Monkey Pod

[David E Keller]

I swapped a little wood with Kyle Iwamoto some time back, and I recently ran across an interesting chunk of Monkey pod that had fallen behind a shelf. I don't know how it got back there, but I guess it really does pay to tidy up now and then! Thanks for the beautiful wood, Kyle!

My understanding is that these trees are considered a nuisance or 'trash' tree in Hawaii much like we view cedar trees around here... I only wish my local nuisance trees were as pretty as this stuff. Like a lot of the Hawaiian timbers I've turned, this stuff has a fairly open grain and large pores. It's a bit like mango with the color of koa. I believe they call it Ohai in Hawaii which must be the Hawaiian word for 'under-appreciated'... I think this stuff rocks!

About 6 inches wide and tall counting the finial. I sanded to 400 dry then wet sanded with BLO at 600 grit. It'll get a little ren wax at some point, but I didn't have time to do it today. The collar and finial are African blackwood, and I laminated a small piece of monkey pod on either end of the 'horns'.The African blackwood portions were sanded through 2000 grit then the whole thing was buffed with tripoli. I turned a little piece for Robin Costelle's auction a while back with a similar topper, and I liked the 'attitude' of the 'horns'... I still have a few more variations on the theme which I'll try on upcoming pieces. Any suggestions about improving the 'horn' finial would be appreciated.

I just took a quick pic with the cell phone since the camera mistakenly got packed with a bunch of other stuff during our kitchen remodel. My photos are usually pretty suspect anyway, and cell phone cameras have gotten pretty decent. I'm interested to see if you folks think this photo is any worse than any of the others I've shown... It's certainly a lot easier to shoot them with my phone.

Comments, criticism, and suggestions sought and appreciated as always!

219910

[Roger Chandler]

Top shelf David..................great flowing curve on the small base.........looks delicate and has a lot of lift........beautiful wood as you say...........that is an unusual finial..........you could name this one "tropical savage" ........a nice turning indeed!

[Chris Studley]

very cool. nice shape, makes you want to hold it...

[Hayes Rutherford]

Nice form and who could argue with them horns. I'll have to look for some Monkey Pod when I'm on the big island next week.

The photo is decent, better than I could do. Must be a smart phone.

[Kathy Marshall]

Beautiful David! The form looks perfect, the wood is amazing and the finial is cool. The pic looks good too.

[Alan Trout]

I was just thinking this evening that I had not seen a piece by you it a while. This is a wonderful piece. For form is excellent and I like the finial. For me the finial reminds me of a scimitar so to me it has a bit of a middle eastern feel.

Well done.

Alan

[Nate Davey]

Nice Doc, that is a beautiful weed species form and I love the finial. Very different.

[Scott Hackler]

Very nice and its about darn time you turned something! This piece looks nice and I like the crescent on the top. Kyle and I swapped wood a while back too and from his sampling and from another swap from Hawaii....well I don't know if there is a bad piece of wood over there!

Hayes, you stink and I wish I was going with you! I've been out there twice (Oahu and Maui) and dream about the possibly of wintering (or full time?) on the islands? It's just a different state of well being. :)

[David DeCristoforo]

This is a great form. And the way the grain kind of spirals up the top really adds a lot of motion. The "horns" add a lot of upward lift even though they are my least favorite feature of this piece.

[David E Keller]

Thanks for the kudos, folks! Scott and Alan, I'm sorry I haven't posted any turnings lately, but I haven't had much turning time... Between work, the kitchen remodel, and two little kids, my shop time has been seriously limited.

Hayes, why don't you just chop down one of those monkey trees to help out the islanders? I'll pay for as many flat rate boxes as you can lug to the post office! If you have the time, I'd check out Chris Allen at KoaWoodHawaii... He's on the big island and has quite a selection of local timbers. His phone and email are on the KWH website. I've bought from him in the past, and I've never been disappointed.

[Eric Gourieux]

Really nice job on this one, David. I, too, was wondering when you were going to post a new creation. I like the form and finish. Horns are great.

Do you have to adjust your phone pic in order to upload? I have an iPhone 4S and the picture files are often too large to upload. I don't know how to change the pic file in order to upload.

[David E Keller]

Really nice job on this one, David. I, too, was wondering when you were going to post a new creation. I like the form and finish. Horns are great.

Do you have to adjust your phone pic in order to upload? I have an iPhone 4S and the picture files are often too large to upload. I don't know how to change the pic file in order to upload.

Thanks, Eric! I've got the same phone, and the pics automatically go to my iphotos when I sync with the laptop. I use photoshop editor for cropping and doctoring all my photos, and then I use the 'save for web' feature which allows me to resize and adjust the quality of the photo to get inside the parameters for the site. I think all the photo editing software packages allow for resizing, but we just happen to have PSE on the computer.

[Hayes Rutherford]

Thanks for the kudos, folks! Scott and Alan, I'm sorry I haven't posted any turnings lately, but I haven't had much turning time... Between work, the kitchen remodel, and two little kids, my shop time has been seriously limited.

