Quartet of "Winged" things waiting for some finish sanding and finish.

[Jeff Nicol]

Well in between all the other things that keep me on my toes I have gotten these 4 pieces to this stage where some sanding and finish and a top/finial for the raised winged thing out of Cottonwood. The one on the left is Box elder that has some nice red all around the bowl portion with a little red shwing on the top at the bottom of the raised NE wings. It is about 8"+ x 5-7" at the high points. I am planning on doing some sort of carving or burning or something on the plain white of the top around the 3/4" opening. All hollow to about 1/4"- on the top and sides bottom a bit heavier. The second one is White Oak crotch with a little bit of decayed limb 6x3 or so, next is a little box elder with a bent wing that I wanted to try and then with a top and finial a little higher than the wings it should tie it all together. The last one is Spalted Cotton wood supported pot that will have a top and finial along with a small onion or something on the bottom to even out the top finial. Then there is a picture oor 2 of the last free wood I picked up, I have about 35' of the big box elder to go pick up and as much as I can cut and haul away from my friends farm.

Been getting a little turning in and have some NE bowls going to take to the gallery, they have been a hot item as of late, give em what they want I guess!

Thanks for looking and letting me know if I am still worthy, and John tear me up if you must, I need to be grounded!!

Have a great night,

Jeff

[David E Keller]

Nice collection of winged pieces there, Jeff! That piece of spalted stuff on the table in the fourth pic looks like it needs a little attention... If you don't have the time, I could probably find a nice home for it.:D

Congrats on the sales! I hope the new batch sells out quickly!

[Kathy Marshall]

Looks like you're going to have some nice winged thingies after the sanding and finishing. I especially like the one on the far left in the group shot and the one on the far right, I must be partial to the bigger bowl forms. Can't wait to see the finished products!
Nice wood haul you got too! Looks like you'll get some nice color out of that box elder!

[Jim Burr]

Awwww...those are cool! Well done and a great inspiration Jeff!

[Scott Hackler]

Nice work buddy! Make sure and post them after they are completely finished.

[Chris Burgess]

Jeff, these are great. How on earth did you get through this many winged forms in a row and not lose a limb? Danger Danger........ Just great work. Cant wait to see them finished. Really liking the big bowl on the left. Did you use hand tools on that or a hollowing rig?

[Jeff Nicol]

David, I can send some out right away, I was trying to clean up some things and that is just a small part of the chunk I found buried in the pile!

I always have more wood than any one man can use in a lifetime!

Jeff


Nice collection of winged pieces there, Jeff! That piece of spalted stuff on the table in the fourth pic looks like it needs a little attention... If you don't have the time, I could probably find a nice home for it.:D

Congrats on the sales! I hope the new batch sells out quickly!

[Jeff Nicol]

Chris, I am a hand hollower as that is how I learned, and since I make my own tools whenever I need somthing special, it is just easier for me. I still plan on making some sort of ariticulated or some type of captured system, just need to find the time!!

Jeff


Jeff, these are great. How on earth did you get through this many winged forms in a row and not lose a limb? Danger Danger........ Just great work. Cant wait to see them finished. Really liking the big bowl on the left. Did you use hand tools on that or a hollowing rig?

[Jeff Nicol]

Kathy, I have a bunch more to go pick up and if I can get back in with my log hauler I plan on sawing some of it into planks and boards. There are some trees that are 40" across the butt end, and as many as I want. Farmers hate them as they produce 10's of 1000's of seeds and just about each one will grow a new tree that can grow 3-6' in a year! I think I can unload some to AZ!

Jeff


Looks like you're going to have some nice winged thingies after the sanding and finishing. I especially like the one on the far left in the group shot and the one on the far right, I must be partial to the bigger bowl forms. Can't wait to see the finished products!
Nice wood haul you got too! Looks like you'll get some nice color out of that box elder!

