Aaron Wingert
09-06-2010, 10:24 PM
A while back Ernie Nyvall sent me some mesquite as a kind gesture after I gave him some guidance on making turkey calls. I had the urge to turn a pepper mill from it from the moment I saw it, as my first one (several months ago) hadn't turned out the way I wanted...Actually quite the opposite.
As is often the case with mesquite, this piece had a very deep crack with the grain running along its length. I ran the crack with thin CA and then medium CA to make it safer to turn. I was going to fill the crack with coffee grounds to make it not show up that much but I figured it would be a good way to try a turquoise inlay for the first time. In hindsight I should've smashed the turquoise up a little bit more but I'm generally pretty happy with how it came out. Filled a couple little bug holes with turquoise as well. Overall it is about 12-1/2" tall. Finish is five coats of spray laquer that will get buffed in a week or so.
Pretty glad I didn't saw this piece up to make duck calls, which was my initial plan. The other half of the piece will be a matching salt shaker, and it has similar cracking so it'll get the turquoise treatment as well.
I rarely if ever turn anything but duck calls, turkey calls and bottle stoppers so this is a nice change for me. But I can tell that I seriously need to practice turning beads. Those gave me fits!
Comments and critiques welcomed and appreciated.
As is often the case with mesquite, this piece had a very deep crack with the grain running along its length. I ran the crack with thin CA and then medium CA to make it safer to turn. I was going to fill the crack with coffee grounds to make it not show up that much but I figured it would be a good way to try a turquoise inlay for the first time. In hindsight I should've smashed the turquoise up a little bit more but I'm generally pretty happy with how it came out. Filled a couple little bug holes with turquoise as well. Overall it is about 12-1/2" tall. Finish is five coats of spray laquer that will get buffed in a week or so.
Pretty glad I didn't saw this piece up to make duck calls, which was my initial plan. The other half of the piece will be a matching salt shaker, and it has similar cracking so it'll get the turquoise treatment as well.
I rarely if ever turn anything but duck calls, turkey calls and bottle stoppers so this is a nice change for me. But I can tell that I seriously need to practice turning beads. Those gave me fits!
Comments and critiques welcomed and appreciated.