Curly Maple Vase #3

[Steve Schlumpf]

This curly Maple vase measures 8" high x 5" wide x 1/4" thick. Color is from RIT 'Kelly Green' clothing dye mixed with DNA (denatured alcohol). Sanded to 800 grit and has several coats of wipe-on gloss poly. Will wait for a week or so and then buff.

156758 156759 156760 156761 156762

As always, your comments, opinions and critiques are welcomed!

Thanks for looking!

[John Hart]

That is so cool how the green allowed some of the natural colors to come through. I'm also intriqued by the direction of the curl....seems like an odd direction. I love this form you're doing Steve, and how the lip comes to a finer thickness at the very top. It almost seems like glass.
It might be the photos, but it seems like you might have had a little trouble on the shoulder. Could just be me though.
Really splendid piece!:)

[David Christopher]

very nice Steve, the color is perfect

[Baxter Smith]

Really like the green color. Any reason why one area seemed to absorb less of the dye than another.(other than the end grain) It looks almost as if there was a delineation between the heartwood and sapwood.
I cut a dead maple a couple of weeks ago that was spalting but not in a particularly pretty way. May have to give this a shot to liven it up! Thanks for experimenting and posting!:)

[Rich Aldrich]

Beautiful piece. The green really worked out well.

[Roger Chandler]

Wow Steve!

What a unique piece. The form is good, the finish is just an art all to itself!

the green and the "glass" like finish are really complementary to one another and shows a great amount of creativity...I like it! :)

I have a few pieces of green maple, cut only a couple months ago, and seeing this makes me want to pull a piece out and just go for it and try this dye thing.
Both yourself and John K. have shown the rest of us "creekers" what this dye can do if used. Thanks for expanding the knowledge base....I for one appreciate your displaying this .... once again, really unique. NICE!

[Michael James]

Steve,
That is just awesome! Very nice work, all around. If you can't find a use for it, it would look great in my office!:cool:
carry on..........

[David E Keller]

Beautiful. I love the color and finish. You've certainly done some great things of late with that curly maple.

[Tom Sherman]

Steve, what a nice piece very interesting effect with the dye, great job.

[Josh Bowman]

Steve, that's is great! I really like the green tint.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Beautiful Steve. The green gives it such a rich look.

[Mark Hubl]

Nice Steve. Love the way the dye enhanced the piece. Almost looks like rough planer marks. Nice shape.

[Jerry Marcantel]

I've been pretty colorblind all my life, but i can see that green without a problem. Really nice looking piece. The other 2 were nice also.. You got more coming???? .. Jerry (in Tucson)

[Richard Madison]

Nice one Steve. The dye works well on maple. It's not easy being green. Time for me to try the w.o.p.

[Michelle Rich]

Kermit will just love this piece.!!! Interesting shoulder & neck...thanks for sharing

[John Keeton]

Steve, I think the dye really makes this piece!! Curly maple is such a great pallette for dye, and this color is very pleasing. Being very color blind, green is one of those that usually causes me difficulties, but this one I can appreciate!! Very well done!

[Quinn McCarthy]

Steve,

With this series of green bowls and vases I am starting to think that you are closet Packer fan lost in the UP. Wonderful as usual. I cannot believe the grain in the maple pieces you do.

Quinn

[steven carter]

Steve,

Beautiful vase, the color and finish are outstanding. I think you should sell it to Hollywood for the upcoming "Green Lantern" movie.

Steve

[Roland Martin]

Along with great form, the dye has a great transluscent look and adds a lot to the final outcome of the vase. Nice # 3:). We all benefit when you find lathe time, thanks Steve.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Thanks for all the kind words everyone - I do appreciate it!

I knew there was a good chance that some folks would like the green - others wouldn't - but wanted to make John K happy and dye at least one of these vases!

I still have 2 more vases to finish and then it will be on to other things.

Baxter - the heartwood was harder than the sapwood and it absorbed less dye. Also, most of the heartwood is face grain and will not absorb as much dye as the end grain. This piece was flooded with dye twice, then sanded back as evenly as possible to reveal the curly and get that tiger's eye effect with the light. It worked - the piece is amazing in the light!

