My Chalice Finally!

[Stan Smith]

Here's a pic of my first (maybe only) communion chalice for my church. The chalice is ambrosia maple and the cross is blood wood. The dimensions are: L = 10", W = 3 3/4".

This was a major struggle for me. I learned a lot. I had a hard time keeping it in round due to wood movement and removing it from the lathe for other projects 3 or 4 times. I bought a steady rest from PSI, but it was not beefy enough for the job. I ended up buying a bigger one that was demo'd by Carl Jacobson on youtube. The wood dried out some over the time I took to get it done. I used 4 coats of WOP for the finish and it's about ready to use.

I intentionally made it beefy in case it gets dropped or roughly handled while washing. I think that I was foolish to try and do one this size as my first goblet though.

Many thanks to all who gave me pointers and suggestions. I gave up on this a couple of times but forced myself to continue due to dumb stubborness.

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[Brian Kent]

Wonderful job. I agree that it has to be sturdy enough for years of handling. Beautiful grain. How did you hollow the inside of the cup?

[Stan Smith]

Thanks, Brian. I know that you are the chalice guy.

I started out using a round carbide cutter, but it was grabbing a little and would pull the stock loose from the PSI steady rest. I was then going to try a bowl gouge but had a similar problem. After I got the 2nd steady rest that held the stock firmly, I started using a radius scraper. I also used some small rectangular shaped too rests that fit into the inside for more support. I used a 1" round scraper for the bottom. The wood was tough because I let it set for too long. However, I did get a few cracks that I had to patch, again because of my slowness.

I really appreciate all of your comments, Brian.

[Pat Scott]

Looks nice, but the cross looks more like an X. Shouldn't it be straight up and down? I assume there is a reason you did it this way.

[Randy Red Bemont]

I think you did well and for a first time at making one of these and I give you ten thumbs up! I just got a lathe and I know how hard it is to do something that you've never done before. Great job.

Red

[Stan Smith]

Thanks, Red. We can all learn from our projects if we can make it through the frustration. I'm thankful that woodworking has taught me patience over the years.

[Brian Kent]

Pat Scott, one of the reasons that the "X" is a Christian symbol is because it is a "Chi" in Greek, the first letter of "Christos" or "Christ".

[Barry McFadden]

Nice job on the chalice....looks great.. I have made a couple of wine glasses and to hollow out the inside I used a Forstner bit and then a Oneway Termite tool to finish off the inside...makes the job quite easy... have you ever thought of trying something like that?

[Stan Smith]

It's a St Andrew's Cross. The symbol for our church, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a St. Andrew's cross on the side of a chalice.

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[Stan Smith]

Yes, Barry, I did learn about the termite, but bought it after I was finished. The forstner bit is a great idea. I did drill a 1/2" hole for the cup depth which helped. Thanks for the tip.