#29 Big Leaf burl HF

[John Keeton]

This is from a Big Leaf Maple burl I got from Mike Smith. The wood is just beautiful, and I hope this piece does it justice.

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And, yes, the finial is straight! I think I got too close for the last pic and got some distortion - the finial appears to lean to the left and the form to the right. But, then, Ms. Keeton says I see things cockeyed at times!:D

6.25" wide x 9.75" tall. The finial is 3/32" at the smallest part of the neck. The walls are just under 1/4". The base, collar and finial are walnut, with a piece of the burl inset in the finial. Finish is BLO and shellac at this point. I will add a couple of coats of satin wipe on poly.

The inspiration for this one was a Cindy Drozda piece, and the burl just seemed to fit the style. But, for sure, I am no Cindy Drozda!!:o

This is the first of this style I have done, and in looking at it, I believe the form should have not been as deep and the underside a more shallow curve.

You may see other places for improvement - feel free to slash away!!

[Gary Conklin]

No slashing here. Beautiful piece of wood and an exceptional turning!

[Mark Hubl]

John,

This is the best piece yet. Outstanding. The wood is beautiful but your artistry is terrific. Absolutely love it. Great job. I have to study this one some more. The only thing that hit me at first is that the pedestal may be a bit squatty. Just me though, not a big fan of pedestals. Like finials though. As always, just beautiful.

[Joe Wiliams]

WOW!:eek:

Very nice:cool:

[Fred Perreault]

John
A great looking hunk of tree, and a fine finish job. The wood is doing so much.

[Bob Bergstrom]

Ditto here. It seems you are well on your way to making your own signature pieces. This sets a new high water mark. Outstanding technique and design.

[Steve Schlumpf]

John - your creative skills are coming to the forefront! Beautiful work on this one! Love the burl and the color combination with the Walnut!

Very nice detail work on the finial and also around the lid. Finish and photos looks great as well.

About the only thing that seemed off to me was the diameter of the pedestal. Just my opinion - but feel the overall piece would look a little more balanced if the base was slightly wider.

Got to be honest with you - I am very impressed with what you are creating here! Very impressive work! Keep it up!

[John W Dixon]

John that is gorgeous. Your work is inspiring. If you don't mind could you share a little bit in how you put the walnut ring on the piece? Do you turn it seperate and glue it on or is it part of the original piece? Just trying to get my mind around how something like this goes together. Thanks,

John

[brian watts]

WOW , very nice my i say so...i didnot need the boss see this one because she will be wanting it for sure..

[Mark Burge]

Wow, John, your work is amazing. I love the little bit of burl in the finial, very snazzy touch. I think your last picture has some sort of optical illusion going on. I'll have to check out my old Senses and Perception text from grad school.

[Paul Atkins]

Practice makes perfect.

[Gregory Cowart]

Feel free to slash away!! Well you asked for it. Exquisite!! There you go.

[dan carter]

John this piece is exquisite. Keep up the good work. The finial sure tops it nice.

[Terry Achey]

#29 !!! .... hello Superman :D. Superb turning, John. I don't get on the site daily, but it seems every time I visit there's a new stunning piece from you. What's your secret to all that shop time? I'm truly envious :).

Looking forward to #30, John.

Terry

[Pete Jordan]

Except for the crooked finial, I love it!

I can't believe how far you have come!

[James Combs]

Nice but I'm thinking there should be a genie in it.

[David E Keller]

It's a lovely piece. I'll have to look at it a bit more if you want me to be critical. Gorgeous wood to be sure and lots of interesting detail. I really enjoy this piece.

[Wally Dickerman]

Really outstanding John. BL maple burl is great to work with. Most years I get a 4 or 500 lb. pallet of it from Oregon.

My only suggestion is that the pedestal foot is too small. A bit wider would give it a better balance IMO. I know that Cindy makes hers small but I've seen a number of her pieces that to me look like a small breeze would blow them over.

Wally

Wally

[Bernie Weishapl]

John that is absolutely beautiful. The form and finial are just great.

[Curt Fuller]

John, absolutely beautiful!

I love Cindy Drozda's work but I've always thought her pedestals where too small at the base. Your's, being inspired by hers, has the same appearance to me. But it's such a fine line between too small and too large that I think small wins out. I just take too practical of a perspective. Also because you've photographed it with a downward angle it might be making the pedestal appear smaller than it is. That's beautiful wood too!

[Doug W Swanson]

John,

Excellent job!

I like how you combine the woods together in the different parts of it.

You certainly have a knack for the small details, too.

Doug

PS I miss the pillow case. Did you wash it with a red shirt or something?

[gary Zimmel]

That is one sweet looking piece John.
As others have said the bar just keeps on getting higher and higher.

[charlie knighton]

very nice....John, the learning curve is steeper now

[alex carey]

I have a feeling you were grinning the entire time you were uploading this post.

Like Pete Jordan I can't believe how fast you are progressing. Your attention to detail and patience are rather inspiring.

Great piece, like most others have pointed out, the base is just barely off for my preference but at this point its just splitting hairs.

[Mike Stephens]

Outstanding work John.

