the tip of the finial. The form is 1.5" tall. It is very light, and the top is extremely thin - 1/8" or so.

I hope the pics are an improvement over previous postings. With help from Joe Aliperti, and the tutorial by Bill Huber, along with some info from various SMC threads I constructed a photo tent. Still using a fairly cheap camera, but at least the background should be better.

This is another one of those that will divide the masses!:D I suspect there will be many that don't like it at all, so feel free to express your thoughts - good or bad!!;)

[David E Keller]

I like this one, John. I think you accomplished your goal of bringing the mahogany color into the maple. The finial is perfect to my eye. I like the colors in this piece a lot. Great job.

I'd love to see the how-to photos if you're interested in posting them.

[Donny Lawson]

Nice design. Looks like a flying saucer.Let's see # 29.
Donny

[Brian Brown]

Man John,

You are like the energizer bunny. You just keep going..... I really like this one.

[Ted Calver]

I like the concept. The shape reminds me of a stylized ripple from a drop of water like some of Martin Waugh's images. I only wish you had not glued the clam shell together, so you could lift the lid off and have a piece of useable art.

http://www.liquidsculpture.com/fine_art/index.htm

[Gary Conklin]

Mr. Keeton. You have done it once again! Amazing. You know I really realy do enjoy seeing your newest pieces, but what I'd really like to see is the 1-2 that didn't make it. I only request this so that I can confirm, you are not a robot programed to make beautiful pieces of art!

[Baxter Smith]

Your imagination is equal to your turning ability! The dark striping of the maple really makes the piece for me. I would be interested in how you created the dark outer ring around the stripes. I find this one very attractive!:) After going back and looking and reading again I am assuming the black stripe is in the mahogany?

[charlie knighton]

very nice, your color combinations work and the turning elements fit

[Maylon Harvey]

Looks like a keeper to me. Rerally nice John

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really a pretty piece. The woods work together really well. Finial looks great.

[gary Zimmel]

You really have got the touch for this John.
Great imagination and the talent.
Well done, very well done.

I for one would like to see some progress pics. Can't get enough of those.
Do we get to see #29 on Saturday....

[alex carey]

Beautiful wood and great job as usual.

[Toney Robertson]

Several interesting aspects on this piece.

I like the epoxy ring. It is a nice accent.

The sunken finial is different and I like it's effect.

Being the purist that I am, I personally could have done without the dye job.

Overall a very nice piece.

Toney

[Roger Bullock]

Glad you decided to break out the "good stuff" for this project. I really like the color combinations and the way everything ties together. At first look I thought that the globe of the final was maybe a little thick but going back a second time it seems to fit the piece (I think this comes from the first photo angle).

Not that I would ever be able to duplicate a piece of art like this, I too would enjoy the "in progress" photos. The engineer side of me wants to know how this thing built.

Thanks for showing another "Keeton". I always look forward to your postings and occasionally check out your gallery to review your past work. Thanks.

[John Keeton]

Thanks for all the compliments! You guys have been pretty tolerant of my "artistic diversions."

Ted, thanks for the comments and the link. Because of the epoxy rings, I didn't consider a removable top. But, I suppose one could have that outside ring in either in the base or the top.

Gary, I actually did have 2 that didn't make the "numbered series!" Early on I used a small block of cocobolo to turn a shallow little bowl, but that was before I had the donut chuck, and I discovered that I couldn't get the bottom finished appropriately. It never got finished and ended up in the kindling bucket. Then, I had a piece of sassafras I turned green, and got it very thin. When I sanded it, it got TOO thin, and cracked. I tossed it, as well. I have also chucked up a couple of pieces of wood that ended up being far to rotten to turn. So far, those have been the only discards, but I am sure there will be others!:)

Toney, this piece didn't actually start out to be a dyed piece! As I was mixing the epoxy, my son and grandson arrived for a visit. As we were talking, I ended up neglecting to seal the epoxy areas with shellac before pouring the epoxy. As a result, some pigment bled into the maple. I couldn't turn it out, and it became apparent if the piece was going to be saved, it would need to be another experiment in dye application!:o

Roger, thanks! On the finial, I discussed this with Steve Schlumpf while in progress, and indicated to him I thought the finial needed some mass low in the form in order to be balanced. Steve cautioned that it still needed to be delicate, and this was the result. I think it works, but not if it were any larger!

For those that indicated they would like to see some progress pics, here they are.

