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View Full Version : Apple: My First Roughouts Returned



Baxter Smith
12-05-2010, 10:52 PM
Last December, I decided I should try and finish some roughouts a good family friend had done almost 20 years earlier. I was thinking they would make some nice Christmas gifts for family members. With a great deal of help from lots of people here, I was able to stumble through and complete those. Seemed like fun, so at Christmas time, I cut an apple tree to try and rough out some bowls of my own. On January 1, 2010, I roughed out my first and set it aside to dry.
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There have been more than a few others roughed out since then but none have been returned. On December 1st, I decided it was time to return my first roughout! So here is my own first twice turned bowl.
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I have trouble stopping at one so.......

Baxter Smith
12-05-2010, 10:54 PM
more bowls to give out to family at Christmas.
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The warped one at lower left was returned and rounded but I didn’t flatten the top. Just thought it was interesting to leave as is.
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The two NE ones came from a part of a tree that had bark missing from one side. You can see the lighter sapwood on the side with the bark.

The plate at the top middle was my first crotch piece. Put the outside of the tree at the bottom so turned away most of the figure. One of them had several dents from bouncing off the ways. Somewhere along this lineup I stopped using pin jaws to grasp a tenon to rough out a 9-10 inch blank. I am sure there were plenty of other learning experiences in there too that I don’t remember!

They are all 8-9 inches in diameter and finished with polymerized tung oil.

Michael James
12-05-2010, 10:56 PM
Beautiful chunk of apple there, Baxter! Good lookin bowl as well. I have a couple of pieces wrapped up from last winter that I'm afraid to look at.
Thanks for posting.
mj

David E Keller
12-05-2010, 10:58 PM
They look fantastic... The little strip of heartwood color down the middle of that first one makes it the show stealer for me. You've got some lucky family members!

Mike Cruz
12-05-2010, 11:15 PM
Very nice Baxter. Thanks for sharing them. I just love the heartwood/sapwood mixture.

Ken Hill
12-05-2010, 11:36 PM
Looking great! Love the apple and you have done it justice!

I used a handul of apple chips from what you gave me to start my pellet stove this morning, shop has never smelled so good!

Kathy Marshall
12-05-2010, 11:58 PM
Beautiful pieces and some great looking wood!

John Keeton
12-06-2010, 7:06 AM
Baxter, that is a fine looking line up! Interesting how the different forms totally change the presentation of the apple. All of them will make great gifts.

Ken Glass
12-06-2010, 7:50 AM
Baxter,
You have been very busy. I really like fruit woods even though they can move all over the place. These are really very nice. The shape and colors are great. It takes some creativity to finish turn fruit wood after roughing them and you did them all justice. Well Done.

charlie knighton
12-06-2010, 8:35 AM
i knew you had to have some roughouts somewhere

very nice

Baxter Smith
12-06-2010, 9:26 AM
Beautiful chunk of apple there, Baxter! Good lookin bowl as well. I have a couple of pieces wrapped up from last winter that I'm afraid to look at.
Thanks for posting.
mj
Thanks Michael. Hope yours is fine and that you post them when finished.

They look fantastic... The little strip of heartwood color down the middle of that first one makes it the show stealer for me. You've got some lucky family members!
Thank you David. It is my favorite as well.

Looking great! Love the apple and you have done it justice!

I used a handul of apple chips from what you gave me to start my pellet stove this morning, shop has never smelled so good!
Thanks Ken, glad your shop smells good!:)

Beautiful pieces and some great looking wood!
Thank you Kathy, the "wood" makes them for sure!

Baxter, that is a fine looking line up! Interesting how the different forms totally change the presentation of the apple. All of them will make great gifts.
Thanks John. With the exception of the two NE ones, I am sure all of them came from this tree.
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I turned two others thin last winter from that tree, the grain patterns and bark inclusions in all or them are different. Guess thats why I still find it interesting to turn simple bowls out of the stuff.

Baxter,
You have been very busy. I really like fruit woods even though they can move all over the place. These are really very nice. The shape and colors are great. It takes some creativity to finish turn fruit wood after roughing them and you did them all justice. Well Done.
Thanks Ken, the fruit woods I have turned have been colorful for sure. Makes it intersting to turn. I have had a few drying issues;) but it is still pretty while turning.

i knew you had to have some roughouts somewhere

very nice
Thanks Charlie. I have a few more around here somewhere to finish. :)

Baxter Smith
12-06-2010, 9:57 AM
Very nice Baxter. Thanks for sharing them. I just love the heartwood/sapwood mixture.
Thanks Mike. The tree that your piece came from was a lot older and a wild one. The heartwood is a darker brown but I tried to make sure there was some sapwood in each. Hope you can turn in the not too distant future.

Bernie Weishapl
12-06-2010, 10:49 AM
Baxter those are beauties. The wood is just beautiful the way the sap and heart wood contrast. Those will make some great gifts.

Baxter Smith
12-06-2010, 7:57 PM
Thanks Bernie. I don't think I have seen a piece of apple I didn't like. My Dad planted the tree and we all ate the apples so they should go over well.

Jeff Nicol
12-06-2010, 8:18 PM
Baxter, I am working on some pieces for a client that came from a tree that they planted 20 some years ago when their daughter was born. It came down in a storm a couple years ago and she saved a few of the largest pieces in hopes of finding someone like me to turn some items out of it to give to her as a wedding gift some day. The daughter does not know anything about it so it should be a good surprise. That being said the biggest piece I will get out of it all is about 6.5"x3" so nowhere neaar the nice chunks you had to turn.

