1st Piercing

[Kathy Marshall]

I've always admired pierced work and have a great respect for those with the patience and skill to make such beautiful pieces. My respect has only grown after my 1st attempt at piercing!

This piece started out as just a vase. I wasn't totally happy with my 1st vase and wanted to give it another try and get closer to the vision I had in my head. Once I got the outside shape turned, I decided to hollow it pretty thin and try a pierced band around the top.

I used a pencil to mark the top and bottom border and tried a few different bits before I settled on one.

I started with the one on the left, but it was too small, had to work it around to make the hole big enough and that left a really rough edge. So then I tried the 2nd from the left, but it was to big. It did make a nice clean hole so I guess I need to see if I can find one in a smaller size. The one 2nd from the right is the one I ended up using. It was still a little bigger than what I wanted and because of the shape, I had to poke it in and out to get a consistent sized hole from outside to inside. I used the one on the right to clean up any ragged edges.
200414

Forgot to measure, but I'm guessing it's about 7 x 4" and just has a coat of DO so far. The walls are about 3/16" (when I poured some DO inside, it pretty much all leaked out right through the walls).
I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, now I just need to find some better sized burrs.
200417200415200416

Thanks for looking!
As always comments and critiques are welcome.

[David E Keller]

That's cool, Kathy! I think the pierced border really dresses up the piece... It's beautiful wood too!

[Dennis Ford]

Beautiful piece, it is way too nice to be a first anything. Great job!

[Scott Hackler]

Oh No.... you've tried piercing....now your stuck! Before too long you will be looking at a NSK Presto! (worth it if your going to do more piercings).

Great looking vase and the piercing really dresses it up!

[John Keeton]

Let me guess - mesquite????;):D Great form for piercing - very nice work, Kathy.

[Dick Wilson]

Marvelous piercing in you first attempt Kathy. It sure changes the look of the piece doesn't it? I have done a fair amount of piercing. If you are like me you have to stop every once in a while and take a breather cuz it gets darn intense ;);). I would love to have an NSK system but in lew of that I use a Dremel. I have tried all kinds of bits. Of late I have successfully used a RotoZip tile cutting but - purchased in Dremel section of Lowe's. It is somewhat crude so you have to back into each piercing with a fine bit and get rid of the fuzzys. It is fun, challenging, time consuming, and gets big bucks.

Suggestion: Pierced work is very fragile. That is why all my pierced work is on the top shelf of my show booth....out of the reach of kids. Secondly, I used to put the pierced pieces inside pillow cases in a tote until I had a couple break. Now I have a tote specificlly for pierced work and use bubble wrap.

[Michael James]

Very nice piece and the piercing looks great..and my favorite wood to boot! What tool did you use to drive the bits? dremel, knockoff or??? Thanks for upping.
Michael

[Roger Chandler]

Just a lovely piece.........congratulations.........the "R-teeest" in you is showing ;)

[Baxter Smith]

I like the wood, I like the shape, I like the piercing. Must like it a lot! Well done Kathy!

[Kathy Marshall]

That's cool, Kathy! I think the pierced border really dresses up the piece... It's beautiful wood too!
Thanks David!


Beautiful piece, it is way too nice to be a first anything. Great job!
Thanks Dennis!


Oh No.... you've tried piercing....now your stuck! Before too long you will be looking at a NSK Presto! (worth it if your going to do more piercings).

Great looking vase and the piercing really dresses it up!
Thanks Scott! I just looked up the price on the NSK :eek: and it's going to have to wait, saving up for a Mcnaughton, but I did see some bits that will work better!


Marvelous piercing in you first attempt Kathy. It sure changes the look of the piece doesn't it? I have done a fair amount of piercing. If you are like me you have to stop every once in a while and take a breather cuz it gets darn intense ;);). I would love to have an NSK system but in lew of that I use a Dremel. I have tried all kinds of bits. Of late I have successfully used a RotoZip tile cutting but - purchased in Dremel section of Lowe's. It is somewhat crude so you have to back into each piercing with a fine bit and get rid of the fuzzys. It is fun, challenging, time consuming, and gets big bucks.

Suggestion: Pierced work is very fragile. That is why all my pierced work is on the top shelf of my show booth....out of the reach of kids. Secondly, I used to put the pierced pieces inside pillow cases in a tote until I had a couple break. Now I have a tote specificlly for pierced work and use bubble wrap.
Thanks Dick! I think I'm going to try some of the bits for the NSK (and bring a barstool out to the shop next time)


Very nice piece and the piercing looks great..and my favorite wood to boot! What tool did you use to drive the bits? dremel, knockoff or??? Thanks for upping.
Michael
Thanks Michael! I used my dremel.


Just a lovely piece.........congratulations.........the "R-teeest" in you is showing ;)
Thanks Roger!


Let me guess - mesquite????;):D Great form for piercing - very nice work, Kathy.
Thanks John! How'd you guess? :D

[David DeCristoforo]

I really like the shape of this. The piercing adds a lot. I would like to commend you for your restraint in confining the piercing to the band at the top instead of doing the whole thing. It adds an extra visual interest to an already pleasing piece. Excellent 1st attempt.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Kathy that is a beauty. I like the piercing, form and the wood looks great.

[Dane Fuller]

Very nice Kathy. The mesquite pieces of yours have inspired me. I hope to someday turn some of this Texas mesquite into something worth looking at.

[Steve Schlumpf]

That sure is pretty! Great form and your pierced detail work at the rim really enhances the piece! Looking forward to see where this piercing stuff takes you! Saw a bunch of stuff that was pierced at the symposium - absolutely amazing what some people can create! Have fun with it!

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Kathy,
The vase is wonderful in shape and grain character before the piercing. Creating such a delicate pattern made it artful. Do more but find a smaller tool to hold before you get serious "writers cramp". And, forget the barstool. Graham Priddle says he finds a lounge chair, kicks off his flip flops and does his pyro in a semi-reclined position.
faust

[Doug W Swanson]

Wow! That looks great for your first piercing project. One of these days I'm going to have to try it. I hope my first turns out half as nice as yours!

[Jeff Fagen]

I am happy to see you did this with a Dremel.I would like to try it.
At the sympodium I saw a demo by J Paul Fennell where he went into detail on piercing and he uses an air powered dental tool with used sterile dental bits he gets from the dentist.
He says it's far and above a Dremel.

[Rick Markham]

Very nice Kathy! It a beautiful first! I really like pierced pieces, eventually I will get set up to give it a try. I like the form of your piece, it suits the mesquite. I can't wait to see what your second one is going to look like.

[Toney Robertson]

That is a beautiful job of piercing and I like the treatment only at the rim. It does add a air of sophistication.

[Tim Thiebaut]

Wow Kathy that looks great! The vase alone would have done it for me, great form and well the wood is beautiful, but the pierceing just puts it over the top for me, you did an awesome job for your first try at this!

[Robert McGowen]

Very nice! I agree with the other posts in that the piercing does step things up a notch!

[Dennis Simmons]

Simply Stunning, how will you top this??

[Kathy Marshall]

Thanks for all the great comments everyone!
I enjoyed making this piece and I'm already thinking ahead to the next. I don't know that I'll ever have the patience to pierce an entire piece unless it's very small, but I do think it's a great way to add an accent!