Chinese Chestnut Cup

[Marty Eargle]

This is the first piece that I've submitted to the Creek. I've turned quite a few things before now but none that I'm as happy with as this. Most of it was Ambrosia Maple, which is not one of my favorite woods, but popular with many. I suppose that you call this a bowl or a cup. I've been calling it a cup simply because it is taller than it is wide, not that that means anything really.

I got this wood a few weeks ago from Mike Smith ( www.centurytreeturnings.com (http://www.centurytreeturnings.com) ) and it was my first time turning Chinese Chestnut. It was a dream to turn and needed very little sanding. Only a little around the natural lip. My favorite part of it is the knot running through it and the discoloration on the bottom of the cup. This piece was turned for my girlfriend who picked out the blank because of the lip.

Finish: Three coats of Walnut Oil/WOP mix with a bit of the gloss knocked off
Dimensions: 4" x 4.5"

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Thanks for looking. Tips and criticisms welcome.

[David E Keller]

That's cool, Marty! It sure is some pretty wood and a difficult form to boot. Thanks for sharing.

[Karl Card]

I really like that wood. I also like what you did with that wood... very nice....
I read where you used walnut oil, I had never used walnut but just bought a bottle at woodcraft being it was on sale so I will soon be trying it out..

[Marty Eargle]

I started using Walnut oil a few weeks ago for some of my projects. It doesn't work was well as the alternatives with some woods...but makes others pop very well. Also doesn't hurt that it smells great...I think so at least. In my experiences so far, it does take a little longer to cure than BLO and Mineral oil but don't take that as fact.

[John Keeton]

Marty, very nice work! I have some of Mike's Chinese Chestnut, and have done a couple of pieces with it - great wood to work with and the figure is great. I think you will find that mineral oil really doesn't ever harden. It will soak in, and eventually seem to set up, but it doesn't polymerize and that is what it takes to make a hard finish. On mixing walnut oil with WOP, I wonder if you would do as well to apply the walnut oil first, let it cure for a few days and then start the WOP routine. There is a decent summary on the various oils as used in finishing here (http://www.woodturningvideosplus.com/oil-finish.html).

[Karl Card]

I was kind of thinking the same thing on the mineral oil. It doesnt harden and I pretty much use it only on cutting boards at this point. I do use and keep a can of tung oil, teak oil, walnut oil, boiled linseed and watco danish oil. Being new to this sort of thing though I usually wait till I find something on sale then give it a try. John that site you have a link to is nice and I see alot of new things being tried after I read that site thoroughly.

[bob svoboda]

Nice piece and some awesome wood. Well done.

[Robert McGowen]

That is a nice job. I can't tell from your photo if the bottom is flat or not, but if you make a very slight concave bottom, it will sit flatter if any movement occurs later down the line. Looking forward to the next project.

[Russell Eaton]

Nice cup Marty, the steep sides are not easy to do. Nice color in the piece as well.

[Jim Burr]

Very nice Job Marty...I like the shape and the finish came out well to!

[Marty Eargle]

Marty, very nice work! I have some of Mike's Chinese Chestnut, and have done a couple of pieces with it - great wood to work with and the figure is great. I think you will find that mineral oil really doesn't ever harden. It will soak in, and eventually seem to set up, but it doesn't polymerize and that is what it takes to make a hard finish. On mixing walnut oil with WOP, I wonder if you would do as well to apply the walnut oil first, let it cure for a few days and then start the WOP routine. There is a decent summary on the various oils as used in finishing here (http://www.woodturningvideosplus.com/oil-finish.html).

John, very useful link. I haven't worked much with mineral oil other than on a few pieces of maple I didn't want to darken. I guess it does make sense that it doesn't fully cure.


That is a nice job. I can't tell from your photo if the bottom is flat or not, but if you make a very slight concave bottom, it will sit flatter if any movement occurs later down the line. Looking forward to the next project.

You definitely can't tell from the photo, but the bottom is dished out just slightly. I didn't want to remove any more of the bottom color and knot than I had to, but it is cupped just enough to eliminate any wobbles.