Using CA, I glued on a waste block to the mahogany and turned the bottom "bowl", finished on the inside with BLO and shellac. Note the flat "glue shelf" on the inside edge. This piece stayed in this chuck until the whole piece was completely turned except the bottom. I used a donut chuck for that.
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In another chuck, I trued up the front of a waste block before using CA to glue on the curly maple. I did this in order to have as true of a spin as I could, and it kept me from wasting away a bunch of stock to get a clean spinning round.
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Next, I glued on the maple round.
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Then I removed the maple round from the chuck, marking the location of jaw #1 on the waste block so it would rechuck close to the same. However, since it had not yet been turned, it wasn't critical. Then, I turned a "plug" of mahogany to go in the middle. I could have used a third chuck here, and coincidentally, ToolNut has a special going on the G3!!!:D
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Then I turned a recess for the mahogany in what will be the inside of the maple top, and glue in the mahogany with Titebond. Since the glueline would show, I wanted the filling properties of the Titebond vs. CA.
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[John Keeton]

I next turned the inside profile of the maple top, following what I anticipate the top profile to be. Note the outside flat area (with some chatter!) to match the "glue shelf" on the mahogany.
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I sawed the maple free of the waste block, and glued it onto the mahogany with Titebond used sparingly so that there was minimal squeeze out. Even though it would not show once the piece was finished, I still didn't want the inside to be crappy!
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This is what it looked like with the clamps off.
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I then turned the recesses for the epoxy, and removed the chuck from the lathe.
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Finally, I poured the epoxy into the recesses. Note that the center mahogany plug was not yet shaped. I really did not know what I wanted to do with that, and I wanted to wait to see what the black rings did to the look.
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From here, I finish turned the piece, front and back, and applied the dye while it was still on the lathe, sanded it out, and finished it with BLO and shellac.

Then the donut chuck was used to finish off the bottom. There was not enough wood thickness for a medallion in the bottom of this one!

[steven carter]

John,

Thanks for the nice tutorial! I for one am glad about the mishap with the epoxy, I really like the died curly maple. I'm sure the piece would have been just fine with a natural maple lid, but I think the dye job really brings out the curl in a way that compliments the rest of the piece. I do some Bob Ross style oil painting, and like his saying of no mistakes, just happy accidents. Very artful turning IMO.

Steve

[Fred Perreault]

Johnny,
Again, great stuff. You are definitely in another league.... or from another planet? I get up every morning looking for a new production from Keeton's Korner. Thanks

[Steve Schlumpf]

John - very well thought out process! Beautiful wood combination and your dye work ties everything together! Nice work on the finial! You managed to combine some nice elements in your design and still maintain an overall delicate feel to the piece!

Very nice work! Very imaginative! Looking forward to seeing #29!

[Kent Parker]

John,

Beautiful piece! I love the balance of the piece and the color certainly compliments the whole design. Yowza!!

KP

[Frank Van Atta]

A marvelous piece. I especially like the way the maple looks after you dyed it. Another reason to give thanks to the accident gods.

[Bill Wilcox]

John, I really like this piece a lot!!!!! I mean the shape, color and everything about it says " LOOK AT ME!!!!"
I like the form and texture and the finial is "Out of this world!!!"

[Bill Wyko]

OMG John! That is absolutely exquisite. I'm speechless:) Thanks for the tutorial as well.

[John Tomasello jr]

Very nice form John another job well done

[stan keenum]

John,
I have enjoyed all the postings of your numbered turning series. I do believe that this one is my favorite by a long shot.
This is just a fantastic looking piece!!!

Stan

[John Keeton]

I really do appreciate everyone taking the time to look at this one and comment. I am still trying a lot of new things - some will work and some won't. Tastes vary so much it is hard to know what will be pleasing to others. Feedback from my fellow creekers helps me with that. Thanks again!

I do some Bob Ross style oil painting, and like his saying of no mistakes, just happy accidents. Very artful turning IMO.

SteveThanks, Steve! Bob Ross is my therapist - well beyond his untimely death. I still enjoy watching his reruns, with a nice cup of coffee. My stress level goes to zero!:) Like you, a few years ago I did a little of his style of painting - fun and fast.


Another reason to give thanks to the accident gods.Frank, one thing turning has done for me is cause me to look at each "design opportunity" with less exasperation. In flatwork, it is different. The elements MUST be a certain length, profile, etc. in order to accomplish a predestined result. In turning, the result is always subject to change - so much more creative and enjoyable. I guess that is why they call it the VORTEX!!:D

[Brian Effinger]

Very nice John, and I really enjoyed reading about the process. The finial reminds me of a drop of water hitting a pond.
And the photos are looking good. I see a border around them so you must be playing with them on the computer.

Keep up the good work. :)

[Rob Cunningham]

Very nice John. A great combination of materials and a very nice form. Thanks for the tutorial too.

[Roland Martin]

Very well done piece John and a great tutorial as a bonus. Thanks for taking the time to take us through your processes. I really like the form and balance of this turning and especially like the finial. The dyed tiger worked out very well. Thanks for sharing another fine piece with us, keep 'em coming!