Pitcher o' Burl!

[John Keeton]

For quite some time, I have been wanting to do a pitcher like this, and while I have several burls, it would take a piece that had a "high side" and enough thickness. This piece is from the drop dead gorgeous piece of Box Elder burl that Curt Fuller sent me. It was perfect for this turning!

The pitcher is approximately 6" x 6", and the walls are 3/16". I pondered about going thinner, but I wanted to save the NE as much as possible. The rim is tinted with just a little Transtint Brown Mahogany dye, and the finish is BLO and three coats of WOP, double buffed.

The handle is hammered copper. Many thanks to my "design team" - the tireless Steve Schlumpf who should, but never, says "I ain't lookin' at no more pics, and answerin' no more questions!":o, and to Ms. Keeton, who seems to side with Steve more often than not!:rolleyes: The handle would not have been copper had it not been for Steve's suggestion.

And, of course, Curt Fuller for the wonderful gift.

[Michael James]

Another winner John! And the simplicity really adds to the effect. I think I'd take care of that team if I were you!:D

[Bill Bolen]

Outstanding piece John. Looks like a lot of thought went into centering the piece just right before the lathe was even turned on. Beautiful...Bill...

[Baxter Smith]

John, your imagination never ceases to amaze me. Beautiful use of that beautiful piece of wood!

[Ken Hill]

Incredible John!!!!

[Nate Davey]

WOW, that is spectacular. Beautiful job John and what an incredible piece of wood.

[Rick Robbins]

that is incredible John. nicely done. Rick

[gary Zimmel]

Another outstanding piece John!

[Roger Chandler]

holy cow batman! Now that is a beautiful piece of wood turned into a beautiful piece of art. Nice one John......seeing these pics already shows the upgrade on the forum.........they look like they are brighter and more vivid on this new setup. It might be your photography, but it is really a nice set of pics.

[Mike Willeson]

That is beautiful John! Wonderful creativity. You have a gift.

[Steve Schlumpf]

John - that is simply outstanding! Congrats on being able to take your vision and turn it into a reality! Well done!

[Fred Belknap]

John I don't usually respond to most posts but I thought this was worth breaking my silence. You seem to have the talent to make something that is very pleasing to the eyes. I know different strokes for different folks but I really liked it.

Fred

[Curt Fuller]

Wow John, that's fantastic! What a great idea for the handle too.

[Ray Bell]

John, very, very nice. You are a truly natural turner. I just wish the pictures would show up without having to click on them.

[Richard Madden]

Simply incredible!! You have done an excellent job. Beautiful!

[Harvey Ghesser]

Wow!! You never cease to amaze, John!

[charlie knighton]

very nice, the handle is excellant

[Doug W Swanson]

John,

That piece is spectacular! The way you turned it so the spout is in the right spot, the handle, everything about it.....

You have done some very nice work in the past and this one ranks near the top (if not at the top)....

[brian watts]

John, your imagination never ceases to amaze me. Beautiful use of that beautiful piece of wood!


that what i was thinking to .. WOW

[Tim Rinehart]

John,
That's a beauty, and a very appropriate look for the hammered copper. I'm just in awe of what you turn out....really outside the box turning. All bull aside, you are an inspiration for those like myself (and others as well) with very little time at the lathe, but high aspirations.
Well done, beautifully executed.

[Rick Markham]

That's absolutely beautiful John! That is some pretty wood! Excellent form and design, very pleasing to the eye!

[dan carter]

Very nice job; you turned a splendid piece of wood into a real beauty.

[Ron Stadler]

Very nice John, what a beauty. But I have a question, are those ribbets holding your handle on, and were they hard to put on, I would have been afraid to crack your masterpiece if thats what they are.

[Rich Aldrich]

John,

Very creative and beautiful. It sure looks like it was challenging to turn and mount the handle.

[Kathy Marshall]

WOW! WOW! WOW!
That piece is absolutely gorgeous in every way! Spectacular wood and design!

[George Guadiane]

Absolutely OUTSTANDING!

