Mahogany HF...

[Steve Vaughan]

I've really enjoyed making a couple of hollowforms with my homemade monster look-a-like rig. This one is Mahogany with an African Blackwood top. Love that blackwood, wow, does it turn and polish out really nice. The mahogany has walnut-stained woodgrain filler, a few coats of shellac, and then a few coats of lacquer, waxed and buffed. It's right at 6" in diameter and 5 1/2" total height.

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[Jamie Donaldson]

That's an excellent looking vessel Steve, but you're using way too many lights, 4 that I see, creating 3 too many highlights on the turning. That's enough wattage to melt the shellac! A single diffused light about 45 degrees from either front side, and a white bounce board on the opposite side would work just fine.

[John Keeton]

Steve, very nice work on the form! The grain filler really helped with the mahogany, too. Blackwood is neat stuff - way better IMO than ebony. Not as black, but turns so much better. I usually will hit the blackwood with some black dye prior to finishing it, just to get it as black as possible.

[Steve Vaughan]

That's a great point John...didn't even think about that. And, yes, Jamie, you are exactly right. I have been playing and experimenting and one of these days I'm gonna get it right. Sat down the other day and played with all sorts of different settings on the camera to see what came up. I had just gone to some actual "daylight" lights. That said though, you're right. I'll play some more with that. Oh, and thanks for the comments.

[Roger Chandler]

That one is top shelf Steve..........nice work! I like your knob design and you have an excellent form here.....pretty finish also!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really nice piece Steve. I do like the knob on it and the form looks good.

[Steve Schlumpf]

I like it! The Mahogany sure has some rich color to it!

[Rick Markham]

Looks great Steve! I like the form and the blackwood cap. Is that Sipo?

[Steve Vaughan]

Rick, don't know which wood you're talking about. The body is African Mahogany and the cap is African Blackwood.