I know where some large old trees are in a cattle pasture, i just need to go ask my old neighbor if I can harvest one of them. I know one of them is at least 18" at the base, I just hope it is not hollow.

Your family will be very, very happy with their gifts, you did a great job!

Jeff

dan carter
12-06-2010, 8:43 PM
Sure was worth the wait; they turned out very striking. I am sure your family will be pleased.

John W Dixon
12-06-2010, 9:12 PM
Baxter the wood is just gorgeous and you sure did it justice! I have some apple logs that I have been cutting into blanks that I hope to rough turn soon. I sure hope it looks as nice as yours.

John

Roland Martin
12-06-2010, 9:55 PM
What a fantastic grouping, Baxter!!! The character in these turnings, sap & heart, centering and form are all outstanding. It doesn't get any better than to be on the recieving end of those:)

Leo Van Der Loo
12-07-2010, 1:49 AM
more bowls to give out to family at Christmas.
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The warped one at lower left was returned and rounded but I didn’t flatten the top. Just thought it was interesting to leave as is.
169424
The two NE ones came from a part of a tree that had bark missing from one side. You can see the lighter sapwood on the side with the bark.

The plate at the top middle was my first crotch piece. Put the outside of the tree at the bottom so turned away most of the figure. One of them had several dents from bouncing off the ways. Somewhere along this lineup I stopped using pin jaws to grasp a tenon to rough out a 9-10 inch blank. I am sure there were plenty of other learning experiences in there too that I don’t remember!

They are all 8-9 inches in diameter and finished with polymerized tung oil.

Baxter you did come a long way in a short time, and these pieces are showing why I like to turn wood, it is beautiful and always changing, you did a great job on these pieces, where others throw in the towel you kept at it and I'm sure these are going to be treasured for a long time by anyone that is lucky enough to receive one.

Thanks for showing that yes Apple wood is worth turning and beautiful :D :D :D

Baxter Smith
12-07-2010, 2:14 PM
Baxter, I am working on some pieces for a client that came from a tree that they planted 20 some years ago when their daughter was born. It came down in a storm a couple years ago and she saved a few of the largest pieces in hopes of finding someone like me to turn some items out of it to give to her as a wedding gift some day. The daughter does not know anything about it so it should be a good surprise. That being said the biggest piece I will get out of it all is about 6.5"x3" so nowhere neaar the nice chunks you had to turn.

I know where some large old trees are in a cattle pasture, i just need to go ask my old neighbor if I can harvest one of them. I know one of them is at least 18" at the base, I just hope it is not hollow.

Your family will be very, very happy with their gifts, you did a great job!

Jeff
Thanks Jeff. The pieces of apple you are saving will make a nice gift. I am planning the same kind of thing with some maple I cut from in front of my sisters house this summer. They are roughed out, drying, and just waiting for the day.:) Good luck with that big apple. My cousin runs a dairy farm in Maine that still has a couple of trees my greatgrandfather planted very early in the 1900's when they had an orchard. Whenever that one goes, I will be ready!

Sure was worth the wait; they turned out very striking. I am sure your family will be pleased.
Thanks Dan.

Baxter the wood is just gorgeous and you sure did it justice! I have some apple logs that I have been cutting into blanks that I hope to rough turn soon. I sure hope it looks as nice as yours.

John
Good luck with your roughouts John. You will enjoy it. Never know quite what will appear as you turn.

What a fantastic grouping, Baxter!!! The character in these turnings, sap & heart, centering and form are all outstanding. It doesn't get any better than to be on the recieving end of those:)
Thanks Roland. The variety is interesting to look at.

Baxter you did come a long way in a short time, and these pieces are showing why I like to turn wood, it is beautiful and always changing, you did a great job on these pieces, where others throw in the towel you kept at it and I'm sure these are going to be treasured for a long time by anyone that is lucky enough to receive one.

Thanks for showing that yes Apple wood is worth turning and beautiful :D :D :D
Thanks Leo. I knew you would appreciate the apple! And the polymerized tung oil too.:D On the first one I did, I had some scratches I sanded out in a couple of spots after applying the sealer. Because of that I applied another coat of sealer. That one seemed to build up finish a lot faster than the others. Its the second time I have done that and been happier(as far as gloss buildup) with the two coats of sealer first, even when applying 3 or more finish coats. Is that typical? I keep the bowl wet with sealer for at least 10 minutes before wiping off, reapplying to spots where it soaks in.

Leo Van Der Loo
12-07-2010, 10:05 PM
Thanks Leo. I knew you would appreciate the apple! And the polymerized tung oil too.:D On the first one I did, I had some scratches I sanded out in a couple of spots after applying the sealer. Because of that I applied another coat of sealer. That one seemed to build up finish a lot faster than the others. Its the second time I have done that and been happier(as far as gloss buildup) with the two coats of sealer first, even when applying 3 or more finish coats. Is that typical? I keep the bowl wet with sealer for at least 10 minutes before wiping off, reapplying to spots where it soaks in.

Baxter yes I just love wood with character, they seem to tell a story of survival and good and bad years, I always wonder what all happened to them in all those years, like they say "if they only could tell".

Baxter I should try that double sealing, even if only to find out the outcome, I usually don't use the sealer, but I have used thinned Polymerized Tung oil as a first coat, I always thought that it made for a better finish afterwards.

But as you have noticed I'm sure, I'm not much for a high gloss, so there isn't the incentive for me to go for that I suppose ;)