"Black and Tan"

[John Keeton]

And, no, I ain't talkin' 'bout my coon hound!!:D This is a piece of Chinese chestnut from Mike Smith. I have several blocks of this wood, and it is really enjoyable to turn. On a couple of previous turnings with it, I applied BLO, which really darkens the wood and adds a lot of warmth. I did not do that on this one. At first, I regretted that decision, but I kind of like the different look. It has a couple coats of shellac, sanded back a little, and WOP. Then lightly sanded with 600 and 1200, and left matte, with only a light buffing with Tripoli. The finish is very soft and "touchable". Seemed to be a good contrast in texture, color and sheen with the African blackwood finial that is dyed black, lacquered, and buffed. The form is replicated twice in the finial, and the neck of the finial is .05" - one of the smaller ones I have done.

The dimensions are 5" wide, and 4.75" to the tip of the finial. Again, fire away - all comments, good and bad, are welcome!

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[John Beaver]

John,
I was just telling someone today about how you replicate the form in your finials (something I really like) , and here you do it twice.
Very nice.
JB

[charlie knighton]

John, this piece has a lot of lift :not sure if it the matte finish of form rising to shinny finial point, or the curl in the wood lifting the piece, very nice and that chinese chestnut is pretty wood

[Greg Just]

I always tought a Black & Tan was a Bass Ale and a Guinness stout? As always John, very nice piece. Love the way the top just flows into the bottom of the finial. Well done.

[David DeCristoforo]

This is sweet. It just screams "Steve Schlumpf" and yet it's got "John Keeton" written all over it.

[Kathy Marshall]

Very nice John! I really like the soft finish on this piece and it does look very touchable. Pretty wood and it looks like it's got some nice curl too!

[Harry Robinette]

John
Nice piece, I really like the Chinese Chestnut.

[Roger Chandler]

Hubba Hubba! :D:D That is a fine turning! I really like this finial of yours about a good as any of your pieces to date..........this finial is special, and the transition from the form to the finial .........that curve is flawless!

Beautiful work, John!

[Bill Walsh]

Just beatiful John, curves are perfect and a very technical finial. Did you say you've been turning for 20 years!!!!!
Are you sanding the inside of your HF????

[Baxter Smith]

Very nice form and the stark contrast between the two woods really sets things off.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Beautiful piece John. I do like the form and the finial is super.

[Doug W Swanson]

It just screams "Steve Schlumpf" and yet it's got "John Keeton" written all over it.

You know I thought the same thing when I saw this. I figured Steve sent John one of his finished pieces and John was trying to take credit for it!

Actually, this is very well done. Great form and the way the finial echoes the base really add a nice touch....

[David E Keller]

Another neat looking piece, John! I love the soft look of that chestnut... I'm making a mental note to look into that next time I get something from Mike. Fantastic detailing on the finial!

[Alan Trout]

John,

Very nice form and the final is proportionally wonderful. Nice job.

Alan

[Curt Fuller]

Well, the form is perfect. The finial compliments it perfectly. But for me, the decision to leave the wood as natural as possible is what really makes this one special. I love the 'woody' look and I'm guessing it has a great 'woody' feel to too. It's one of those that begs to be picked up and fondled.

[Josh Bowman]

John very nice piece.

[Dennis Ford]

Nice wood and finish but the form is what makes this piece stand out!

[John Keeton]

I sure hope Steve is honored by this! After all, it is largely his fault that I have wandered this far down the path!

Thanks, again, for the kind words, and for taking the time to post. This was a fun piece to do, and allowed me to play with contrasts. I am finding that to be an integral part of design and nearly as interesting as proportion.

[Jim Burr]

I was really impressed with the joint between the cap and mouth. Very smooth and draws the eye up.