[Ken Glass]

John,
What an absolutely great turning. The handle is simple but elegant. It adds a dimension to the pitcher that is amazing. Your grasp of form is truly a gift. What can I say, but inspiring.

[Scott Hackler]

John,

You did a wonderful job with this latest turning/scupture. It really looks good with the natural edge orientation and the addition of the hammered copper handle. Excellent work.

[Don Alexander]

this one is definitely up to your usual high level

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Wow. That is simply, as always, amazing work. Well done John, and of course the Design team. I feel like I should sell my lathe and give up at times after seeing these photos. Such a long long way to go. But then there is the challenge of trying some of these things and that is what keeps me going. :)

Keep up the amazing work!

Joshua

[Dan Forman]

That's one of the coolest Pieces I've ever seen. The copper handle is just right. Fabulous!

[Jim Slovik]

This piece just made me stare in awe. Only a true artist could look at a chunk of wood and see what you have created. Absolutely beautiful.

[Gary Max]

Looks great from down here------ I could find a place for that in my living room.

[David Reed]

This certainly has that knock your socks off appeal both with the drop dead gorgeous wood selection and the execution. Crazy thing is, I was dreaming about trying to do something similar, that being the pitcher style with the natural edge 'spout' just this week but now if I do I know I dare not post pics as they could never measure up. Doesn't get much better than this.
David

[Leo Van Der Loo]

John this is as nice a turning as I have seen.
I have seen lots of partial turnings and then carved to get there, but this is just so perfectly done, and of course the burl is just awesome, what else can I say but WOW

[David E Keller]

Outstanding... Beautiful wood and a wonderful form. The copper handle really balances the piece and gives it a bit of whimsy. Lovely work.

[Jack Mincey]

John,
This just might be my favorite turning of all your wonderful creations. It should prove to be a show stopper.
Great Work,
Jack

[Christopher K. Hartley]

John,you have done it again and produced a work of beauty and imagination, Thanks to Steve for twisting your arm on the copper handle. It is the perfect compliment. Great Job!:)

[Prashun Patel]

wow. you have a gift.

[John Keeton]

Thanks so much for all the kind comments. I was so pleased to get this wood from Curt. I sat in front of the TV that night rolling it around looking at every little nuance and went on and on about it to Ms. Keeton. Suddenly, I realized that it was meant to be this pitcher. I had gone through the many burls I have several times trying to find a way to get this look, so I was very excited about turning this one.

...seeing these pics already shows the upgrade on the forum.........they look like they are brighter and more vivid on this new setup. It might be your photography, but it is really a nice set of pics.Roger, I think part of it may be the new software, but I have changed my photography based on suggestions from Joe Aliperti.

I use only my shop lights, and a timed exposure with a very high shutter opening (f stop) for an increased depth of field. Depending on the outside lighting, I vary the shutter speed. These pics were taken at night, so I had to go with a slower shutter speed. Kind of had to play with it a little. I think it has added significantly better detail and depth of field to my pics.

This piece has a very high gloss finish, and by not using extra lighting, I can eliminate the glare. Had I used any spot lighting on this one, it would have been very difficult to capture all of the burl detail and the texture of the hammered copper.


Very nice John, what a beauty. But I have a question, are those ribbets holding your handle on, and were they hard to put on, I would have been afraid to crack your masterpiece if thats what they are.Ron, the "rivets" are actually just copper tack heads that I have sanded and buffed a little to appear as rivets. The handle was formed to the pitcher prior to finishing the wood. I had to anneal it three times while forming it.

After the finish was done on the pitcher, and it was buffed, I marked the location of the handle on the form. I scraped away the finish on the two locations where contact was made and used 5-min epoxy to apply the handle. The hole at the top is drilled through the wood and copper handle. The hole was filled with epoxy, and the tack heads applied on either side. The lower hole goes through the handle, and partially into the wood. Same procedure with the tack head.

[Robert Culver]

John that is amazing work I really love it. I love the copper handle but my first thought would have been to bend some maple or someting simalar to do some fancy hand carving on it then perhaps dye it black but none the less it is a awsome piece..... I dont think i could bend ebony because its pretty brittle but that would look awsome.

