The lady requested gnarly - roughout

[Roger Chandler]

I was contacted by email this morning from the lady who asked for an item from the SJPT wood.......she wanted more of a vase form than a lidded box [ that one is going to the gallery] and she requested something with a rustic look and said .....To be honest, I’m not particularly interested in a “perfect” piece. I like the look of knots/ gaps etc in the wood........ :eek:

This is not my favorite kind of turning by any stretch of the imagination but when you are commissioned, you try to please the one for whom the project was commissioned. This is a roughout of the vase........it is soaking in DNA at the moment and hopefully it will dry within a couple weeks or so, and I can finish turn. I just thought I would show you the holes, the burly grain figure and the general 'gnarly-ness" of some of this 350 +/- year old white oak.

I hollowed with my Ellsworth tool by hand.........when I finish turn it, likely I will use the Monster rig.

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[Mike Cruz]

I certainly think that qualifies, Roger. Looking great so far. Keep the pics of its progression coming...

[Roger Chandler]

I think she comes from the same design school as David Keller! :D:rolleyes:

[Gary Max]

Just keep telling yourself----the customer is always right.

[Roger Chandler]

I can say this...........when I go to finish turn this one, there will be some real "pucker factor" with it, because the rim area has a void that runs down the inside of the form, and it is already too thin at the rim, and when I go to finish turn it, the slightest mis-step will make this one explode! :eek:

Wish me luck! 229420

[Scott Hackler]

Roger, just take it real easy on the outside to get it to finish shape and wrap it with strapping tape (filament tape) before doing the inside. Works good for me.

[Paul Gallian]

What is the SJPT wood? I would used CA in abundance.

[Roger Chandler]

Roger, just take it real easy on the outside to get it to finish shape and wrap it with strapping tape (filament tape) before doing the inside. Works good for me.

That is my plan Scott..........looks like we both have the same idea! Thanks!

[Roger Chandler]

What is the SJPT wood? I would used CA in abundance.

Paul..........the SJPT stands for Stonewall Jackson Prayer Tree. During the civil war, General Jackson and his troops held prayer meetings underneath this tree when they were encamped during their 1862 campaign through the Shenandoah Valley. We have numerous civil war battlefields in our area.

The vase is in roughout now, the glue will come after the drying process and I get to the final turning.

[Roland Martin]

Knarly it is, Roger. That should look great all finished up. But it's got a foot Roger, Keller will not approve:).

[John Keeton]

Roger, that oak seems to be just about too far gone - kind of getting crumbly on you. Hope you are able to get it finished OK.

[Roger Chandler]

Roger, that oak seems to be just about too far gone - kind of getting crumbly on you. Hope you are able to get it finished OK.

Yep, I am thinking about going ahead and doing a "provisional" one, just in case............I don't particularly like this piece of wood, and my pickin's are getting a bit thin...........this will have been my 20th piece from this tree, and I can get some more wood, but it involves a 60 mile round trip and some more work with the chainsaw.............the way my schedule has been over the last few months, and I find time hard to come by.

I still have probably about 20 pieces of the tree left, but not suitable for a vase.........perhaps one or two might be.

[Thom Sturgill]

Roger, plain old plastic wrap (pallet wrap if you can get it) works well too and does not leave glue residue on the piece. Just be careful which direction you wrap it!

[Pat Scott]

Any way to send a picture of the roughout to the lady and see what she thinks? Maybe it's too gnarly or not gnarly enough? Explain it's just a rough shape, but it might help you know you're on the same page with what she had in mind.

[Mike Peace]

When you get ready to finish turn it, I agree that some type of wrap would help when doing the inside. I would consider making a jam chuck type of plug that you can support with the tail stock when doing the outside. I would think that would help stabilize it quite a bit.

[Roger Chandler]

I took this one out of the DNA this afternoon...........boy, it really looks iffy! Not sure it is worth even trying to save......I guess that I will turn a provisional one.........kinda like a backup car in nascar when the primary car has some kind of problem before qualifying for a race........

That void on the rim is deeper than it looked in the pics, and I am really worried about the structural integrity of this and don't want to give somebody something that may not hold up.............just me, but I'm thinking it is the right thing to do.

I might try to finish it, but not sure I will allow it out of my own possession.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Hope it works out for you Roger.

[Mike Cruz]

Roger, mix up some epoxy with dye or brass shavings and pack it in the spots in question. It'll hold it together, and add an accent...