Baxter Smith
05-02-2010, 3:28 PM
When I cut some dead and rotting cherry burl a couple of weeks ago, I found the remains of one tree lying on the ground. Almost everything had rotted away except for the burl. The remaining wood on either side was only about 2 inches around. Decided at the last minute to cut it out and bring it home.
149704
After looking at it for a while I thought it might make an interesting NE turning. I thought of doing another bowl in a bowl but the wood looked okay once I got below most of the surface checking, so ended up with this.
149705
I liked the texture and blackness of the outside of the burl so left it pretty thick at ½ inch. The inside of the HF is about 5/16. Because it seemed pretty dry I hoped it would be resistant to cracking at that thickness.
Since it was the first dry HF I have done, I thought it was time to try a finial. I didn’t have a clue about doing one so ordered a couple of Cindy Drozda DVD’s. A day later I found John Keeton had asked Steve Schlumpf to forward me the two John had purchased then loaned out. I just had to agree to post my attempt. :eek: After watching Johns two, I was sure of two things, both my eyesight and skills were lacking!
Other projects were going on this week but Friday night I sharpened my 3/8 spindle gouge as shown in the DVD and made a few practice cuts on a piece of firewood. A 6 inch round stick of firewood isn't like a finial though!:)
Thought something simple and black would be appropriate so I drew a shape on an index card as a starting point and cut it out. Went to the firewood pile and split out a 2x2 cherry blank to practice on yesterday afternoon.
My original thought was to do couple of practice ones, refine the shape, then do one in Holly and ink it black. At some point I realized I didn’t have much of a clue as to what to refine it too, so I sanded it and inked it with a sharpie.
149706
A few random thoughts: The onion was supposed to be more tapered at the top but I was cutting uphill and took off too much. It was also supposed to be about 3/4 of an inch shorter as well but I started shaping the doodad at the top before I had marked off where on the blank it was supposed to be. The onion needs to be up a bit higher. I couldn't do much with the space below using a 3/8 inch gouge. Its too big/heavy. Etc, etc...
Any and all suggestions as to how to improve both the shape for this finial, and as to what might be a better shaped finial for this kind of piece are appreciated!
Thanks!
149707
8 ¼ x 5x1/2 x ½ finished with AO
The next dry piece of wood is already shaped on the lathe and waiting to be hollowed so I may have to try this again!:)
149704
After looking at it for a while I thought it might make an interesting NE turning. I thought of doing another bowl in a bowl but the wood looked okay once I got below most of the surface checking, so ended up with this.
149705
I liked the texture and blackness of the outside of the burl so left it pretty thick at ½ inch. The inside of the HF is about 5/16. Because it seemed pretty dry I hoped it would be resistant to cracking at that thickness.
Since it was the first dry HF I have done, I thought it was time to try a finial. I didn’t have a clue about doing one so ordered a couple of Cindy Drozda DVD’s. A day later I found John Keeton had asked Steve Schlumpf to forward me the two John had purchased then loaned out. I just had to agree to post my attempt. :eek: After watching Johns two, I was sure of two things, both my eyesight and skills were lacking!
Other projects were going on this week but Friday night I sharpened my 3/8 spindle gouge as shown in the DVD and made a few practice cuts on a piece of firewood. A 6 inch round stick of firewood isn't like a finial though!:)
Thought something simple and black would be appropriate so I drew a shape on an index card as a starting point and cut it out. Went to the firewood pile and split out a 2x2 cherry blank to practice on yesterday afternoon.
My original thought was to do couple of practice ones, refine the shape, then do one in Holly and ink it black. At some point I realized I didn’t have much of a clue as to what to refine it too, so I sanded it and inked it with a sharpie.
149706
A few random thoughts: The onion was supposed to be more tapered at the top but I was cutting uphill and took off too much. It was also supposed to be about 3/4 of an inch shorter as well but I started shaping the doodad at the top before I had marked off where on the blank it was supposed to be. The onion needs to be up a bit higher. I couldn't do much with the space below using a 3/8 inch gouge. Its too big/heavy. Etc, etc...
Any and all suggestions as to how to improve both the shape for this finial, and as to what might be a better shaped finial for this kind of piece are appreciated!
Thanks!
149707
8 ¼ x 5x1/2 x ½ finished with AO
The next dry piece of wood is already shaped on the lathe and waiting to be hollowed so I may have to try this again!:)