Have you got any projects going at present ?

[Roger Chandler]

Got anything going as far a woodturning that has got you pulse rate up a little? Tell us about what you have going on.............

Pics in progress, or even a description would make for some idea of what is going on in the turning community.........

Lets hear it gang! :cool:

[charlie knighton]

i have a nephew graduating high school this June, got to get something done, i cut up some blanks today, hope to get started monday

[Steve Vaughan]

Been a tick slow for me. I'm finishing up buffing some plates I made from wood I brought back from Costa Rica. They were finished two months ago! But then I picked up a cheapo motorcycle that's got all my attention right now trying to get 'er running.

[Marty Eargle]

Currently working on a shallow ogee type bowl out of Claro Walnut. It has some interesting discoloration so shaping it around that has been slightly interesting. As an accent...it has three parallel cracks going down the side that look like some pretty deadly claw marks. So, after I make the rough cut for the inside of the bowl, I'll have to decide if I'm going to fill them in or clean them up and leave them as they are.

I also have a Mimosa bowl I've been working on for a couple of days. The grain is really kicking me in the tail so I'm having to do a lot of light cuts and a lot of sanding. It has also turned out to be one of those pieces where the color and grain just doesn't look as good as you'd imagine it to be from the blank. I'm guessing we all know how that goes.

[Tim Thiebaut]

I am working on my first HF on a pedistal. There have been some big challenges, I have done some of the various different parts that go into something like this, but first time putting all of these different components all together. While hollowing the main part of the project I had several bad catchs, one was bad enough to split the bottom of the piece just above the glue block and send the main portion flying across the shop, I was lucky in that where it split apart is "just" below the hollowed portion so it didnt effect that, I was able to realign everything and glue it back together, once done and sanded even I cant see where it had come apart. The other tricky part has been making the pedistal the right height for the piece so that it dosnt look to tall, or to short. Bringing all of these pieces together and making sure everything is the right height, right thickness, right curvature etc...has been a lot of fun. Everything that is completed to this point is dry fit together and standing tall...I have one last piece to do, its half done and on the lathe now, and that is the finial. I usualy have another project going while working on something so that while pieces are drying, cureing or whatever I can be working on something else, but this has so many pieces that I havnt started anything else yet...should be done and ready for me to start applying finish tomorrow I hope.

Good thread Roger, it will be interesting to hear about other peoples current projects.

EDIT - I did think of one other thing I am just about finished with that gave me some grief...a Banksia pod Xmas ornament, that is some TOUGH stuff to turn, and brittle to, but I think it came out beautiful, it is all done but hanging in my cardboard finish box cureing....if you have been considering turning a banksia pod but were unsure of it, I say go for it, it is fun, and the outcome is so different and unique it is well worth the effort!

[Karl Card]

I am making a 3 piece desk set for a friend of mine to auction off for Riley's hospital. It is being made of Olivewood and will consist of a pen, letter opener and a magnifier. The pen will also have a gold cross as the hardware for the clip. Then besides that I am doing a walnut bowl, a spalted maple and walnut trinket box, a box made of canary wood, a bunch of cedar pens with copper hardware, and an awesome cherry box for my mom that has some spectacular grain activity and I am in the process of finishing it with BLO then let that cure then sand smooth with 0000 steel wool then 4 coats of deft lacquer then buffing with EEE. It is smoother than a babies newborn butt... then besides that I have a few cedar bowls that never got finished being turned, a cocobolo bowl that is not finished being turned, and a couple of red oak bowls than still need finished with turning, and well I think i need to go to the shop and start finishing some stuff....

[neil mackay]

Oh heck! too many I reckon. I am over hauling from the ground up a old woodfast circa 1987, putting the finishing touches to my new shop and building larger capacity wood lathe of which is about 70% done.

