Wormy White Birch Vase

[Steve Schlumpf]

I roughed this wormy wood out in Nov of last year and wanted to share how it turned out. Here is the original thread: Wormy Spalted White Birch Trunk (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?176458-Wormy-Spalted-White-Birch-Trunk&highlight=)

White Birch, 13 ½” high x 11” at largest diameter x 3/8” thick. It was finished with a coat of Seal-a-Cell and wipe on poly. No wax is going on this one as I want to retain the surface just as it is!

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I included the Curly Maple hollow form (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?170975-Plum-Colored-HF&highlight=) in the last photo to give everyone a sense of size! Love turning these larger forms but am amazed at how much additional time it takes to hollow!!

As always, your opinions, comments and critiques are welcomed!

Thanks for looking!

[mike ash]

Now that's nice Steve!! You've done a great job creating this larger piece. Form is right on.

[Allan Ferguson]

A lot of wood come out of something that size. Now you will have to design a coring system for that sort of thing. Like the wood and turning.

[Michael Ginsberg]

Steve,
I like it lots!! It looks like it wants to be held. I also like the that it looks primitive, perhaps Native American.

[David DeCristoforo]

Great looking vase, Steve. That last pic is a really interesting illustration of how bad a job photos do of conveying a sense of scale.

The "other problem" with larger pieces is that they require much larger blanks!

[Rich Greinert]

Cool shape!

Does the bottom have a foot or is it just flattened so the piece will sit upright?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Rich - no foot. The tenon was turned away and the area slightly recessed. I found out a long time ago that if you leave the bottom of a form flat, it will warp and then the form no longer will sit flat on a surface.

[Bill Bolen]

Cool vase Steve. I remembered the first post and thanks for the final follow up. You must have had the "Monster" heated up cleaning this big girl out!

[Harvey Ghesser]

That's a big one, Steve..nice work!

[Roger Chandler]

Now you are starting to utilize the capacity of your American Beauty.........that is nice Steve. I like your rim treatment on the top and the natural look of the wood........the light color just seems to allow the wood to be itself anywhere you would want to display it.

That would make a nice umbrella stand by the front door if it had some absorbent material to soak up the rain that comes off..............

I suspect however, that you had something less utilitarian and more "artsy" in mind for this one! ;)

[Steve Busey]

Love turning these larger forms but am amazed at how much additional time it takes to hollow!! Just out of curiousity, what is the general timeline for hollowing one this size? Vs the smaller one? I love the form and character of that piece, Steve! Well, done!

[Fred Belknap]

Steve that's big. Nice job on it. I bet you used the capture bar monster for that. I find that I can make two smaller forms as quick, if not quicker, than a large one. A lot of people tell me they don't have any place to display a large piece. I like it.

[Baxter Smith]

.... Love turning these larger forms but am amazed at how much additional time it takes to hollow!!
......
I have been looking forward to seeing the finished product! Great looking vase Steve! Both you and the worms did a nice job! I'm glad you had enough fun to forget the sanding part too!;):)

[John Keeton]

An excellent result!! So much character to that wood, Steve. The form is very comfortable to view - seems to "feel" natural. Very similar to the "Keller Original" posted by Baxter recently as a result of their turnings/wood exchange. Amazing comparison photo! Really gives one an appreciation for the size of this one!


...I also like the that it looks primitive, perhaps Native American.No happenstance there!! Most of the "Schlumpf Creations" find their roots in Native American pottery.

[Pete Jordan]

Love the shape, Steve!

Their sure is a lot more wood to find with this weather.

[charlie knighton]

big boy, you are extending things i see, very nice

[Jim Burr]

Wowza!! That's a big mutha Steve...and I think it's great! The rim tx really sells the monster! Glad you put that Robust through it's paces!!

[James Roberts]

Really like this one Steve, not that I haven't liked all your others. It begs to be handled, very natural looking.

[Bob Bergstrom]

Now I know why I like turning bowls. Peering in that little hole for a longer period of time would get me. I am finishing the bottom of a 22" x 9" bowl that turning really didn't take that long, but the sanding was tedious. Think of tripling the surface area of a 12" bowl and you start to approach the size of a 20 plus inch bowl. Oh well, turning bigger is all about finding the wood and being able to turn it. Beautiful piece and love the curves. Soon the UP will spring up and some flowers will have a place to reside.

[Nate Davey]

Great form and nice job on this monster, Steve. What does it weigh now?

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really nice vase Steve. I like the form and the finish.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nate - right at 4.8 pounds. Left it a little thicker at the bottom for ballast.

[Kathy Marshall]

Very nice Steve! I really like the shape, looks like it would be nice to hold, and the soft finish goes really well with this piece.

[Michelle Rich]

i like the finish as it is too..looks fantastic. very lovely piece

[Doug W Swanson]

Beautiful piece, Steve! The worm holes really add to the plainness of the wood. I also love the form.

[Rick Markham]

Great Form Steve! I didn't realize your previous turnings were so tiny... :p;):D Yes, it's an exponentially larger quanitity of wood to remove. Makes me want to run out and try and hollow something 30" in diameter, boy I bet the torque gets exciting in those giant vessels some folks turn.

[Curt Fuller]

If you wouldn't have included the pic with the purple hf I probably would have read right over the dimensions without even noticing the size. That's really a whopper. Now you'll have to test your Beauty, your Monster, and your patience hollowing one 13.5" wide through a small opening.;) Nice work!

[Bill Wyko]

Steve, not only is the vessel gorgeous, your photography is superb. Very well done on everything.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Steve it's great to see your turnings starting to grow a little taller. I was hoping to see some start getting bigger now that you have that Robust.
As for your quote ( Love turning these larger forms but am amazed at how much additional time it takes to hollow!! ). Just wait until you tackle a 24" dia X 40" long log some day & deciede that it needs turned & hollowed.:eek:

[Steve Schlumpf]

Joe... once the snows melt, I will be able to get out in the woods and pick up some larger chunks of wood to play with. Was stuck with what I had on-hand last fall and I do like to turn the bigger pieces! Not sure how much taller I can create - I did not get the bed extension - but have a lot of play room with the diameter!!

[Jerry Rhoads]

Very nice piece Steve. Great shape, nice grain, and the worm holes all look good.

[Alan Trout]

Steve,

I really like the form and that is a pretty piece or birch as well.

Alan

[Roland Martin]

It was worth the wait to see the final results,Steve. I really like the warm colors of birch and the worm holes add a nice touch to this piece. The sheen of the finish is perfect for this form also. Big and beautiful!!

[Rich Aldrich]

Nice wood and form. I like the worm holes. So would you call this a robust hollow form?

[Neil McWilliams]

Steve, That is really elegant. I've always liked birch but don't seem too many examples of being turned into something so beautiful. What spindle rest system did you use to support it while turning?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Neil,

I turn a lot of White Birch and Maple and when I can find spalted Birch that isn't too far gone, it can be some amazing wood!

The steady rest that I use is just something I threw together to get the job done. Nothing fancy but it works.

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[Steve Busey]

The steady rest that I use is just something I threw together to get the job done. Nothing fancy but it works.

Steve, is that your tool caddy attached to your steady rest - would like to see another pic of that showing what's off to the left.

(PS - nice form on the chuck!)

[Steve Schlumpf]

Steve - here is a photo of a tool caddy I made to hold all my hollowing tools. The Robust is designed such that I can move the tool caddy to any position on the bed and that sure makes bit changes a heck of a lot easier!

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