Not your grandmother's tea lights

[Bob Rotche]

Here is something a little different. I don't claim originality as I copied it off something I saw on the internet. It is maple burl, 8" diameter and 2 1/2 " tall. Tea lights are sitting in a recess with spaces filled in with black glass chips. Wood is finished with danish oil and beall buffed. Overall I am happy with it but the recess should have been 1/2-1" wider to allow more room for glass chips. Would also like to think of a way to solidify the whole thing as it could easily spill if someone weren't careful. I think the concept would also lend itself to dyed wood and colored glass chips. Let me know what you think. C+C appreciated.

[John Keeton]

Bob, that sure is some beautiful wood, and you did a great job on the turning! I do agree it could have a little more space for more chips around the perimeter, but really you have them touching each other, so it looks quite balanced as is. On the stability issue, perhaps it needs a little wider foot, and one could always put a little deeper recess in the middle for some lead weight.

[Ken Whitney]

Bob,

I like the design very much. I agree with you and John about the additional perimeter space, but you didn't miss it by much.

I've got some walnut lying around ...

[Doug W Swanson]

That turned out nice. Like John said even though the space could be a little bigger, it's balanced out.

Maybe next time you can make it bigger but I still think this one turned out great!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Bob that is a really nice piece. It looks like it is balanced nicely.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Cool idea! I like the contrast between that great looking wood and the black glass! I also like that the glass pieces are loose (it's a texture thing) but then, I don't have any kids running around the house anymore!

[gary Zimmel]

Real nice tea light Bob.

[Curt Fuller]

Bob, that's about the coolest tea light I've seen. I think you could enlarge the opening but I'm not sure that it would improve the overall look. It looks so good as it is. As for stability, you could possibly use a forstner bit and drill some shallow recesses for the glass tea light cups to rest in after the initial hollowing. Maybe even epoxy them into the recesses. Again, that's a very nice piece.

[Tim Thiebaut]

That is a very cool idea, and that wood is very nice looking, great design as well.

[Art Kelly]

...Would also like to think of a way to solidify the whole thing as it could easily spill if someone weren't careful...

That's beautiful. Nice blend of color and texture. Does the light filter into the glass chips as the candles burn down?

I have a similar form with a Japanese Ikebana Kenzans flower arranger surrounded by river rock. I'm thinking of solidifying it, but want "naked" rocks on top. I'll probably experiment with a slow-cure clear structural epoxy adhesive, putting the epoxy in the bottom of the "moat" and adding rocks till the top layer is just sitting on epoxy. Since this would capture your glass candle holders, you have to ask yourself what you will do when one of the glass holders breaks. You could experiment with coating the outsides of the glass inserts with silicone in the hopes they would release after the epoxy is cured. (Fill them with something heavy to keep them from floating up.)

Art

[Ron Stadler]

Nice center piece you have there, beautiful wood. Looks like you gave me another project to do.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Here is something a little different. I don't claim originality as I copied it off something I saw on the internet. It is maple burl, 8" diameter and 2 1/2 " tall. Tea lights are sitting in a recess with spaces filled in with black glass chips. Wood is finished with danish oil and beall buffed. Overall I am happy with it but the recess should have been 1/2-1" wider to allow more room for glass chips. Would also like to think of a way to solidify the whole thing as it could easily spill if someone weren't careful. I think the concept would also lend itself to dyed wood and colored glass chips. Let me know what you think. C+C appreciated.

It looks real god Bob, I don't feel that the recess is too small, as for spilling over, you really would have to upset the applecart to have it flow over the beads and out of the recess, and in that case it would spill no matter what you made IMO.
To solidify the whole thing, well I don't know if that would be a good idea, now the heat of the candles can easily dissipate, if you would use an epoxy or similar that would not be the case, I would leave it as is, should work just fine IMO :)

[Baxter Smith]

Very nice idea! Now if I can just remember it!

[Jim Burr]

I love this Bob!! The size is great. Since the glass container can be refilled, maybe cast the beads and glass containers in resin. All in all...it's a great job of making something old...new.

[Bob Rotche]

Thanks for all the kind words. Stability is not an issue at all while it is sitting on the table. Problem is if I were transporting it (to give as a gift or take to a craft show, etc.) With the marginally too small recess, I had to actually choose smaller bits of glass to fit in the tighter spots (PITA) though that will be corrected on my next one. Art, I think your idea could work well, my concern was to have the top layer of glass bits to be free of any sign of adhesive. Will have to try it next time. Would like to have the candle light filter through the glass but typical tea lights have an aluminum holder that would prevent lateral spread of light. May get some off the top as they sit into the glass cups a little bit. Not apparent with the black glass but maybe with something more translucent. Will definitely try this again, maybe with some dyed wood and colored glass.

[Scott Hackler]

That a nice project, Bob. I would agree to create a base of epoxy and bed the glass into it. If your worried about being able to replace the candle glass then you might experiment with coating the glass with something and sit it into epoxy to see if you can get "non-stick". Vasoline come to mind but I don't know if it would work. That way the glass cups wouldn't be a permanent part of the center portion.