[Jeff Fagen]

Look at all that fire ,wow wee! I can hear that sound a flying saucer makes when it takes off,very cool winged pieces!

[Tony De Masi]

Nice work Jeff. Really like the wingeg items with curves. Tough to do. But, how do you find the time to do all that you seem to be doing?

[John Keeton]

Jeff, I have said it before - you are the most talented, multi-faceted guy I have ever met! Having been to the home of the wizard, I have first hand knowledge of the fast pace at which your mind works. Given the battering your body has taken over the years, I fear your mind outruns your body's ability to keep up!!

This is great work - the one on the far right is my pick of the litter, but they will all finish out to be beautiful works.


I always have more wood than any one man can use in a lifetime!

JeffThat would be a gross understatement!!

[Jeff Nicol]

Tony, My sleeping schedule is a mess and with my bum back and shoulders I tend to be awake more than sleeping. So I try to have a little planning and strategy session each morning, like now drinking coffee, icing the hurting parts and getting the blood flowing so the pain meds do thier job. Then I get busy to avoid thinking about how tired I am and how much I enjoy making things, which gets me through to about 1:30 -2:00 each day. That is when my lazy boy calls my name and I zonk out for an hour or so of regeneration! I guess the extreme joy I get out of accomplishing something is worth everything, I get it from my Dad who is 73 and just built a new house last year, and is now building a narrow gauge train layout in his yard that will have about 1200' of track with siding, switches and maybe even a bridge over the swamp!

The only thing that I fail on is the Honey do list, my wife lets me know just about every day where my shortcomings are! I tell her I have time before I die!!

Thanks all for the coments and I hope to finish them soon

Jeff

[Jon Nuckles]

All nice pieces, Jeff, and that boxelder form on the left is amazing. Congratulations on having a hot item, saleswise.

[charlie knighton]

congratulations on the wood haul, nice assortment of wing thingys, hope to see finished product, thanks for sharing

[Bernie Weishapl]

Nice wood haul and really nice winged pieces. Please post when finished.

[Randy Gleckler]

Jeff, those are some fantastic pieces. Winged vessels are one of the types I enjoy the most and really like the shapes you are working on there. Fantastic job

[Jeff Nicol]

Thanks all for the words of encouragement, when I first started turning pretty seriously 6 years ago I wanted to turn one of these just to see what it was all about. I had a small black cherry limb that had been dead for a while and the bark was off and it was weathered gray and dry. I tackled it with vigor and whacked my fingers a few times but kept at it, but had some issues with tool marks and it took me a lot of hand sanding to get it to where I was happy with it. It was a learning experience but it has paid off in the long run. It was one of the first things that I sold at the first gallery I was in and I was tickled to death that the goofy little thing sold! Now I can put them out much faster and with very little hand sanding, depending on the wood, but much better than that first one. With the bigger and faster lathe (PM3520B) I am able to control the speed with ease and that is the key to good clean cuts when turning air half the time. The big test is turning the hollow form in the middle and keeping tools and body parts out of the way of the "Propeller" as it is whirring on the lathe!

John, You give me too much credit, I am just a lucky boob who loves to make wood curls! I have been in love with wood working all my life, there is just something about the variety, color, smells, grain, and all the wild things under the bark, I am still awed by what I see inside a block of wood! Thank you for you very kind words, I am humbled my friend.

I too like the one on the right, there is just a cool look about the way the vessel is riding high on the wings with the natural edge holding it up. It is very thin and light weight with just enough spalting to ad some whimsy to the otherwise bland cottonwood. I will finish it first then.

Thanks again,

Jeff

[Michael James]

Interesting stuff there. If the winged thingies don't go over well there, try to get em over to Roswell, NM. :cool: Keep em coming big guy! Glad to see you turning wood!

mj

[Cathy Schaewe]

Those are neat! Really different! Like everybody else, I want to see the finished versions.
That box elder is such beautiful stuff - too bad it doesn't retain its color.
I too am glad to see you turning!