Almond HF finished

[Kathy Marshall]

You might remember an almond hf I posted about a month ago http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?182529-Almond-hollow-form-WIP&highlight= , I finally got the finish complete this weekend.
It has darkened up quite a bit, the red around the "windows" turned to brown, the sapwood has darkened as has the heartwood. Surprisingly, there's been very little movement, the bark areas have shrunk a little as would be expected, but the opening is still round and the rest also appears to be the same shape as it came off the lathe. The finish is BLO followed by about 7-8 coats of WOP then triple buffed with tripoli, WD and ren wax.
I think this may be one of my favorite pieces I've turned so far.

Before
228483

After
228480228481228482228479228478
Thanks for looking!
Comments and critiques are welcome.

[John Keeton]

Kathy, IMO, this color has a much warmer look, and is much richer looking than before. I do have to agree - it is one of your better pieces. The form is very, very good and the wood is wonderfully varied in its appearance. Thanks for posting the finished piece.

[Roger Chandler]

That one is real nice..........very well done Kathy. A lot of visual interest with the voids, the coloration, and like the result of the BLO and WOP..........they just seem to work together well to give a very rich looking finish. I would think this one begs to be handled a bit to get the full appreciation for it. Gotta luv that almond.........seems the nut woods always have a bit of character in them.

[Doug W Swanson]

Wow! It looks great!

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Kathy,
Wow, that came out very well. It certainly is a piece of wood with a lot going on. I think you will do a lot of hollow forms that will each become your favorite.
Looking back at the original post, I realized you turned this piece in spindle direction and left the pith in the bottom. You didn't show any pics of the bottom in this post so pardon me if I am wrong. I also noticed you used a faceplate to mount the blank. Though mounting a cross grain hollow form on a faceplate is my favorite way to hollow, I don't do it when the wood is spindle oriented. I don't trust screws in end grain especially near the pith. Am I seeing something wrong?
faust

[Ken Glass]

Kathy,
Form is spot on and the wood is beautiful. Very nice.

[Tim Rinehart]

Beautiful piece Kathy! Leaving that bit of inclusion bark really makes this a special piece. I'm not a big fan of real glossy on a piece like this, but it came out very nice and highlights the beauty in the wood. Form is super and you did it very well tucking the base in and keeping the base at a little smaller than the opening, so it flows well I think.

[Dale Bright]

Kathy, that is a very nice form and a great piece of wood, well done!!

Dale

[Bernie Weishapl]

Kathy that is beautiful. It just has a warm, touch me look to it. Nice form.

[steven carter]

Very nice HF. It sure did darken up, but in my opinion it just made it better. Great form and nice soft finish.

[Bill Wyko]

Very cool piece. It reminds me of a cave in a mountain side I use to play in when I was a kid. Well done.

[Jerry Marcantel]

Kathy, that's pretty nice. I love the way the sapwood changed color.......... Jerry (in Tucson)

[Kathy Marshall]

Thanks guys! I was sorry to see the red change to brown, but I do agree the final color is warmer and richer.

Kathy,
Wow, that came out very well. It certainly is a piece of wood with a lot going on. I think you will do a lot of hollow forms that will each become your favorite.
Looking back at the original post, I realized you turned this piece in spindle direction and left the pith in the bottom. You didn't show any pics of the bottom in this post so pardon me if I am wrong. I also noticed you used a faceplate to mount the blank. Though mounting a cross grain hollow form on a faceplate is my favorite way to hollow, I don't do it when the wood is spindle oriented. I don't trust screws in end grain especially near the pith. Am I seeing something wrong?
faust
Thanks Faust! You are correct, it was turned in spindle orientation using a faceplate. I used to always use a chuck for hollowing, but when I attended Lyle Jamieson's demo, he recommended using a faceplate even on endgrain. I still sometimes use a chuck on smaller pieces, but I do find that I have less vibration with a faceplate. I use a 3" faceplate with at least 6 screws that are 1 1/4" long. I've never had any loosening of the screws, in fact I usually have to hold the faceplate in a clamp to get the screws out. I don't know if it makes a difference that I usually turn green wood.

[Michelle Rich]

glad the color became more muted over time..gives this a much more integrated look

[Rick Markham]

Kathy, I agree with you and John, this is a super nice piece, I can see why it is your favorite. I like the color change, losing that red is a little sad, but it's one of those things that we as the artist get to appreciate, even if it is momentary or fleeting. I think the piece really warmed up, and brought a spectacular contast to the sap wood. I'm a fan of inclusions and voids, and I would have to say that you really did an excellent job showcasing those features. It's a very pleasing form too, makes me want to pick it up and hold it.