Busy Weekend!

[Kathy Marshall]

What a busy and productive weekend! Friday went back with a fellow turner and picked up a load apiece from our new source. Got home after that to find a box from Easy Wood Tools http://www.woodturnersresource.com/yabb2files/Templates/Forum/woody/cheesy.gif. Started finishing the mesquite NE bowl, then on Saturday, started turning the texas ebony blank with my new tools. I absolutely love my new Easy Wood Tools! Started out easy just trying to get the feel for Easy Rougher, by the time I got to the hollowing stage, I was feeling pretty good with it and the Easy Finisher.

The texas ebony started out as a NE bowl blank, lost a big chunk of the bark, then decided the bowl just looked to deep for the width and it would have had alot of sapwood (still does just not as much), so I cut the top down by about 1 1/2".

Sunday, finished up the tex ebony and mesquite ne bowls, then started going through the wood haul and started splitting and cutting. Cut some more tex ebony and mesquite, cut some chunks out of a big slab of eucalyptus and then started turning. The eucalyptus was green green green but the color (pink, yellow and light brown) and grain was amazing so I couldn't wait, I turned a pen (may have wasted a pen kit if it shrinks and splits, we'll see) and then turned a small bowl (took a fraction of the time it would have taken me with my traditional tools).

NE mesquite 4 1/4" by 3 1/4" by 1/4" and tex ebony 4 1/2" by 2 1/4" by just under 1/8" are both finished in natural danish oil and beal buff. Pen is CA finish. Euc bowl 3 3/4" by 2" by 1/8" is just a few coats sanding sealer and beal buff (will probably warp and split, but it was so fun turning it, big ole pile of longggggg curlies http://www.woodturnersresource.com/yabb2files/Templates/Forum/woody/smiley.gif)

Please excuse the lamp reflections in the pics, I really need to get a better more reflective background so I can put the lamps behind a screen.

All comments welcome.

[John Keeton]

Kathy, that TX ebony looks even better in a bowl!! The Eucalyptus is nice, too, but for my money - it is the ebony!

[David E Keller]

Beautiful work, Kathy. Your forms are really good, so you're starting to create that illusion of size. I can't believe that last bowl is as small as you say. Both the eucalyptus and texas ebony bowls are really, really nice. The natural edge piece is a little steep sided for my taste, but I struggle with natural edge forms.

[Roger Chandler]

Great stuff there Kathy! I like both the Texas ebony and the Eucalyptus. You did a great job finishing these. I would expect some wood movement since some was green.

Sounds like a lot was accomplishes with all that wood and bowl blanks!

[Baxter Smith]

Sounds like busy and fun! I really like your texas ebony and eucalyptus bowls!

[Kathy Marshall]

Thanks Guys!

David, I agree about the steep sides on the mesquite. The next thing on my list is a smaller set of jaws for my SN2. With these smaller bowls it would help to be able to do a smaller tenon so I can have a smaller foot and therefore more curve. I'm sure there are ways to do it with the size tenon I've been using, but still learning and trying to do new techniques in small steps. I'm also trying to stop using every bit of the blank possible (just hate to waste good wood), I know sometimes you have to sacrifice all that pretty wood for the sake of the form.

Working on a vase/hollow form now (1st one) out of what I think is african sumac which definitely needs a foot thats smaller than the tenon I needed to chuck it. I've started hollowing the inside and my plan is to leave plenty of thickness in the bottom 2/3 so I can refine the profile on a jam chuck after the inside is finished.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Kathy those are some pretty pieces. I really like the Texas ebony.

[brian watts]

texas ebony is very nice . would be nice to turn some of it..

[Mark Hubl]

You certainly were busy. Those are nice, the TX Ebony is my favorite.