[Dan Forman]

I have a few things on the to do list, one being a goblet/flower type thingy on a pedestal, a narrow necked hollowed from the bottom vase like Dr Dave did, and the coolest one I can't say anything about now cause it would spoil it. :)

Dan

[Dick Wilson]

I am currently working on a new suspended piece that is entitled "Hale Bop - Close Encounter". And that folks, is all I am going to say.:D:D:D You all will just have to wait:D:D:D

PS - I forgot the other piece I am doing - "Fishing At Sunset". Again, wait!!!:D:D

[Keith E Byrd]

I am working on 4 walnut bowls 15x5, 13x5 and 2 9x4. My son asked me to make popcorn bowls for the family. Thes bowls will hold a lot of popocorn! One is drying and three are in the DNA soaker.

[Hayes Rutherford]

Roger, this was a great idea for a thread. I thought of starting one "What's on your bench or finishing table" but have been so busy lately I haven't been able to touch my camera but even if I did, I would only be able to take a pic of projects lying on just about every flat surface I have available. Priorities being items that are getting finish that needs to cure the most. My most major sales event is coming up next week and I need at least 80 to 100 pieces but other work is getting in the way. We had a major windstorm that blew down hundreds of trees many of which fell on nice lake cabins and homes. Unfortunately, aside from an occasional birch, most are all conifer trees and not desirable for turning.

Like Dan Forman, I am working on something that I can't talk about. The only thing I will say about it is that it involves copper and I am looking for some copper rivets with decorative heads.

[John Keeton]

I kind of go from start to finish on a piece, and rarely have more than one going at a time - this past couple of weeks being an exception. I have a couple of pieces in the drying stage (after DNA), one of which is the cherry burl given me by Baxter Smith. Those will be 3-4 weeks drying, I suspect. While I have some thoughts for other pieces, I believe my next one will be an upright cremation urn of Claro walnut and some other species - yet undecided. Spring and summer are not the best months for me, as other activities and chores get in the way.

[Roger Chandler]

I am working on my first HF on a pedistal. There have been some big challenges, I have done some of the various different parts that go into something like this, but first time putting all of these different components all together. While hollowing the main part of the project I had several bad catchs, one was bad enough to split the bottom of the piece just above the glue block and send the main portion flying across the shop, I was lucky in that where it split apart is "just" below the hollowed portion so it didnt effect that, I was able to realign everything and glue it back together, once done and sanded even I cant see where it had come apart. The other tricky part has been making the pedistal the right height for the piece so that it dosnt look to tall, or to short. Bringing all of these pieces together and making sure everything is the right height, right thickness, right curvature etc...has been a lot of fun. Everything that is completed to this point is dry fit together and standing tall...I have one last piece to do, its half done and on the lathe now, and that is the finial. I usualy have another project going while working on something so that while pieces are drying, cureing or whatever I can be working on something else, but this has so many pieces that I havnt started anything else yet...should be done and ready for me to start applying finish tomorrow I hope.

Good thread Roger, it will be interesting to hear about other peoples current projects.

EDIT - I did think of one other thing I am just about finished with that gave me some grief...a Banksia pod Xmas ornament, that is some TOUGH stuff to turn, and brittle to, but I think it came out beautiful, it is all done but hanging in my cardboard finish box cureing....if you have been considering turning a banksia pod but were unsure of it, I say go for it, it is fun, and the outcome is so different and unique it is well worth the effort!

Tim,

It is these types of projects that really develop our skill level.........multiple pieces and contrasting woods along with getting proportions correct on pedestals and finials is what takes us to new levels,IMO.

Once basic tool skills are aquired and perfected to some degree........then the "art & science" of project creativity, proportions, etc come into play............you my friend are advancing well! ;)

[Roger Chandler]

I kind of go from start to finish on a piece, and rarely have more than one going at a time - this past couple of weeks being an exception. I have a couple of pieces in the drying stage (after DNA), one of which is the cherry burl given me by Baxter Smith. Those will be 3-4 weeks drying, I suspect. While I have some thoughts for other pieces, I believe my next one will be an upright cremation urn of Claro walnut and some other species - yet undecided. Spring and summer are not the best months for me, as other activities and chores get in the way.

