Kentucky Coffee vase

[Scott Hackler]

More filler work while in between the "monster" projects.....

I picked up this wood at our club meeting. The widow of a late member brought some of his wood to be sold for a donation to a local college. It was marked Kentuck Coffee tree. It was bone dry and very dusty to turn. I actually started this several months ago but got distracted on other projects. I had placed the oak ring to experiment with turning a HF in two pieces. Verdict.... I didnt like the process and probably wont do that again. The vessel and top portion was easy enough to turn but smoothing out the ring on the inside was NOT!

6" x 4". Finished with thinned shellac, lacquer and Ren Wax.

Comments are always welcome, thanks.

203020

[Robert McGowen]

Nice wood. I think that the oak ring kind of detracts from the entire vase. I understand why you put it there though. It also looks like the grain of the ring and the grain of the vase are running perpendicular to each other, which usually ends up with bad things happening.

[charlie knighton]

nice wood, Scott, lots of grain

[ray hampton]

nice wood but too light for coffee maybe a dark tea [pun intended ]

[Scott Hackler]

... It also looks like the grain of the ring and the grain of the vase are running perpendicular to each other, which usually ends up with bad things happening.

Your right about the grain. I had actually thought that the marriage of end grain to side grain would be stronger that end to end. I didnt put a bunch of time or thought into this one, so it is what it is. It will make a good B-Day gift!

[Marty Eargle]

I agree that the ring is a little distracting. The KCT looks really good though, and the form is nice. Sometimes I prefer a wider mouth on a vase...its a much more classic style.

I have a piece of fairly wet KCT chucked up right now. I have never turned it, but if the piece you have there is how a typical piece looks, I can't believe you don't see more of it around.

Good piece!

[Scott Hackler]

Its pretty nice looking wood. Expecially the piece I had since it was filled with little bug castings. Thats hard to see in the small-ish pictures here, but its got a bunch of small holes on the surface.

[Tim Thiebaut]

Very nice Scott, I like the form alot, not to thrilled about the oak piece, but still a very nice turning.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Scott,
I had some good size pieces of Kentucky Coffee and turned rough outs. I haven't finished any yet but your turning makes me anxious to do so. The finished grain looks magnificent. The wood smelled really good in the shop. I can't say it was an aroma of strong coffee but was very pleasant.
faust

[Jim Burr]

I hope you have some more of this! +1 on the previous comments. I'd like to see what you can do with one big 'ol chunk!

[Jeff Nicol]

Scott, There you go again, teasing me with a species of wood I can't get very easily! I like the grain and color of the KCT, maybe you could burn the ring of oak and make it more of a contrast and embellished addition. Nice form and finish and we only learn from our short comings!'

I still have to turn some of that "Hedge" you gave me, I am getting tired of tripping over it while I am in the shop! Soon, I hope,

Jeff

[Jamie Donaldson]

I wouldn't be too anxious to lust after much of this KCT, because most of it suffers from wind shakes, or what some call heart shakes. It has a strong tendancy to split around the center rings as it dries, and I have tried to nurse a bunch of it dry over the past several years.

[Scott Hackler]

OHHH burn the oak... burn the oak..... That might "fix" the problems with this one!

Jeff, you need to get to turning that hedge. I saved a few pieces for myself and now have an appreciation for the wood. Boy does it turn well and it barely moves at all when drying! If fact the few pieces I have turned I air dried, just to see... and they are OK. Guess I am going back to Dad's adn cut up some more (if it ever cools down around here).

[Jeff Nicol]

Scott, I hope I did not hit a sour note with my thoughts on the vase, just wanted to be a pain in the rump! I will get at the hedge after I am done welding this week. Tomorrow is a tree harvesting day on the big box elders, and I mean "BIG" laying on the ground growing all crazy.

Don't push your Dad too much, he may make you cut all his firewood for the year!

Have fun,

Jeff

[Paul Williams]

Scott, I like the wood but not the oak ring. Would like to see you try Jeff's suggestion and darken it up. Perhaps wood burn a pattern into the ring. Other than the ring it is a great looking vase.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Scott I do like the form and wood but the oak just doesn't do it. I might try burning it as suggested.