[Toney Robertson]

Really outstanding John. BL maple burl is great to work with. Most years I get a 4 or 500 lb. pallet of it from Oregon.

My only suggestion is that the pedestal foot is too small. A bit wider would give it a better balance IMO. I know that Cindy makes hers small but I've seen a number of her pieces that to me look like a small breeze would blow them over.

Wally

Wally


Overall, wonderful piece.

+1 for Wally's suggestion on the pedestal.

Toney

[Roger Bullock]

John, WOW, great looking wood and great job. That burl and walnut go together nicely. I don't feel qualified to critique a piece that is so much higher than my ability and skill level. But in my modest opinion I too would say that the pedestal appears to be a little undersized at the base. If you had a more shallow curve on the bottom as you mentioned, I think it would make it look more top heavy but that is hard to really say without really seeing. All your pieces are an inspiration to us all, keep them coming.

[steven carter]

John,

This is a beautiful piece! Your attention to detail is outstanding. The finish is superb. Like others, I think the pedestal could be a little better. I looks like to me that the diameter of the pedestal at the very bottom is less than the diameter just above it. If the curve of the larger diameter continued to the bottom, I think it would be just right. This is kind of nit picky though, I would be proud to have done this piece just as it is.

Steve

[Matt Owen]

That is beautiful, John. I think this is my favorite so far. I look forward to seeing more.

Matt

[Mike Minto]

John, I think it's a great piece. Big Leaf Maple Burl is about the prettiest wood around, too! Really nice.

[Scott Hackler]

I will echo the other and say that it looks great. The only problem I see is the pedestal. Something about it just doesnt flow right. I think mayb e a little taller and a wider base, with less detail work on the pedestal. The pedestal should be showcasing this piece, not drawing eyes away from it. I am always of the notion of either a simple pedestal or no pedestal at all, but thats just my personal opinion.

You are definitely setting the bar high for being a "newbie"! :)

[Bill Bolen]

Simply gorgeous John. Love the finial and that wood is stunning...Bill...

[Ian James Webster]

John - I am always blown away by the beauty of your work. I aspire to come close to your skill.

[Roger Chandler]

John,

This hollow form is EXQUISITE!!! The one you got your inspiration from would probably look at this HF with admiration herself. Of course I cannot speak for her or for anyone but myself, but all I can say I WOW!

The symetry is very good, with the finial and the body all in good preportion to one another, and the burl itself is beautiful, and the corresponding rings are definitely complementary to one another.

You are indeed quite skilled in turning.

[bob svoboda]

Simply beautiful, John!

[Jeff Fagen]

You are definetly giving Cindy a run for her money.
My question is how do you keep the cats away from this kind of form.:rolleyes:

[Roland Martin]

John, I'm at a loss for words, ah,ah,ah.

[Roland Martin]

I think I can come up with something now. From the drawing board to the photography, you have an incredible eye for form and the apparrent ability to follow through with great skill. I absolutely love the justice you've done to this beautiful burl. If the tree would still be alive, I'm sure it would want to hug you!:D Keep 'em coming John, as you can see from the amount of replies, you inspire many.

[Jim Slovik]

John,
I agree 100% with Roland. Your work is inspiring. So many of us work on one type of form until we feel proficient at it and then try something a little different and our work evolves slowly. You, on the other hand, are fearless. We just never know what is coming next from you. Whenever I see your latest turning, I can't wait for the next.
Jim

[Joe Aliperti]

I've been spending more time on the penturning forum lately, and every time I come back here, your skills have increased 10-fold.

This piece is the best I've seen from you yet, John. Nice work!

[Baxter Smith]

A great piece of burl and I love the combination of colors. The top half is outstanding but I tend to agree with you about the lower half. Watching you refine your skills is enjoyable!

[Brian Effinger]

Spectacular, John! :)

[John Keeton]

All of you are so very kind with your remarks!! Thank you. I truly do appreciate the compliments.:o


...photos looks great as well.Thanks, Steve!! All of your prodding/encouragement to work on the photography/display of my turnings finally sunk in!!:)


Like others, I think the pedestal could be a little better. I looks like to me that the diameter of the pedestal at the very bottom is less than the diameter just above it. If the curve of the larger diameter continued to the bottom, I think it would be just right.


BL maple burl is great to work with. Most years I get a 4 or 500 lb. pallet of it from Oregon.

My only suggestion is that the pedestal foot is too small. A bit wider would give it a better balance IMO. I know that Cindy makes hers small but I've seen a number of her pieces that to me look like a small breeze would blow them over.

Wally

Wally
Steve S., Wally, Steve C., and the several others that commented on the base/pedestal - I agree! Before doing this one, I studied the piece that Cindy did. While I felt the same on the base, I also did not trust my judgment. I simply do not feel I have enough experience yet. After I completed the piece, and set it up for photos, I knew I should have made it a bit wider - too late!

In fact Wally, your comment about a small breeze would blow it over is EXACTLY what Ms. Keeton said when she looked at it. She liked it, but that was her next statement - to the letter!

All of this is experimentation for me. So many new things to try, and some of them I do just to see if I can. I learn so much with each piece, as I did with this one.