John,

Looking forward to the debut of your next pieces. Don't I know about other things getting in the way!

[Robert McGowen]

I have 3 kids that will all be juniors in college this fall. (twins plus one kid that took 2 years off to travel) I am trying to remember where the lathe is!

[Roger Chandler]

I have 3 kids that will all be juniors in college this fall. (twins plus one kid that took 2 years off to travel) I am trying to remember where the lathe is!

Robert,

With all that going on it is amazing you can do anything but work 24 hrs a day to pay for the college expense...:eek:......maybe you can find some time before long and get lost in the vortex, if only for a couple of hours......:) My son just graduated with his second degree.

[Reed Gray]

I took my 15 year old daughter driving on the streets for the first time last weekend, late evening so there was little traffic. She did really well. No white knuckles, no foot prints on the floor from me trying to hit the breaks.

robo hippy

[Robert McGowen]

Robert,

With all that going on it is amazing you can do anything but work 24 hrs a day to pay for the college expense...:eek:......maybe you can find some time before long and get lost in the vortex, if only for a couple of hours......:) My son just graduated with his second degree.


Did not mentioned the first kid graduated with a Master's degree this month. Fully retired after 29 years of cop work and still working 45 hours a week........ That is one reason I mostly do segmented work. 15-30 minutes every couple of days and in month or two you have a vase! :D

[John Hart]

Just got accepted at a new gallery yesterday and working on getting pieces ready for their June 4th Festival. I have 24 vase bodies that need appendages and just finished two today....I'll post in a few hours.

Nice thread Roger!

[Nate Davey]

Working on my first hollow form with a collar and finial. HF is done need tighten up the collar without ruining the whole piece....fingers crossed.

[John Hart]

Working on my first hollow form with a collar and finial. HF is done need tighten up the collar without ruining the whole piece....fingers crossed.

Want me to do it for ya Nate? Heck, I can ruin the piece in a couple minutes for ya. THAT...I'm good at! :)

[Roger Chandler]

Working on my first hollow form with a collar and finial. HF is done need tighten up the collar without ruining the whole piece....fingers crossed.

That will be a step up.........I think when a turner gets to the place they can do a good job on a HF with a collar and finial, then it does something for their confidence..........hope it goes well Nate!

[Roger Chandler]

Just got accepted at a new gallery yesterday and working on getting pieces ready for their June 4th Festival. I have 24 vase bodies that need appendages and just finished two today....I'll post in a few hours.

Nice thread Roger!

Another gallery John? Geez............you are on a roll, my friend! I have not yet attempted getting "juried" or even trying to sell anything..........but I have been thinking about it...........we have a local gallery that I can submit 10 - 12 pieces for critique, and if accepted, then I can display, sell and also do "volunteer" work at the gallery......which is "strongly recommended" if you know what I mean.

My thing is time to be able to commit, and I am not sure I want to do the whole tax thing..........I don't mind paying the taxes, but all the record keeping is not what I want to do at this point.

[John Hart]

Another gallery John? Geez............you are on a roll, my friend! I have not yet attempted getting "juried" or even trying to sell anything..........but I have been thinking about it...........we have a local gallery that I can submit 10 - 12 pieces for critique, and if accepted, then I can display, sell and also do "volunteer" work at the gallery......which is "strongly recommended" if you know what I mean.

My thing is time to be able to commit, and I am not sure I want to do the whole tax thing..........I don't mind paying the taxes, but all the record keeping is not what I want to do at this point.

Yeah...I know what you mean Roger. I've never sold anything either. But here I am...taking the plunge. As far as the record-keeping goes...that shouldn't be a problem, cuz I don't expect anyone to buy anything!!! :)

[Matt Hutchinson]

Working on a another kiln dried piece. It's a 14" very wide rimmed "bowl" with a series of beads on the rim, with an experimental graphite finish. I have removed the bulk of the wood, and now it's adjusting to my shop for a couple weeks before I turn it to completion. I'm looking forward to the results!

