Buckeye HF

[Tim Rinehart]

I picked up a nice piece of buckeye burl during one of our local swap meets, and got around to modifying my hollowing rig since upgrading from a 1642 to 3520 recently. So this is officially my first hollowed piece on my 3520.

This piece was a real leap of faith, because the color really doesn't pop until it was finished, and it was very dry and cracked, lots of voids. I had to do quite a bit of stabilizing of cracks in the blank with CA before I ever started turning it...fearing it would blow apart on me if I didn't.

The wood was very dry, and really dulled my HSS tips on my hollower quickly, so I dug deep and picked up a Hunter swan neck at the local WC (gloat ... 15 minutes away from me) to finish out some areas under the shoulder. I love carbide, and my head is spinning on fashioning my own tools.

The foot is blackwood, and the finish is wipe-on satin poly...two coats, finished with grey scotch-brite (what else is it called??) and then given a coat of wax. Piece is about 5" in diameter.

Finishing is my current challenge...so many variables. Once I get that covered...perhaps I'll work on my photography!

Thanks for any comments/critiques.
Tim

[Joe Aliperti]

Nice job! I really like the form, and it looks like a really nice piece of wood as well.

[Terry Murphy]

I think that is a great piece!
So is carbide in the future?

Terry

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really a beauty Tim. Nice wood and finish.

[Tim Rinehart]

I think that is a great piece!
So is carbide in the future?

Terry

Well, I've only been turning a little over a year, and feel pretty adept at sharpening my tools and keeping a keen edge...that being said...I am most frustrating by amount of sharpening needed when hollowing using HSS tips, especially when attacking end grain.

I think there's a place for both, and for me, carbide seems like a natural for roughing and hollowing. When it comes to a curve on a vessel or bowl (where the eye can see and a gouge can reach), I don't think carbide will replace the finish or control from a well contoured and sharpened bowl gouge.

[David E Keller]

Very nice. Buckeye is such a pretty wood, and this piece is no exception. I like the lip at the opening and the overall shape. I'm not sure about the foot, but I'm a foot hater from way back, so it may just be me.

Overall, it's a really nice looking piece.

[John Keeton]

Tim, that is beautiful! I really like the form, and the contrast with the blackwood. Very earthy piece - the color and character are just great.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Tim - very nice work!

Beautiful wood! Great color variations! Nice finish as well!

Sorry, but I don't care for the foot. The form - without the foot - is reminiscent of the southwestern style that I love so much. The foot - in my opinion - doesn't fit with the form and breaks with the traditional SW style. It is nicely turned and has great color - just doesn't work for me.

[bob svoboda]

Really nice, especially with all the extra challenges.

[Tim Rinehart]

I appreciate all the comments and honesty about the foot...I debated that quite a bit...and would like to have gone without, but the material at the bottom was pretty weak and I would have lost ability to keep the shape I was after.

I'm thinking shortening the foot and blending in with remaining form would have worked a bit more fluidly myself also.

Thanks again for the feedback, that's how we learn.

[Frank Van Atta]

I like the piece, but not the foot.

[Bill Bolen]

That is some wild and pretty grain! Love the form but find I like it much better when I put my thumb to the pic to block out the foot. It just breaks the flow of the entire piece. Other than that it is a great piece. And congrat's on your first Mustard HF..Bill..