WIP - Help

[Michael E. Thompson]

Its been awhile for posting activity, but I need some advise and thought, good opportunity to spend some more time here. The pic below is spalted birds-eye maple HF. Just came off the lathe last night and first piece using newly built captured hollowing system. (pics later) Anyway, my plan is to put it on a stem, but this just looks wrong. The form is approx. 7" dia x 4" tall. Wall are 1/8" thick. The opening in the top is a bit larger than I had planned, which is causing more conflict because I wanted to put a finial on top. I think I still can, I just don't want the lid to be overpowering.

Regardless, my initial thought is this is top heavy, the stem should be shorter and more delicate with a larger base. Second, the finial needs to be tall and delicate. The black looks OK on the stem, but I have some purpleheart that might look better. I am open to any and all ideas. If it needs to be thrown away and start over, please say so.

Sorry for the poor quality pic, just a quick shot off the kitchen counter.

Thanks for your help.

[Scott Hackler]

The black stem looks alright with the coloring of the form but it is 1) too tall and 2) not wide enough at the bottom. With a form of that shape, a short stem with a nice wide foot will be sturdier and more pleasing to the eye. Hope this helps.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Michael - I think I would prefer this one with out a pedestal. Pretty wood! If you want to turn a lid/finial for it, might be nice to find some similar wood to use for the bulk of the lid. I would turn a dark wood collar, then turn some similar BE maple for the lid, then turn a dark finial. The BE maple lid would help offset the size of the opening... IMO.

[Baxter Smith]

The form and wood looks good Michael. The pedestal as is doesn't do it for me. Perhaps a much different shape would look good but I tend to agree with Steve's thought on the collar and lid. I have done a couple HF's of similar shape that I contemplated putting on a pedestal but couldn't come up with a solution that I thought looked ok.

[Reed Gray]

First thing I thought when I looked at it was, if you turned it up side down, it would look better/more balanced. The pedestal doesn't quite fit.

robo hippy

[Michael E. Thompson]

Glad to hear no one said to throw it away yet. Anyway, I like the idea of a collar. I don't know if I can get away will eliminating the stem. I will need to remeasure the bottom thickness. There is a small tenon on the bottom of the HF to receive the stem, below that should be the 1/8" thickness. I may not be able to turn a foot on it, the bottom is "bottomless".

My other thought would be to shrink the stem to a couple inches, then a base from the BE.

Thanks for the feedback so far. Its got me thinking.

Mike

[Deane Allinson]

A pedestal base could work if the proportions were just right. I like Saarinen's furniture. I have a photo attached of a pair of lamps that are kind of in his "style" that seems to work for me at least.
Deane

[Michael E. Thompson]

These lamps are making me wonder, should the base be about the same size as the open? Larger? Small? If I add a collar to the top, will essentially shrink the opening and effect the size of the base?