[Doug Reesor]

Very impressive. I really like the imaginative use of the raw shape of the burl. This is a real collectors item.

Doug

[Barry Elder]

An amazing piece of wood, turned by a person with amazing skills! To be able to reveal the beauty of God's nature makes this a singular achievement!!!

[Allen stagg]

Wow, I love it. Great immigination on that one. Beautuful.

[Sean Hughto]

Wow. That's simply outstanding, John. Take a bow.

[Mark Hubl]

Drop dead gorgeous! Great work, great wood. Kudos to the design team. You really did good work on the handle and it's integration with the form. Putting on those rivets must have been a little nerve racking. Really pretty piece John. Now if I was Curt, I would be demanding my wood be returned on some trumped up grounds, but I am sure he will have a nasty custody battle with Mrs. Keeton.

[David DeCristoforo]

Well, that is absolutely a fine piece of work. And the wood is unquestionably outstanding as well. But for me, the copper handle just does not "fit". I have been trying to wrap my head around it all morning. I just keep wanting to see a nice carved wood handle. Must just be me because I am obviously in a minority of one here.

[Roland Martin]

Thanks Curt for making this turning possible, although you may be kicking yourself now! Mother Nature certainly outdid herself in creating this incredible burl, and what better hands to end up in:). I would give my right %*# to be able to even come close to your ability to capture the essence of a piece of wood and turn it into a work of art. I don't think I could find the courage to even touch this piece, in fear of liability:D. I love what the touch of dye added to the NE rim, just enough and not too much. Outstanding results and team, John. Thanks for posting:).

[John Keeton]

You all are just way too kind!:o Thanks so much for commenting.

Putting on those rivets must have been a little nerve racking.Mark, you are so right!! After the handle was secured by the epoxy, I told Ms. Keeton - I headed back out to the shop to either destroy this thing or to put the finishing touches on it. Setting a drill bit to the finished burl was really, really hard to do!:eek: No turning back - no do overs!

I love the copper handle but my first thought would have been to bend some maple or someting simalar to do some fancy hand carving on it then perhaps dye it black but none the less it is a awsome piece...


But for me, the copper handle just does not "fit". I have been trying to wrap my head around it all morning. I just keep wanting to see a nice carved wood handle. Must just be me because I am obviously in a minority of one here.Rob, David - this is interesting! My first plan was a "forged iron" look, with a carved walnut handle, dyed black, but with the knife marks present to provide contrast in color and texture to the glossy, light colored burl.

Then, once the NE was dyed, I decided a nice carved cherry handle would age to really pick up on the slight reddish brown in the NE.

As I commented, Steve was getting a "blow by blow" - well, what do you think about this...or this....? It was his suggestion that I not be bound by wood, but to consider acrylic or even copper. In hindsight, the copper was a wonderful idea, and fits this piece so well. And, other than the nerve racking moments installing the "rivets", doing the hammered copper was easier, and something I had not done before.

[Dale Bright]

John,

All I can say is WOW!!!! Beautifully done.

Dale

[Paul Douglass]

Boy, what a beautiful piece! I do have to agree that I'd prefer a wooden handle. Steam bent.

[Ryan Baker]

Wow! That's truly spectacular John!

[Don Orr]

Awesome John !

[Bernie Weishapl]

All I can say John is it is beautiful. Mary Ann saw it and said, Holy cow that is beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

[steven carter]

John,
This is an outstanding piece, really like the form of the pitcher and great pitcher picture (say that 5 times fast:eek:). Did you seal the copper to keep it from tarnishing or are you going to let it tarnish for effect?

Steve

[John Keeton]

Thanks, guys, and Bernie - glad Mary Ann likes it! Ms. Keeton thinks it is one of the prettier pieces I have done.


John,
This is an outstanding piece, really like the form of the pitcher and great pitcher picture (say that 5 times fast:eek:). Did you seal the copper to keep it from tarnishing or are you going to let it tarnish for effect?

SteveThanks, Steve! I will leave the copper to age. Heating it for annealing purposes accelerated the color change on it, and the "rivets" were buffed just prior to taking the pics, but they have already started to turn some.