Second set of HF's in old pine.

[Steve Vaughan]

My sister's friend had a couple pieces of large timbers that came out of the original (and now torn down when a new company bought it out) and historic buildings of Dan River Cotton Mills in Danville, VA. He wanted me to turn something from some of it. As most of you know, pine is the devil to turn, and it's no easier when it's a 100 or so years old. Everything had to be turned end grain.

The finish is 2 coats of Watco Natural DO, wet-sanded second coat, sanded and steel-wool buffed and the wax/buffed.

But I got the chance to use my homemade hollowing rig again on four of the pieces. Here's the two hollow forms. They are approximately 5 1/2" tall X 4 3/4" wide.

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And here's the two larger 'bowls' - but I used the hollowing rig on these...just works so much better. The dark infill is epoxy mixed with some sienna-colored tint. 100 year old splits can't be turned out! These are about 5 1/2" high X 6 3/4" wide.

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I've got two lamps that I also turned, but they won't upload. Maybe that has to be another post. I've got a bit more of this stuff and I'm thinking they're gonna make lots of HF's and similar bowls. I think that's about all you can do with the wood. Sorry about lousy pics...that's gonna improve with time...well, maybe.

Merry Christmas to my sister and her friend! And to all, a Happy New Year! C&C always welcome! You folks got lots of good info!:)

[Roger Chandler]

Man.........Steve.........I have driven by the Dan River mills site many times and wished I could get some of those timbers they used for beams............both my parents worked for Dan River for a lot of years. So very sad to see what was once the heart and soul of Danville, now reduced to piles of rubble.

I sure would like to get a few of those beams cut up into boards............that would make me go into flat work and suspend my turnings for a while............except for some table legs perhaps!

Great forms you have done here................I like the taller one the best, but both are nice.

[John Keeton]

Nice work, Steve!! I love old heart pine, but it is difficult to work with - particularly if you hit a resin/pitch pocket. I tweaked a pic a little - is this closer to the color of the background?

[Richard Jones]

Steve,

I used to build furniture from heart pine so I know how difficult it is to work. Those are really going to make someone's day, for sure.

BTW, there is a Danville guy that turns a lot of that same heart pine from one of the mills, they have it for sale/display at the visitor's center on the expressway. The CFO and I stop there often when visiting my mom, and she always remarks: "You've got a boatload of heart pine, why don't you make something like this out of it?"

The stuff has gotten outrageously expensive now, not that it was ever cheap.

Nice stuff, thanks for sharing. Great provenance, make sure you put that on your artist's card. You DO have one, right? :)

Rich

[Jim Burr]

You picked some great wood Steve! It really sucks that it's such a pain to turn, the grain is beautiful!

[Steve Vaughan]

Thanks everyone. It is beautiful and has such a great patina. I've got one more piece about 4' long, 11 1/2" by 7 1/2". But it ain't mine, that's my sister's friend too...unless he gives it to me for these turnings!?!:D;) I wish I could find a source down there for some more though. I'll be in Danville at my mom's house for Christmas, and sissy's friend will be there too, so I'm gonna 'push' a bit.

@John, yes that was a white background and when that pic was taken, I was in front of some of the lighting. Didn't take quite as much time with these pics in the editing room.:)

Here's the lamps I made out of the same stuff. They're about 11 1/2" tall X about 5 1/2" in diameter Put them far enough apart and you'd never be able to see all the differences in them.:eek:

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[Roger Chandler]

Nice looking lamps! Got to love that heart pine.............fine job on the duplication!

[Baxter Smith]

Pretty wood to look at! Have never tried turning it though!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Pine is a fine looking wood with it's grain but is a pain to turn. I like those alot.

[Roland Martin]

Nice stuff Steve, the color and grain on heart pine is fantastic and the finish is excellent. I've never turned it either, did quite a bit of flatwork with it and it "sucks" to work with, but in the end it's beautiful stuff:)

[Steve Schlumpf]

Steve - that sure is some pretty wood and your finish put some new life into it! Nice work on each of these forms! I wish you luck in getting more of this wood!

The reason your lamps wouldn't upload the first time is that you are limited to 8 photos per post. Its a software thing.

[Kathy Marshall]

Nice job on everything Steve! Nice forms and finish and the lamps are cool too.

[Joe Watson]

The HF's are cool (specially the second one with the smaller opening), but i really like the lamps, they have a simple elegance to them.

[Michelle Rich]

both are very well done. Pine CAN be pretty.

[Steve Vaughan]

Thanks everyone for the remarks. This stuff had TONS of small hairline cracks in the wood. Sealed all that up with CA. Had a couple of large cracks that showed up on the lamps after they were turned. I'm guessing it came from hairline cracks that I missed initially and then when the wood was turned, the stress relief probably fractured it further.

@Richard, I'm gonna ask about that place when I get home tomorrow. Thanks for that info!

[Primvs Aebvtivs]

Nice bowls! Very nice indeed!