A "weighty" problem

[David DeCristoforo]

Ever since I started making turned objects, my pieces seem to have grown continually in height. At this point, they are averaging 15-17" tall and with the pieces being perched on long slender stems, they do not exactly have a low center of gravity. To put it another way, they tend to be "a bit tippy". So I have been trying to come up with a way to add some mass (weight) to the bases without ruining the "esthetics". I had thought about inlaying a 1/8" thick brass disk into which I could also engrave a signature. But the idea just did not satisfy. Then I came into some 1/8" diameter lead "wire" and that gave me this idea. It took three tries to make this base without cutting into the little rabbet and exposing the wire. But I finally got it right. I am hoping this will help with lessening the tippyness. (Is that good grammar? "...lessening the tippyness"?)

First a recess formed in the underside of the base:

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Then a second piece is turned to fit. A small rabbet around the edge, wrapped with the lead wire:

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The two pieces are then glued together:

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Now the bottom of the base is turned and the lead wire is hidden inside the bead:

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[David Reed]

Pretty cool there David, and pretty clever too.

[Jamie Donaldson]

David, are you an engineer? First you continue to make an elegant design more problematic yet more elegant, and to alleviate some of the problematic tipping caused by the extra elegant design element of extraordinary stem length, you add weight to the base perimeter using a hazardous metal ring, but encase it securely and out of sight in a well designed and crafted base detail. Quite an exercize in problem making, then problem solving!

[Baxter Smith]

Looks great David. Lots of work but I can see why it would be a necessity with the designs you do.

[Josh Bowman]

David, that's cool. Looking forward to the turning you'll perch on it.

[mike ash]

David - I recognize the lead wire as weight used for steelhead fishing. Great ingenuity!!! I lood forwatd to seeing the rest of the project.

Mike Ash

[Wally Dickerman]

Is there no end to this guys talent? Very ingenious.

Being an ex-fisherman from the NW, I also think that it looks like lead wire used as weights in steelhead fishing. Question...how many here know what a steelhead is? Answer...it's an ocean going rainbow trout that comes back into the rivers to spawn. Grows to as much as 20 lb.

Learn some inportant new thing every day?

[David DeCristoforo]

"...are you an engineer?"

Depends on how you define "engineer". I am, to a certain extent, "a guy who can figure things out". But you are right about one thing... I'm really good at painting myself into a corner!

[Gary Conklin]

DD, for a bit of extra hold at shows or galleries consider this product, used by Museums.

http://www.conservationresources.com/Main/section_39/section39_07.htm

[Curt Fuller]

That's a great idea for adding ballast to the base, especially in the way you've hidden it and made a beautiful bottom to the base. So, what's the rest going to look like?

[John Keeton]

I was familiar with gallery wax as Gary posted - or, at least, that is a term I have heard used, but this is a great idea! My son has referred to some of my pieces as seismographs, but the added height of your pieces adds even more to the mix!

David, you have a creative mind! You shall go far!

[David DeCristoforo]

I am also familiar with museum wax. But here's my concern. The stems I'm making are just a hair over 1/8" at the thinnest point. I can imagine someone picking the piece up and snapping the stem while the base remains firmly waxed to the surface upon which it sits. Not good!

Next time I do this, I'm going to grind a small tool with a radius on the edge (matching the O.D. of the lead wire) to cut the rabbet with. That way, the wood will "hug" the wire instead of there being a little square void at the corner and the bead can be made a bit smaller.

[Joe Watson]

I know next to nothing about wood and how it reacts to other matrials...
Will there be a "reaction" with the lead in there that will cause swelling or something down the line or play havoc with the wood during seasonal changes ?

_

[David DeCristoforo]

"Will there be a "reaction" with the lead...?"

I doubt it. Lead has been used forever in a similar fashion to weight wood chess pieces.

[Roger Chandler]

David.........that is a pretty nifty idea!

[Michelle Rich]

elegant concept..when I've needed something like this, I melted wheel weights & poured them in the recess. Yours idea is much cleaner, tho mine is free ususally.

[Tim Rinehart]

Clever. I like it and am already searching for source of similar lead wire. Found on amazon by searching "lead wire 1/8"...also available in 3/16 and 1/4, and by the foot. Pretty cheap.

[David DeCristoforo]

"I ...am...searching for source of similar lead wire"

Apparently you can get it at any place that sells fishing stuff! Sporting goods store?

[mike ash]

Lead wire can be purchased at most any sporting good store. Big 5, Dick's, etc. I went to the Walmart site and am copying a link so you can see what it looks like and the cost. http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=lead+wire&ic=16_0&Find=Find&search_constraint=4125

[Jeff Nicol]

Another solution for these things that are top heavy, is to put a washer into a recess and do the sme thing by covering it with wood, but it could be put into the bottom after the whole thing is done except for the bottom. Then by making a display base with a rare earth magnet either hidden or in plain sight when the piece is lifted off the base. Depending on how far away the magnet is to the washer will depend on the strength of the hold, or the size of the magnet or magnets will also play a role in how the amount of pull is having an effect on the turning.

This may be less stressful than mounting lead inside, nice to have options. But as always, great job David!

Jeff

[David DeCristoforo]

Hey Jeff... I was hoping you would "chime in" here! I had actually thought long and hard about using magnets. I was thinking about making a clear acrylic base and embedding the magnet in that. But I decided to try this weighting method because it does not involve any "extra" pieces that have to go along with the turning. I'll know in a day or so how well it works.

[Bob Bergstrom]

Hey Jeff... I was hoping you would "chime in" here! I had actually thought long and hard about using magnets. I was thinking about making a clear acrylic base and embedding the magnet in that. But I decided to try this weighting method because it does not involve any "extra" pieces that have to go along with the turning. I'll know in a day or so how well it works.
I just ran across someone using magnets and clear acrylic the other day, but I can't remember the site. They were using two magnets (one in the base and plugged and one in the clear acrylic pulling toward each other. It was a fair size hollow form with a pretty small base. Your idea is awesome and doesn't need additional parts.