I also have a large (20" tall) spalted hickory vase, a couple tall and narrow natural edge "vases", and an 18" walnut crotch "modern" vase (basically a vee shape) all waiting to be final turned and finished. I'ma gonna be busy!!! (I will say more about this as the date gets closer, but I have a gallery feature at a local furniture gallery. I may be exhibiting as many as 25 pieces. I am very excited, but rather behind schedule.)

Hutch

[David E Keller]

I've got a big red mallee burl cap on the lathe, and I'm stalling on finishing the sanding on the backside before reversing and hollowing. It should finish out at about 17x14x3.5 inches. I hate sanding...

[Tim Thiebaut]

I took my 15 year old daughter driving on the streets for the first time last weekend, late evening so there was little traffic. She did really well. No white knuckles, no foot prints on the floor from me trying to hit the breaks.

robo hippy
Oh then you are so lucky...I didnt sleep for weeks when I was teaching my daughter to drive, I was wishing for a steering wheel on my side....and a brake pedal as well...oh god I think the night mares are coming back now and its been 10 years since then!

[Roger Chandler]

Working on a another kiln dried piece. It's a 14" very wide rimmed "bowl" with a series of beads on the rim, with an experimental graphite finish. I have removed the bulk of the wood, and now it's adjusting to my shop for a couple weeks before I turn it to completion. I'm looking forward to the results!

I also have a large (20" tall) spalted hickory vase, a couple tall and narrow natural edge "vases", and an 18" walnut crotch "modern" vase (basically a vee shape) all waiting to be final turned and finished. I'ma gonna be busy!!! (I will say more about this as the date gets closer, but I have a gallery feature at a local furniture gallery. I may be exhibiting as many as 25 pieces. I am very excited, but rather behind schedule.)

Hutch

Hutch........looking forward to your debut on these projects you have going. I took real interest in your thread with the 5 foot cherry vase..........wow! Good luck on your upcoming show!

[Roger Chandler]

I've got a big red mallee burl cap on the lathe, and I'm stalling on finishing the sanding on the backside before reversing and hollowing. It should finish out at about 17x14x3.5 inches. I hate sanding...

David,

Is this one going to be a platter? That is a pretty good sized blank...........I would think with it being a cap that it might make a good platter for form........

[David E Keller]

David,

Is this one going to be a platter? That is a pretty good sized blank...........I would think with it being a cap that it might make a good platter for form........

Platter/shallow bowl with a wide natural edge rim.

[Roger Chandler]

Platter/shallow bowl with a wide natural edge rim.

David.........:cool::cool::cool::cool:! [way cool!]

[Tim Thiebaut]

Tim,

............you my friend are advancing well! ;)

Thank you Roger!! And this was a great thread you started!!

[Alan Trout]

I am trying to get things done to take to the National Symposium for the instant gallery. I am working right now on another Acorn cap vase. A shape I have had stuck in my head for a while. If it all works out it should be a nice piece. But you never know if it will make it past the casting phase. I have about 12hrs in it right now with what I will guess will be about another 40 or so to go. I am a lot like John in that I like to finish a piece from start to finish. Keeps me from letting to much ADD enter my life.

Alan

[Roger Chandler]

I am trying to get things done to take to the National Symposium for the instant gallery. I am working right now on another Acorn cap vase. A shape I have had stuck in my head for a while. If it all works out it should be a nice piece. But you never know if it will make it past the casting phase. I have about 12hrs in it right now with what I will guess will be about another 40 or so to go. I am a lot like John in that I like to finish a piece from start to finish. Keeps me from letting to much ADD enter my life.

Alan

Looking forward to this one Alan............if it is anywhere near the last one you posted, then we are all in for a treat for sure!