[Baxter Smith]

[QUOTE=Steve Schlumpf;1476033]
Baxter - the heartwood was harder than the sapwood and it absorbed less dye. QUOTE]
Thanks Steve, I should have studied the top of the turning more closely. I had the sapwood and heartwood mixed up which was why I was wondereing!

[Dennis Ford]

Steve, you have really got the dye thing figured out. Really nice HF with gorgeous wood.

[Don Jarvie]

Very nice piece Steve, for the turning naive, how did you cut the log to turn that?

How the logs are prepared is one area I haven't figured out yet.

[Jeff Nicol]

Steve, I think it is almost getting time for a roadtrip for Mike Svoma and I to the U.P.!! I love the last few pieces you have shown and I am having curly maple envy! I just got a truck and trailer load of red oak and aspen, but it just does not have the class of your maple.

Keep up the great work, you are an inspiration,

Jeff

[Tim Rinehart]

Super looking curly maple Steve and I love the color. So...good ol Rit dye?? I didn't know, but wondered about that.

[David DeCristoforo]

Kinda lends new meaning to the term "green" wood! Not quite sure how I feel about it. I love the shape and the curl and the color does tend to make the curl pop. Never thought about using fabric dyes on wood. I'll bet the folks who make Rit dyes never did either...

[Harvey Ghesser]

Wow, Steve...another stunning piece! Keep 'em comin'!:D

[gary Zimmel]

Another fine example of your abilities Steve.
Thanks for the look see.

[Chris Haas]

did the rit work out well for you. i just bought some yellow, orange and red today at wallyworld. i'm going to be going for a tequilla sunrise look soon. any pointers, i was planning on using dna as the base too. nice vase too. like the rim.

[Terry Achey]

Steve, the color and finish are impressive, but most of all I like the atributes of the entire turning even more. Most excellent as usual. Thanks for sharing.

Terry

[Jeff Luedloff]

Awesome Job Steve, which wipe-on poly did you use and did you use a wood sealer?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Jeff - I have been using Minwax Wipe-On Gloss Poly for a few years now and like it. I am sure there are a number of other brands that would work just as well - I just haven't tried them.

I don't use a wood sealer - instead I saturate the turning with the wipe-on poly and let it dry for a day. If the wood looks like it absorbed all the finish - I will apply another saturation coat and let it dry for a day. After that I start applying very light coats of finish using a folded up paper towel. After 3 to 5 light coats I will sand it down lightly to remove any imperfections and continue applying additional light coats of poly until I get the coverage I want. Usually ends up somewhere around 8 to 10 coats - depending on the turning.

[Rob Cunningham]

Nice vase Steve. The green really accents the figure in the wood and gives it an interesting look.

[Norm Zax]

Another stunning apple toned form! Well done. Are you planning to turn a steady base for these new reclining forms? You can turn a hoop and glue three spindles to it quite easily or devise a base that will secure the form in a slanted angle.

[Cathy Schaewe]

I saturate the turning with the wipe-on poly and let it dry for a day. If the wood looks like it absorbed all the finish - I will apply another saturation coat and let it dry for a day.

I feel stupid for asking this, but how do you "saturate" the turning? Dip it ?:confused:

[Andy Hoyt]

My second thought was along the lines of everyone else - Cool!

But my first thought took me to Dr. Miles Bennell and the Invasion of the Body Snatchers. :eek:

[Steve Schlumpf]

Cathy - I use a 1" foam brush and coat the turning until the wood does not absorb any more poly. Wipe off the excess and let it dry.

[Greg Ketell]

Steve, you are making me green with envy at your skills!!

:D

Another beautiful vessel!

[Tom Lewis]

Beautiful!! do you use the Beal buffing system?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Chris - RIT dye works but it will fade with time. I did pick up some TransTint dyes from Rockler that I have started to play with - but this time around I just stuck with RIT.

Tom - I do have and use the Beall buffing system - just didn't use it on this piece yet. Have to wait at least a week - usually a couple - to give the finish time to cure. If you buff to soon - you get to sand everything down and try again because it becomes a gummy mess! DAMHIKT!

[Prashun Patel]

I love how you turners can finish a piece. Really nice!

[Curt Fuller]

I don't know how I missed this Steve, but it's a beauty. I really like the way dye is somewhat translucent letting the wood show through. And I can't believe how shiny a finish you can get even before buffing. Very nice!

[Matt Ranum]

That thing is just pertiful!
:D