The Wood Fairy cometh!

[Tim Rinehart]

I was very stoked when Kathy Marshall contacted me in late in December asking my address...it's kinda like the feeling if Publishers' Clearing House asks if you'll be around the house later next week...you know something good is coming. So early this month, the wood fairy dropped this off at my doorstep, with some beautiful pieces of sissoo, mesquite, acacia, pistachio...ok...you got the drift. Nice stuff! None of this is wood I have, or have ever turned either, so that makes it a double treat. 219445 I decided to start with the acacia piece (question mark on it, perhaps something else, but I'm sticking with Acacia!) and split it down the middle of the pith. 219439 The rest are progression shots, mounted on lathe ready to cut chips... 219443, then rough form and tenon established 219442, final form fixed before hollowing, 219441, lastly the removal of the tenon in vacuum chuck.219444. I was undecided on the wood for a finial, and considered the african sumac also in the pack, but the size was just a bit less than what I needed at the base. I had a piece of pink ivory, and it seemed to represent the idea of the 'wood fairy' theme, so I turned a finial from it. I actually drew the bulb of this finial out much lighter, but I chickened out while turning it. I may see if I can rechuck it squarely enough to return it...it really begs to be lighter, about half the current diameter. The base form is about 4.5" diam x 2.5" tall, the finial is about 5" tall on it's own. Finish is a quick coat of antique oil on the base form to get the pic taken. No finish yet on finial. Thank you Kathy, and comments welcome as always. 219440219456

[Tony De Masi]

Tim, congrats on the gift and the finished product too. I would like to see a pic of just the HF though. I'm still undecided on whether this piece actually needs to have a finial.

[Tim Rinehart]

Tim, congrats on the gift and the finished product too. I would like to see a pic of just the HF though. I'm still undecided on whether this piece actually needs to have a finial.

I added another photo at end Tony. As with alot of these forms...they can in my opinion go with or without. If I were to leave it without, I would just soften the opening a little to not be too harsh of an edge used for keeping a finial straight and held somewhat secure. If I give up with a finial...I just hand sand the opening to do that.

[Ken Glass]

First of all, what a wonderful gift from Kathy. Secondly, what a wonderful group of pieces of wood to work with. And thirdly, what a great looking Hollow Form you made. I like the Finial and its color too. Well done, Tim

[Scott Hackler]

A+ on the form and wood. Looks great and I bet it looks fantastic in person. I am torn (from the pictures) if that is Acacia or Sissoo. They are very close in appearance. Kathy would definitely know more about it than us.

On the finial. Hmmmm. I don't care for the red color contrast on this one. I also have a piece of that Sumac and envision using it on a very dark or very white piece but the combo or all three colors don't work for me. (to each him own).

Anyone up for a road trip to AZ to raid Kathys wood pile? :)

[charlie knighton]

very nice, the red finale grabs you

Scott, 1st i would have to have a road trip to your place, a lot of road miles from va

[Tim Rinehart]

A+ on the form and wood. Looks great and I bet it looks fantastic in person. I am torn (from the pictures) if that is Acacia or Sissoo. They are very close in appearance. Kathy would definitely know more about it than us.

On the finial. Hmmmm. I don't care for the red color contrast on this one. I also have a piece of that Sumac and envision using it on a very dark or very white piece but the combo or all three colors don't work for me. (to each him own).

Anyone up for a road trip to AZ to raid Kathys wood pile? :)
Can't blame you on the color overload...I am at odds with it also, and realize it will be a minority who like it. A dark walnut or even blackwood would be a better bet if any finial at all...and I have some, so we'll see. Thanks Scott! May be better to just hold onto this finial for future piece without trying to thin it down either. For a heavier piece, it may work well.

[Rusty Smith]

Anyone up for a road trip to AZ to raid Kathys wood pile? :)

Okay Scott, meet me at the turnpike entrance/exit, I'm heading your way....:D

[John Keeton]

Beautiful piece, Tim! On the finial, I am with Scott on the color, and on thinning it down IMO it would leave it looking too tall. Were it me, I would go with softening the opening and sans finial. Can you put in in the vacuum chuck to spin it in order to soften the opening with sandpaper? Just a thought.

[Baxter Smith]

Great gift, great wood, great form! The finial on the otherhand......fittingly symbolic but.......:)

[David E Keller]

Neat wood and a great little form! I like the finial and I like the form, but I'm not crazy about the two of them together. I agree that blackwood or walnut might be better for my tastes, but you gotta go with your gut on this piece. If you see a pink finial, then pink finial it should be!

[David DeCristoforo]

I love pink ivory! I don't know whether the finial "fits" or not but both it and the form are sweet.

[Kathy Marshall]

That is a great little form Tim! I really like the contrast with the sapwood and how it seems to flow over the sides. Reminds me of a snow capped hill.
I'm 99% sure it's acacia, the bark looked a little different but it definitely had the acacia smell when I turned a piece of it, I just don't know which variety it is.
Look forward to seeing how some of the other pieces turn out!

[Tony Pridmore]

Hey Tim,

Finial and hollow form are both very well done and the proportions work together. As you say the finial could be a little lighter, but I wouldn't go half the diameter as you mentioned in the original post. Just a little out of the bulb. I also wonder if pushing the bulb's weight balance a bit lower (bottom heavy) would be of benefit. Regardless, I like the forms.

The color combo is a different story. That acacia (or whatever it is) already has so much going for it that the finial color simply needs to go unnoticed.

By the way, the box of blanks was a great gift from Kathy and it looks like you're really enjoying it.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Tim I do like that HF. The form is great and I think I would not use the finial. I think the HF speaks for itself.