Some New Work

[John Altberg]

Haven't posted anything in awhile, so I thought it was time to share a bit. Platters are about 10.5", walnut bowl is 3.5x6.5 and the lidded bowl is 2.5x7. C&C are always welcomed.

John

[John Keeton]

John, that is some very nice work! Is the second platter ash? The walnut bowl is very attractive, as is the lidded bowl (ash lid?), though the knob could have been a bit smaller. However, given the overall size, I suspect the top of the knob is just under an inch so making it smaller may make it hard to grasp.

I like the platters, too, and since I love curly maple the first is my pic.

What finishes did you use?

[Harvey Ghesser]

What John said, 'cept I really like the second walnut bowl pic.

[charlie knighton]

all are very nice, i like the 5th one, is the rim grain burned or dyed?

[Rob Price]

I'd like to hear more about the finishes on the platters as well. I like the rim treatments on both of them. I think the last platter would have been a little plain without it, but with it I think it grabs your attention.

[Steve Vaughan]

They're nice! Love the last one - how did you enhance the grain in that one? And I love the lidded bowl, what's the wood for bowl itself?

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really nice. I like the lidded bowl although the last one is a beauty.

[Ted Calver]

John,
Thanks for giving us some really nice work to look at. I'd be happy to have any of them.

[Robert McGowen]

Some nice work. The lidded bowl stands out for me.

[John Altberg]

Thanks, all, for your comments.



John, that is some very nice work! Is the second platter ash?

The second platter is ash. Both platters and the lidded bowl were finished with de-waxed shellac and several rubbings of Watco Danish Oil. Everything, except for the lid, was then buffed with white diamond, tripoli and RenWax.


all are very nice, i like the 5th one, is the rim grain burned or dyed?

The rim was done with rattle can black lacquer, then stripped with mineral spirits. The open grain of the ash really held the color.


They're nice! And I love the lidded bowl, what's the wood for bowl itself?

The bowl itself is elm, dyed purple and the lid is ash. The knob is made from palm.

[Tim Rinehart]

Nice pieces, all of them. I like the ash rim treatment...I almost suspected a little fire in the process, but your approach seems less likely to get out of control! Kinda like reverse liming.
The walnut bowls are very nicely shaped, and the lidded vessel is nice, but I also would like to have seen something a little smaller, perhaps just shorter if can't be smaller diameter. Beautiful pieces in all. The dyed edge platter reminds me of one that Jimmy Clewes had us make during a workshop...but I really trashed mine. Will have to try again and see how it goes.

[John Altberg]

The dyed edge platter reminds me of one that Jimmy Clewes had us make during a workshop...but I really trashed mine. Will have to try again and see how it goes.

Good eye, Tim! I took Jimmy's workshop in Las Vegas in December. The platter shape was learned there (I muffed the finish on the one I did in class!) and the coloring has been trial and error at home, since. The lidded bowl was also done in his shop. He also taught us the technique of shellac before the oil. Seems counterintuitive, but it yields nice results.

John

[Bob Rotche]

All of these are really nice though I especially like the rim treatment on the last one. The lidded bowl caught my eye as well. Fine as it is though agree that it might be fun to experiment with some different knobs.

[Baxter Smith]

I like them all John! I had some questions about each but you answered them all. Thanks for posting them!

[Ted Calver]

Doesn't the shellac keep the watco from penetrating the wood? Seems like it would turn into a surface film rather than an in the wood finish?

[John Altberg]

Doesn't the shellac keep the watco from penetrating the wood? Seems like it would turn into a surface film rather than an in the wood finish?

Good question, Ted, and the same one I posed to Jimmy Clewes when he showed us this process. To clarify, the shellac is applied fairly thin, then knocked back with steel wool. The thought is that it thus takes less oil and time to get the same build as without the shellac. I would be interested to know what others think about this theory.

John

[Dan Forman]

John --- Nice job, looks like you've been busy! I'm less wild about the stained ash, but really like the orange maple rim. The bowls look great, got to try a lidded one myself.

Dan