Large Sea Urchin ornament

[Jack Mincey]

I made this before Christmas, but just took it off the tree yesterday so I finally took a quick picture of it. I is around 7" tall by 4 1/4" wide on the shell.
Jack
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/flyrod444/DSC00449.jpg

[John Keeton]

Jack, that is one of the most interesting urchin shapes I have seen!! Nice work on the finial and top, too. What wood is that - cherry, walnut?

[Greg Just]

Jack:

Very nice ornament - what do you have to do to the shell? Drill the top and bottom? I have never tried one of these.

[Bernie Weishapl]

That's cool Jack. Interesting form on the urchin. I have made a couple but haven't seen that shape.

[Jack Mincey]

Thanks guy's. The finial is walnut which shows up a bit lighter in the photo than it does to ones eye. Greg, you can use a cone shaped burr on a dremal type tool to open up the holes that are on the top and bottom of the urchin. I some times just chip it away with a knife to make the holes even. I than dunk the urchin into a can of lacquer and hang it up to dry. I have to wipe the drips off as they form so that they are not present when it dries. This brings out the color and makes the shell a little stronger.
Thanks Again,
Jack

[Ken Hill]

Jack, very nice piece of work!

No impress me with a jelly fish haha!

[Brian Effinger]

That's a beauty, Jack.
And a great tip on the lacquer and will give it a try. I made some of my first urchin ornaments a week ago, and had quite a problem with breakage. I managed to get them glued back together - just in time to break them in a new place. :( Thank God for CA glue! :)

[Steve Schlumpf]

That's very different! Great looking ornament.... it reminds me of a Man-o-War!

[Frank Hasty]

Nice one Jack! I have a similar one pure white with Red Heart finials. I never thought of the laquer dip, however I shoot mine full of foam and that adds strength also. One of the smaller ones I think it's called a "Sputnik" rolled off of a table onto a tile floor and did not break. It is my understanding that you don't see the very large ones often.
FYI it is possible to have one crack due to foam expansion although I have foamed more than 20 with only one that cracked.