Design Advice Needed - (with lid option 1)

[Kathy Marshall]

On Monday, when I was at Woodworkers Source picking up a white limba blank, I had to walk by a big bin filled with spalted hard maple and beech blanks. I tried to look the other way as I walked by, but then I felt a tug. I swear something grabbed hold of me and yanked me over to the bin :eek:. So I picked out a small blank that looked like it had some nice spalt lines, and I was pretty happy when I got to the counter and it was rung up for just $10!

On Tuesday I mounted it on a glue block, turned the outside and drilled out the center. When I got home tonight, I hollowed it, turned the collar/lid (figured walnut), finished sanding and applied a light, light coat of BLO (nothing on the lid yet). Tomorrow I'll reverse it and finish the bottom.

The question is, how to complete the collar/lid. I need to add something to it, a finial, ball, button or something, since I've allready drilled a small hole for a tenon to fit in. I'm at a loss, I can't picture a finial that will fit with the form. I could just drill the rest of the way through, but I decorated the underside of the lid and drilling through it would make a mess. If I add something small, I could use one of the scraps from rounding it on the bandsaw, so it would match the main form. For something taller I could use hard maple, cherry or walnut, or I may find some other scrap laying around.
Any thoughts??
210654210655

Thanks for looking!
Comments and critiques welcome.

[Steve Vaughan]

OK, I don't quite know how to describe this. First thing I thought of when I saw the pic is, "that needs a stopper." Got a small piece of spalted wood, or maybe a piece you can dye black leftover? Or even a real cork? Maybe just turn a simple cork-looking/shaped stopper that just sits down in the hole? Nice looking piece by the way.

[Donny Lawson]

Kathy, that sure is a nice piece but I'm not sure what would make it any better. To me it looks great.

[John Keeton]

Kathy, you don't include dimensions, so it is difficult to get a feel for how large the lid portion is. However, with the apparent mass of the cove and lid, I think a finial would have to be so proportionately large as to be unattractive. Were it me, I would use the spalted wood, and turn an inverted replica of the form for use as a knob. If you want to dress it up a bit, you could drill a recess in the top (what would otherwise be the bottom of the replication) and plug a piece of walnut in that is turned flush - just for an accent and to tie it all together. Even a blackwood insert would look nice.

Just my thoughts.

[Richard Jones]

I am of the same opinion as Mr. Keeton, an inverted "stopper" (think mushroom shape), but it can't be overpowering.

My other thought would be along the lines of a leaf-shaped or treble cleft or pick-out-a-shape-that-someone-you-know-likes-and-give-it-to-them stopper, sort of an accent. Not too large, must blend with the rest of the piece.

If you can't hide it, accent it!!

Rich

[Kathy Marshall]

I knew I forgot something!Dimensions are 5 1/4 (to the top of the walnut lid) x 5 1/2 wide.The lid is fairly substantial, it's a tight, snap fit so had to be beefy enough to handle being pulled out, and with the size of the opening needed to get at the wide shoulder, following the curve from the neck made for a large neck on the lid.I like the idea of an inverted form as a knob or stopper and will explore those options tonight.Thanks!

[Betty Fox]

Richard's idea is good. I'd go for a fan shape on top. Not as big as the main form, probably half that size.

[Dale Miner]

I don't think it needs anything. But, if you do fit a topper, consider a piece like a wine cruet stopper.

[Wally Dickerman]

Kathy, why do you think that this piece needs more? I think that it looks great just as it is. IMO, adding a top would detract from an already beautiful vessel.

[Prashun Patel]

No suggestions for you, but I will comment that I really like the form. Without that top, the curve might appear top-heavy. But to my novice eye, allowing that curve to extend up and just barely return at the tiptop is really just right to me. For this reason, I believe it looks complete as is (assuming you plan to turn off or turn down the foot...)

[John Beaver]

Kathy, here's my opinion.
I think you have a beautiful piece of spalted wood. To me the topper attracts too much attention and takes my eye to the plain Walnut.
Although the curve flows beautifully to the top, the curve also draws your eye up away from the Maple.
If it were me I would lessen the top considerably and call it a day.
I did a very crude modification to your photo so you can see what I am thinking.
Good Luck
John

[Paul Williams]

Great piece of wood and wonderful shape. I would try flaring out the top of the walnut a bit more, or using walnut to replicate the form similar to John's suggestion, except that the walnut from the lower form would flow into the upper form, if that makes any sense to you.

[Kathy Marshall]

Thanks for all the input!
I came home tonight and finish turned the bottom, then I trimmed up one of the corner scraps to about 3/4" square to put between centers but while I was holding it and deciding which part I wanted to turn the cap from, apparently I had a little too good a grip on it and it snapped like a twig. I though it may have just had a crack running through it, so I applied a little (and I mean a little) pressure to the bigger half and it snapped, so I decided the wood was just too weak and went for some walnut.
I was in a little bit of a hurry, so I just turned a little ball. I kinda like it, but I'll need to turn another as I didn't get the bottom shaped right so it doesn't sit flush in the depression in the top of the lid. I may also play around with other shapes, but I think the size is about right (just big enough to plug the hole and still look like it belongs).
I applied about 4 coats of General Woodturners Finish to the main body (quick and easy to apply) and I'll probably add another couple coats tommorrow and then buff. I also added a little BLO to the lid just to see how the final color would look on the piece.

210749
What do you think?

[John Keeton]

Kathy, I am afraid it is a bit too small for my taste. And, while I understand the issues with the spalted wood, I think any knob needs to have contrast to counteract the heavy look of the walnut.

At this point, I kind of agree with Wally - glue the cap on and call it done, or John Beaver's approach - glue it on and turn part of it away. Hate to throw a wrench in at this point, but those are my thoughts.

[Betty Fox]

I think if you cut off about a sixteenth of an inch of the form and move the finial down plus skinny it up a bit it'll look great. Or a fan. I like fans.

[Bruce Yasitis]

Kathy, I believe you have used non-wood materials in the past. How about something like turqoise or other material with a nice contrast? Perhaps in the shape of an almond?

Bruce

[Paul Williams]

I like it, but my eye is drawn to the walnut first. That is probably not the effect you want as many people won't take the time to discover the great looking form under what first catches their eye.