I read with interest a thread from 2008 where Toney was trying to get juried, and several of the comments spoke of having a "signature" look. I haven't tried all of the different techniques and styles that I want to try, but I can say that I like doing the lidded hollow forms better than anything yet. That said, it is nice to do something more simple between the tougher pieces.

Wally, I certainly share your love of the Big Leaf burls!! They are so nice to work with, and I love walnut. The two of them go together so well. Mike Smith is on his way to Oregon as we speak to get some wood, and part of that will be the burls. Already have my order in for some more!!;)


PS I miss the pillow case. Did you wash it with a red shirt or something?
Doug, it was a deeply emotional experience when the trashcan/pillowcase photo backdrop was retired!!:D With some help from Joe Aliperti, and constant "encouragement" from Steve Schlumpf, I finally built a photo tent with some gradient paper. Steve also put me on to another software program that I am playing with a little, and that is where the shaded borders are from.

If you don't mind could you share a little bit in how you put the walnut ring on the piece? Do you turn it seperate and glue it on or is it part of the original piece? Just trying to get my mind around how something like this goes together. Thanks,

JohnJohn, after the form was shaped on the outside, I turned a flat bottom recess in the top. Then, with another chuck, I turned a walnut disk, with a lip matching the slope of the form adjacent to the recess. The lip on the walnut overrides the recess by about 1/8" - just enough to cover the glue line.

With both pieces in the chucks, but off the lathe, I just inverted the chuck with the walnut, and glued it in the recess - with the chuck still on for weight.

The trick, however, was to make the recess deep enough so that when I hollowed the form and sloped the outside and inside contours into the opening - only walnut showed. The maple tapers out just prior to the opening.

Hope that made sense?!?!?:confused:

Thanks, again, everyone!

[Tony De Masi]

Amazing work Mr. Keeton. There's not much I can add to what others have complimented you on or made suggestions to. Can you believe all this started because you just wanted to make some table legs?

Tony

[Jake Helmboldt]

Amazing work Mr. Keeton. There's not much I can add to what others have complimented you on or made suggestions to. Can you believe all this started because you just wanted to make some table legs?

Tony

Tony, John is the poster child for the vortex, only some might get sucked in thinking they too can have this kind of accelerated curve.

John, that wood is stunning and as others have said, your eye for pairing woods is always impressive.

On a technical note, what tools are you using for hollowing? I'm about to take that leap (if I can find time to turn with my new job :rolleyes:).

[Ken Hill]

Exceptional work!

[John Keeton]

Thanks, guys!!
Can you believe all this started because you just wanted to make some table legs?

TonyTony, everytime I think about the posts back in September, and my proclamations that I had no interest in doing anything but furniture turnings, I nearly laugh out loud!!:D;) It has been a great ride!


On a technical note, what tools are you using for hollowing? I'm about to take that leap (if I can find time to turn with my new job :rolleyes:).Jake, I use the tool and tips I got from Jeff Nicol. It works very well, and has been enough for me. At this point, hollowing through a small hole hasn't been appealing to me, but if I were going that route, I think I would want a more fixed system - captured I guess is the right word.

[neil mackay]

well done John! very professional piece

[Jeff Nicol]

John, You are pushing me to get some things done so I can try and keep up with your output and incredible works! As like many of us here on the Turners forum, you have inspired us to go the extra step and learn to do things we never thought we could! You are truly a natural and wonderful artist!

Thanks for your inspiration,

Jeff

[Mike McAfee]

John,

You are one of my inspirations on here!

I love reading posts from the past and I read just the other day a post from you (Feb 09 I think) asking if anyone would be interested in a downed tree on your property because "You aren't a turner"! Well, it seems things have changed!

Beautiful work sir!

MMc

[John Keeton]

Thanks, Neil!

Jeff, you just don't know how much time I have spent looking at your turnings and learning from you. I appreciate all you have done, and your continued supportive comments.

Mike, your comments are humbling.:o My hope is that my experiences will at least provide others with some "do and don't" information.

BTW, the uprooted stump of that tree remains in my backyard, and I do intend to cut into it at some point!! It no longer looks like firewood when I pass by it.:)

[John Tomasello jr]

John this has to be your best piece yet, truly outstanding beautiful job.

[Gary Chester]

Yup, another amazing piece!!!

If you were selling you might be getting into the four digit price range... maybe it's time to to get out of that low paying lawyering stuff.:D:D:D

[Rich Aldrich]

Nice work, John. You are getting quite good.

[Larry Marley]

John,
That is really beautiful!
Elegant.

[John Keeton]

Thanks, guys, I thought this one had run its course, but I do appreciate each of you taking the time to look!
If you were selling you might be getting into the four digit price range... maybe it's time to to get out of that low paying lawyering stuff.:D:D:DGary, I certainly appreciate the comment, but there would need to be a decimal in that "four digit price"!!!:eek: While I love what I do for a living, it is only "what I do" and not "who I am!" If tomorrow, I could make as much woodturning and doing flatwork, it would be my last day in court!:D I certainly do not see that happening! But, even at that, I am probably 4-5 years from calling it quits anyway.