Christmas ornaments

[William C Rogers]

I started doing some Christmas ornaments and decided to do one for every one in the family. I got some inspiration on shapes from the web and thought I came up with a few original ideas only to later find something very similar on the web. Least I am thinking. It's been fun using up left over wood from other projects.
All have rattle can lacquer finish. from left to right, bird house rosewood and maple Transtint on top and wood burner highlites, bulb is spalted tamarined with holly finials, bell maple and walnut with ebony ball, bell spalted ash (Transtint) with holly accents; this didn't come out like I thought, piece next to it is spalted ash without transtint.

347651

Carousel is mahogany and maple, wishing well is oak top with Transtint and wood burner highlites, ebony cap, walnut post, maple base and red heart bucket, bell is same bell as above, snowman is one piece holly with black Transtint and orange toothpick nose
347654

C&C welcome, would like to see what you have done for more inspiration as I have made about 20 so far and still need to make about 15 more.

[John K Jordan]

I started doing some Christmas ornaments...

Carousel is mahogany and maple, wishing well is oak top with Transtint and wood burner highlites, ebony cap, walnut post, maple base and red heart bucket, bell is same bell as above, snowman is one piece holly with black Transtint and orange toothpick nose
347654



I really like the first two in this picture, especially the wishing well. I may steal that idea.

Our club had a bunch more "turned" in last night for a Children's Hospital benefit. Last year they brought in over $4000.

I turned some from colored acrylic this year. I'll have pictures of some new ones when I get process them from my camera.

A few older ones:

347692

347693

347694

347695

347696

347697

Here's some our friend John Lucas did.
His cube ornaments have little intersecting spherical bowls cut into each face.
His "Gift Ornaments" are small turned threaded gift boxes to hang on the tree.

347700
347705


JKJ

[William C Rogers]

Thanks John, the one that catches my eye is the red/white slim middle. Can't say if it is the shape or the wood combinations. What wood is that? Not stealing anything, what I thought was unique I would end up seeing something similar by someone. The well was easy, the carousel was a pain.

[John K Jordan]

Thanks John, the one that catches my eye is the red/white slim middle. Can't say if it is the shape or the wood combinations. What wood is that? Not stealing anything, what I thought was unique I would end up seeing something similar by someone. The well was easy, the carousel was a pain.

Do you mean the hourglass shape in the 4th picture? It's one of my favorites so I didn't give it away! It is Brazilian Tulipwood with Bloodwood finial. I never saw one made in that shape. (The shape kind of reminded me of an apple with bites around the middle.) This type of shape is perfect for displaying otherwise straight figure in an interesting way. I also am happy with the way the finial came out - I intended the two shapes at the bottom to echo the shape of the "globe". The globe, BTW, is hollowed just like a rounded one, but perhaps more interesting to do!

I love working with Tulipwood; it's a rosewood (dalbergia decipularis/frutescens) and a joy to work and I love the color. I don't have other pictures of ornaments with tuilpwood wood except for one handbell cut in half (to show the shape of the wall) and one bell (on the end) not yet made into an ornament:

347742 347743


In case anyone is interested, the ornaments I pictured are:

- Acorn "birdhouse": walnut with cherry top
- Two chip-carved basswood globes, redheart and figured walnut finials
- Sea urchin shell with purpleheart finial
- Little tree with offset turned grooves, maple, it got painted later
- Hourglass shape, tulipwood, bloodwood finial
- Handbell ornament, pink flame and ebony, extra bells from walnut, cocobolo, and dogwood

If you want to make any like these just ask if you want clarification.

I would love to see a closeup of the carousel if you have one.

JKJ

[Wes Ramsey]

I love the gift ornament! What a cool idea. Is that just a slip fit? That would make a cool addition to our tree this year...

[John K Jordan]

I love the gift ornament! What a cool idea. Is that just a slip fit? That would make a cool addition to our tree this year...

Wes,

John Lucas makes these put together with threads. He mentions: "Most are threaded directly using the Baxter threader however some woods are too weak to hold a sturdy thread so I add inserts out of wood or sometimes ... I use colored epoxy." Seeing his makes me want to get out my own Baxter jig and try some.

If you don't thread, these could be made with other inserts. Some people cut inserts from PVC pipe fittings. I'd be afraid the little suspended boxes with friction-fit tops might come apart if the wood shrunk any.

Here are some more that John Lucas made plus a picture of a couple taken apart. I don't think he will mind me showing them here. This bunch is for sale at a gallery. (I think he said he made over 50 ornaments this year, a bunch for a charity fundraiser.

347802 Turnings by John Lucas

347803 Turnings by John Lucas

John said he has to market them carefully or people won't even realize they will come apart.

BTW, John Lucas is one of my favorite turners, extremely clever, creative, and prolific. (and a real nice guy!) He is active on a number of turning forums, does a lot of demos in the Southeast (get him for your club!), teaches courses, and has made a bunch of youtube videos. Here are some but not all:
https://www.youtube.com/user/john60lucas/videos

And no, I'm not his PR agent - just a friend. He lives just a couple of hours from me.

JKJ

[William C Rogers]

Do you mean the hourglass shape in the 4th picture? It's one of my favorites so I didn't give it away! It is Brazilian Tulipwood with Bloodwood finial. I never saw one made in that shape. (The shape kind of reminded me of an apple with bites around the middle.) This type of shape is perfect for displaying otherwise straight figure in an interesting way. I also am happy with the way the finial came out - I intended the two shapes at the bottom to echo the shape of the "globe". The globe, BTW, is hollowed just like a rounded one, but perhaps more interesting to do!

I love working with Tulipwood; it's a rosewood (dalbergia decipularis/frutescens) and a joy to work and I love the color. I don't have other pictures of ornaments with tuilpwood wood except for one handbell cut in half (to show the shape of the wall) and one bell (on the end) not yet made into an ornament:

347742

347743


In case anyone is interested, the ornaments I pictured are:

- Acorn "birdhouse": walnut with cherry top
- Two chip-carved basswood globes, redheart and figured walnut finials
- Sea urchin shell with purpleheart finial
- Little tree with offset turned grooves, maple, it got painted later
- Hourglass shape, tulipwood, bloodwood finial
- Handbell ornament, pink flame and ebony, extra bells from walnut, cocobolo, and dogwood

If you want to make any like these just ask if you want clarification.

I would love to see a closeup of the carousel if you have one.

JKJ

Sorry for the late response. I had my shop a mess moving equipment and a member from our turning club wanting to take pictures of the shop. I don't have a picture of the carousel right now, but this is how I made it. Ends are mahogany and center is maple. I cut the blocks as square as I could. I then laid out the placement for the post on the maple. Drew a circle and used cord length for three post. I drilled the post holes all the way through the maple. I then drilled a 1/16 hole halfway through for the eyelets. Glued the three pieces together and turned between centers. I put a tendon on each end. Parted the maple then chucked up and sanded the maple. Parted the tendon and then used a jam chuck with double sided tape to sand the mahogany. The pain part was glue ran down in the holes. This was kind of a prototype before I did more detail. Next time I will stuff the holes with Play-Doh as it is easier to pick that out vs glue. Hope this makes sense.

edit: the little figures I got from Michaels. $2.50 for a package of 16.

[Steve Peterson]

Those are really incredible. My favorite is the carousel with the windmill as a close second.

Steve