6 done and many more to go!

[Jeff Nicol]

Here are six of the 50 I have started and in different stages of completion. I need to get them to the gallery today so I finished all the perches and hangers. I turn each out of brass or bronze depending on which I feel like. The bronze is harder and a little easier to turn, but the brass is prettier.

Lots of different woods from Hop Hornbeam, Paduak, Red cedar, Spalted Maple, Russian olive, Apple, black walnut, Red oak, and the red and aqua finial on the little cedar one is an old screwdriver handle with a bit of bowling ball on the bottom.

Off to the gallery, thanks for checking out the goodies,

Jeff

[dan carter]

Good lookin ornaments. Nice job. I know they will be popular items.

[bob svoboda]

Very nice job, Jeff. I like the variety.

[Baxter Smith]

Nice looking ornaments Jeff. Quite the variety!

[Ray Bell]

Very nice Jeff, hope you sell all of them.

[David DeCristoforo]

Tweet, tweet. When can I move in?

PS Cute, Jeff....

[David E Keller]

Screwdriver handle and bowling ball?... Is there anything in your house that you haven't considered turning?:eek::D:D

Nicely done... Not a bad one in the bunch.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Really nice Jeff! Good luck with your sales!

[Doug W Swanson]

Neat houses! What did you use for the acrylic finial? I have not seen that treatment before....

I'm sure they will go fast...

[Scott Hackler]

Nice work Jeff. You fellas and your little birdhouses. They are so neat looking. I guess I am going to have to make some too!!

[John Keeton]

This place is "for the birds!!":D I think the birdhouse rage has infected the entire creek!;)

Great work on these, Jeff, and an amazing variety. I bet these sell quickly.

[Jeff Nicol]

Neat houses! What did you use for the acrylic finial? I have not seen that treatment before....

I'm sure they will go fast...
Doug the red finial is old screwdriver handle, I will turn anything that is a plastic to add some color and difference to these little pieces. I have about 35 or more bowling balls that I use for the same purpose and they are great for pens, braclets or whatever you can think of!

Jeff

[Scott Hackler]

What are you using to slice up the old bowling balls?

[Bill Bolen]

Great selection for the new customers. They all look beautiful.

[Rob Cunningham]

They look really great Jeff. Good luck with the sales.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Wow. Bowling balls? Really? That is wild. I don't have any spare ones laying around but that is sure a great looking addition.

Good work!

Joshua

[Michael James]

aqua finial on the little cedar one is an old screwdriver handle with a bit of bowling ball on the bottom.
Jeff

You 'da man! That's hilarious, and they are, of course, quite nice. :cool: These lil bird houses have really grown on me over the past few months. Maybe over Christmas or NYrs long weekend. Keep em coming 44 to go!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really nice birdhouses Jeff. Good luck on the sales. They should do well.

[steven carter]

Jeff,

They look great! Man you have been busy, and sounds like you are going to stay busy for a while. Hang in there and you'll get them all.

Steve

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Interesting shapes forms and materials Jeff, I think you will be busy for a while turning out these ornaments, people seem to like these small gifts, as there's always room for another little thing to hang up, and they can see that they are unique.

[David Reed]

Way cool with the variety of woods and other color enhancing materials. Will these be available on the time share market any time soon?

[Jeff Nicol]

Thanks everyone! I have loved making these little guys since the first time I ever saw one in a magazine. It seems like I keep every little piece of wood that looks like it will make a beautiful ornament, I have boxes full and I have a hard time tossing any of it in the fire! It is 4 degrees out right now and they would burn great to heat the shop! This last summer I had planned on getting a bunch of them done ahead, but that did not quite happen. Each time I was turning and had a little piece left over I would turn it into a rough shape and put it in the pile, or should I say piles! I have them laying by all 3 lathes and in a drawer on my tool cart. I also collected a bunch of old screwdrivers each time I went to a thrift sale, or Goodwill and other second hand stores in lots of fun colors! I use some of the ones with good steel in them for tools and the rest get put in the recyle barrel. For $10 a guy can get a lot of turning stock this way!

Scott, I have used everything from a hack saw to an electric chain saw to cut the bowling balls. I found that a "Sawsall" works the best on most of them. The hard rubber ones are pretty abrasive and some have a very gritty center. The newer solid "Urethane" balls cut pretty easy all the way through. I use hole saws without the center pilot bit to cut out discs for mini's and other things too. I buy the bowling balls at the same places or have them donated to the cause by friends and family. I got a whole trunk load from a friend of mines brother who works at a bowling alley and they come in so many pretty colors!

Thanks again and have a very Merry Christmas!

Jeff

[Ken Hill]

Good stuff! I wish my hands would work on something that small!

[Scott Hackler]

That is a cool idea for pretty urethane turnings. Hmmm.... Im gonna have to rethink those old bowling balls I see at garage sale now. Thanks Jeff, more stuff to store in the wood shop!