Big Leaf Maple Burl Amphora

[Rick Markham]

This is my Beauty for the Beauty and the Beast contest.
Big Leaf Maple Burl Amphora
6" high 4.5" diameter
WOP finish
C&C Welcome and appreciated
Thanks for looking!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/IMG_0277.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/IMG_0276.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/IMG_0278.jpg

[charlie knighton]

very nice, i like your rim, pretty wood

[Baxter Smith]

Nice job Rick. I like everything about it except for the bottom where the continuous curve in, seems to straighten or even flow back outward again(although it may be an illusion).

[Rick Markham]

Baxter, that's my beef with this one too. It probably deserves more to be in the beast category for how it treated me at the end. I tried a different technique (than I have been using for my hollowforms) for finishing the bottom. During the process it became quite uncooperative in the donut chuck, and I became too concerned with buggering it up to correct it. Such is the risk we take in experimenting with technique... maybe the next one will be more cooperative :D

[John Keeton]

Rick, I like the form and the wood is beautiful. Looks like you did an excellent job on finishing, too. I agree on the curvature issue, and a tad larger foot would do better IMO with the wide mouth.

[Steve Schlumpf]

I like it because it is different and doesn't follow the 1/3 rule! Beautiful wood and your finish really brought it to life!! Nice work!

[Michelle Rich]

oooohhhh she's a beauty. Delightful vase..

[Paul Heely]

That wood is gorgeous, as is the finish. I agree that the curve on the foot is a little off, but that's a small nit on an otherwise beautiful piece.

Paul

[Jim Burr]

That finish really sets it off Rick!! Couple of flat spots, but overall, it's a winner!!

[mike ash]

Very pretty Rick! The form and finish really show off the burl. Nicely done.

[Tim Rinehart]

Rick,
Impressive looking piece. The cut in of the top to the bottom must have been a challenge...was it all with detail gouge in that transition or ???
Wonderful wood that burl is also, looks like a super piece. I like the form, but wonder about smoothing the first transition at the shoulder. Perhaps I've become so accustomed to what an 'amphora' should look like from seeing DD's work...I'm trying too much to compare the two. Beautiful entry for the contest!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Beautiful vase and wood Rick. I really like the form and the finish looks spot on.

[Harvey Ghesser]

Georgeous work, Rick!
Can't wait to see what's next:D

[Rick Markham]

Tim, (If my memory serves) I managed to get that transition with a spindle gouge, though I might have broken out one of my detail gouges, honestly I was so focused on getting that area just right that I don't remember. (I will let you know definitively after the next one. This is definitely a form I am going to be doing more of. This one was a bugger. It tried to get away from me several times. The opposing transitions make the form a tricky one, I can see why DD has spent a great deal of effort exploring this shape.

John I agree with the base. It makes me a little crazy looking at it now that it is finished. I like the small base, but I would have liked to have gotten the curve perfect. Unfortunately it got away from me, and I had to settle. In hind sight, I should have just gone ahead and parted it off instead of putting it in the donut chuck, the proportions would have been more to what was in my head. It's still a very nice piece, but I see the flaws when I look at it :D, The inside on this one is steps above what I have been achieving, and I am quite proud of the accomplishments in it overall, it's the minor things that irk me a bit. That's ok though, progress rather than perfection ;) The next one is going to be even closer :)

Thank you all for the kind words and crititcisms, they are all welcome and appreciated.

[Curt Fuller]

Rick, that is just absolutely beautiful!

[George Guadiane]

I LOVE this one, it will get one of my votes on the first run through, GOOD LUCK!

[Rob Cunningham]

Beautiful vase Rick

[Rick Markham]

Thanks y'all!

Maybe someone has an idea that can help me. When I place these in my donut chuck, they are so thin, that almost even the very lightest touch when cutting the tenon will cause the form to flex ever so slightly which throws it off. (Which what happened with this piece, Even with the tailstock engaged in the bottom of the workpiece. At this point I'm not sure if I have any other option other than parting off the workpiece and hand carving the bottoms. I would rather have another option but for some reason my brain hasn't figured out a solution yet. Any advice or hints are appreciated :D

[Rick Markham]

I figured I would show a pic of how I center the piece in the donut chuck and fasten it down. This has made getting it dead center very easy, now If I can figure out a way to keep it from flexing while it's there :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/001-6.jpg

[Tim Thiebaut]

What a fantastic piece Rick....man you must have had to be careful not to crush the rim in the donut chuck, awesome job on this as always!

[Dick Wilson]

Sweeeeeeet!!!

[David DeCristoforo]

I don't know why but I really like this.....

[Rick Markham]

It's a really cool form, my proportions are very different from yours, yet it strangely still works... I still like yours better :p


I don't know why but I really like this.....

[Kathy Marshall]

That's a beauty Rick! A great piece of wood too!
On turning the bottom, I sometimes use a jam chuck. For a hf like that, I would turn a spindle a little longer than the piece is tall. I would turn the diameter just a hair under the diameter of the entry hole. All of the support would be at the bottom with the tailstock, the rim of the piece doesn't touch anything. The pressure from the tailstock should self center the piece. Turn the bottom except for where the live center contacts the piece, this will leave a very small nub that can be carved off off the lathe.

[Rick Markham]

Thanks Kathy, I will give that a go on the next one :)