Cherry HF

[Keith Burns]

Each year our club, The Midsouth Woodturners Guild, gives the members an opportunity to start with identical sized blanks of wood to turn a piece for our Christmas auction. The money raised from this auction goes into our "educational" fund which helps pay for professional demonstrators. Last year we raised about $1200.00 and hope for more this year. This year it was either cherry or walnut, 3" square x approx 5" long. The blank must be the predominate wood used. My cherry hf ended up 2-1/4" diameter x 4-1/2" overall height, with an ebony inset and a 1-1/4" tall ebony finial. Finished with antique oil and buffed. All comments/critiques welcome.

[Tim Rinehart]

Keith, I think that's a great idea and I'm going to send a note to our local clubs to propose something similar. We have done alot of ornaments around holidays for hospice, but this could 'turn it up a notch' so to speak.

Very cool. Your piece is very well done and will surely provide some good input to the cause. Proportions look great to me, and it's hard to beat a nice cherry and black combination.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really nice piece Keith. Love the finial.

[John Keeton]

Keith, that sure is a petite piece, and very well done! I take it that you prefer to make your HFs by end grain turning. This one is very nice, great finial, and the cherry and ebony make a great contrast.

As always, you do excellent work!!

Is the auction held among members, or is it a public event?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Beautiful work Keith! Love the detail work on the finial!! Sounds like a great idea for raising funds for the club! Would like to hear more about the event!

[Harvey Ghesser]

Beautiful work, Keith!

[Keith Burns]

Thanks y'all. First we have a very vibrant club with about 80 members. We meet on the 4th Saturday of the month and average about 50 members in attendance. This auction is "in house" for the members. The first year we raised about $600 and last year about $1200.00. This auction helps in allowing us to bring in a couple of pros a year at little or no cost to the members. Our last pro was Jimmy Clewes. The demonstrator generaly leave their demo pieces for the auction (I think Jimmy left 3 or 4) which will be auctioned. I think for Jimmy Clewes the members paid on $20 a head for a full two days. We are hoping to get one mor pro in yet this year.

[John Hart]

Pretty cool idea to have everyone starting out with the same basic materials. Pushes the envelope on innovation.

Very nice piece Keith.

[David E Keller]

Another nice looking HF. I really like the inset collar, and I shamelessly copied the idea on a couple of recent pieces.

I do have a question... Where do you get the piece of wood for the lid(cherry in this case)? Is it a separate piece to begin with? Do you cut it out of the main blank before hollowing?

[Baxter Smith]

Nice idea and nice HF.

[Michael Short]

Great looking hollow form and a cool idea as well. Thanks for posting.