Hayes, why don't you just chop down one of those monkey trees to help out the islanders? I'll pay for as many flat rate boxes as you can lug to the post office! If you have the time, I'd check out Chris Allen at KoaWoodHawaii... He's on the big island and has quite a selection of local timbers. His phone and email are on the KWH website. I've bought from him in the past, and I've never been disappointed.

It's funny you said that. My wife has been surfing the big island craigs list adds and found someone wanting to get rid of several large NI pines. The deal was you get the wood for taking down the trees. She also found a bobcat skidsteer for rent and thinks I should go for it!! I don't think it will happen (not going there to work) but I will be on the lookout for wood and check out KWH.(maybe in person)and see what I can do.

[Curt Fuller]

My wife and I sat and ate lunch under a monkey pod tree in Koloa, Kauai last spring that was the biggest tree I think I've ever seen. It spread out over what seemed like an entire park. Your piece is a beauty. I love the horned finial, it gives it kind of a Satanic look:eek:.


Check this out.........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS5WNnybEuM
The locals really like their tree and their chickens. I noticed the video was posted in 2007. When I was there in March 2010 the trees were still there and doing well.

[Eric Gourieux]

Thanks, Eric! I've got the same phone, and the pics automatically go to my iphotos when I sync with the laptop. I use photoshop editor for cropping and doctoring all my photos, and then I use the 'save for web' feature which allows me to resize and adjust the quality of the photo to get inside the parameters for the site. I think all the photo editing software packages allow for resizing, but we just happen to have PSE on the computer.


Thanks, David. I'll give it a try.

[Baxter Smith]

Thats a devilishly sweet form! The horns are neat!

[Alan Trout]

Thanks for the kudos, folks! Scott and Alan, I'm sorry I haven't posted any turnings lately, but I haven't had much turning time... Between work, the kitchen remodel, and two little kids, my shop time has been seriously limited.

Hayes, why don't you just chop down one of those monkey trees to help out the islanders? I'll pay for as many flat rate boxes as you can lug to the post office! If you have the time, I'd check out Chris Allen at KoaWoodHawaii... He's on the big island and has quite a selection of local timbers. His phone and email are on the KWH website. I've bought from him in the past, and I've never been disappointed.

I understand, It is horrible that our families and careers get in the way of our hobbies :) I am working on a 13 hour work day right now with at least another 3 hours of paperwork to do this evening. Either way well done on the piece.

Alan

[Michelle Rich]

ooohhhh what a delight. Adore everything about it...even the longhorn headgear finial!!

[Dan Forman]

Love it, horns and all. I agree would be nice to have such trash growing about.

Dan

[John Keeton]

For me the finial reminds me of a scimitar so to me it has a bit of a middle eastern feel.This was the first thing I thought of, as well! Not sure what that says about you, Alan!:eek:

Great piece, David!! The form is wonderful, and nice work on the lid/finial combo, too. Sounds like I need to find some monkey pod!

[sam upton]

That piece is just simply awsome. One of my favorites.

[steven carter]

Very nice David. The "finial" is quite unusual, but I like it! I too have a piece of monkeypod from a trade with Kyle, I have a box waiting to dry at the moment. We have several monkeypod items that we brought home with us in the early 1970's from when I was stationed on Oahu while in the Army.

[Jim Burr]

This form is really sweet! Finial looks like something from Ankara...it's a good thing. Sure seems a trip to the islands is in order!

[Alan Trout]

This was the first thing I thought of, as well! Not sure what that says about you, Alan!:eek:

Great piece, David!! The form is wonderful, and nice work on the lid/finial combo, too. Sounds like I need to find some monkey pod!

John,

It means I am a cultured individule that is worldly in my views. Or it just means I am a redneck that thinks swords are cool. I would suspect the latter. :)

Alan

[Allan Ferguson]

Whats no to like about this one?

[Jack Mincey]

Beautiful form and the wood is wonderful. You showed the wood off in a beautiful piece.
Jack

[charlie knighton]

great piece David, form and wood

[Tim Rinehart]

That is a wonderful form and I do like that horn finial! And yes, it's good to see you have more time now to turn.

[Mark Hubl]

Cool piece David. I like the top as well. Are the horn tips just butt joints or is there some micro joinery going on? The wood does have some great character. Nice work as always.

[Josh Bowman]

David, that looks great! But there are no cracks, voids or other typical DK stuff.

[David E Keller]

Thanks to all for commenting!

Hayes, your wife sounds like a heck of a woman... Any wife that would locate wood and heavy machinery for rent during a vacation trip is definitely top shelf!

JK, I'm not sure you need another wood addiction... Seems like the BLM and claro would keep you busy enough!

Burr, I don't know what Ankara is, but I'll google it in a bit.

Alan, I think it may mean that you and John are cultured rednecks who think swords are cool... I'm proudly in that group as well!

Josh, I had to deal with perfectly good wood that Kyle sent... Sheesh!


Cool piece David. I like the top as well. Are the horn tips just butt joints or is there some micro joinery going on? The wood does have some great character. Nice work as always.

Just butt joints... Anything beyond that would be beyond me!