The bullet plate

[Eric C Stoltzfus]

I turned this plate for my friends birthday. There is two 22 long rifle bullets embedded in it. Any thoughts?383388383389

[John Keeton]

Bullets are always interesting to find! What exactly are you looking for in the way of suggestions?

[Mel Fulks]

I like it ,but think it would be better without the stain. The stain is at odds with the natural randomness of the bullets. I
wouldn't use it for "unleadend" bread".

[robert baccus]

Any coon hair around them?

[Bill Boehme]

....... Any thoughts?383388383389

There's no sport in shooting a tree. They're big and they don't move and besides that, they don't taste very good. :D

I agree with the earlier comment about the stain. Just sand it smooth to get rid of all the tool marks and then use a clear finish or maybe use walnut oil. It's a little thick, but that's fine, it won't blow off the picnic table in a stiff breeze like paper plates are prone to do.

[Eric C Stoltzfus]

I can see you guys don't understand. I personally shot those bullets into the board out back behind the shop. I did not do it for sport, I just did it for looks. I think next time I do something like this I will either just skip the stain or go with one thats much lighter.

[Barry McFadden]

Sorry... but I guess I don't understand... can't see any reason to shoot bullets into a turning.... certainly doesn't enhance the look at all....

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Many years ago, I met a fellow that had a piece of tree log in his garage that he had been toting around from move from house to house that supposedly was embedded with musket balls from a Revolutionary war battlefield (Maybe King's Mountain) He held on to that piece for at least 35 yrs pondering the exact way to make something out of that piece of log. Thought about it myself once in a while. Never came up with a good answer. I suppose I would have cut slices off the tree till I caught a piece of musket ball and then framed the slpice with a small plaque explaining the year and battle.

In Germany, thee are target matches in which each contestant uses a round wooden target with a picture painted on it and the person who makes one shot closest to the center of his target is pronounced the Shooting king. Such targets are hung on walls as sort of trophies. Thought of making one myself. I don't think such targets are turned.

[Pat Scott]

Eric I would reduce the thickness to a third of what it is now. A 1/4" to 3/8" thick plate won't blow off the table and feels better in your hands. If you mount the plate by the base and remove thickness from the top, you'd be left with a blue bottom and natural looking top. The contrast could look sharp.

[John K Jordan]

I can see you guys don't understand. I personally shot those bullets into the board out back behind the shop. ...I just did it for looks.

Yes, that explains better. The holes don't do much for me but it might be more interesting if you turned to expose some complete embedded bullets, the exposed surface sanded and polished.

Buckshot might give an interesting effect. Turn to almost finished thickness, apply buckshot, turn to expose some pellets.

One spot on a big walnut tree had dozens of lead bullets embedded deep in the heartwood. Since I quarter sawed you could see where the tree grew rings over some to heal the wounds and some the paths through the wood with the bullets at the end. That tree must have been used for target practice for years.

I like natural wood with no stain but what counts is what you like.

JKJ

[Jay Mullins]

I think it was a joke Barry.

[Barry McFadden]

Well... I don't think it was....but if it was, it's kind of pointless....

[Dennis Peacock]

To me, he's trying to be a bit creative with the bullets. I can't knock someone for trying to be creative. As Pat Scott has already stated, I would thin it down to where it was thin enough to invite the hand to pick it up but heavy enough to remain sitting on a gentle breeze of a day. The dark stain does take away from the over all appearance but...ya don't know until ya try. :)