David DeCristoforo
12-08-2012, 3:46 PM
I have a confession to make. When I first took to the lathe, I thought the idea of making ornaments to be a bit… well… trite I guess would be the word. But over the last couple of years when Christmas rolls around and people once again start posting pictures of ornaments, I started looking at them more closely. And I realized that these little jewels can be… well… little jewels. Of course there are the "acknowledged masters" of this form who make beautifully detailed ornaments, Cindy Drozda, Mac Ray, John Lucas and others. And then there the somewhat "lesser known" artists like Curt Fuller, Marshall Gorrow, Scott Hackler and too many others to name who have refined personal styles and who make delightful ornaments. And then there is the occasional "stroke of brilliance" like the recently posted M&C Gibson ornaments that take the whole concept up a notch or two.
All of this has combined for me with the challenge of making something so small and light while still keeping everything flowing and in proportion. I just could not resist the temptation to try one. There is much room for improvement but it's a start. Also, this month marks our 40th anniversary and I wanted to make something "special" for my wife. Hey… I know… it's no romantic vacation in France. Maybe next year!
The tools I have are much too large for this type of work but I managed make a couple work by regrinding the profiles. I also beat one of my home made "vortex" style tools into a mini hook tool to use to hollow the globe through a 3/16" hole. I'm not sure how thin the walls are because I don't have a caliper that small and still need to make a couple. But the "tap test" indicated that it's pretty thin. I think "pretty thin" is good enough for my first one! The bulb is 2" in diameter and the ornament is 5" long. Dyed maple burl, ebony and silver. It does not conform to the idea that a lighter colored ornament would be easier to see against a green background. Kind of a "stealth" ornament. Maybe I'll get one of those white trees.
Now… next I think I'm going to try turning a vegetable…
247389
All of this has combined for me with the challenge of making something so small and light while still keeping everything flowing and in proportion. I just could not resist the temptation to try one. There is much room for improvement but it's a start. Also, this month marks our 40th anniversary and I wanted to make something "special" for my wife. Hey… I know… it's no romantic vacation in France. Maybe next year!
The tools I have are much too large for this type of work but I managed make a couple work by regrinding the profiles. I also beat one of my home made "vortex" style tools into a mini hook tool to use to hollow the globe through a 3/16" hole. I'm not sure how thin the walls are because I don't have a caliper that small and still need to make a couple. But the "tap test" indicated that it's pretty thin. I think "pretty thin" is good enough for my first one! The bulb is 2" in diameter and the ornament is 5" long. Dyed maple burl, ebony and silver. It does not conform to the idea that a lighter colored ornament would be easier to see against a green background. Kind of a "stealth" ornament. Maybe I'll get one of those white trees.
Now… next I think I'm going to try turning a vegetable…
247389