Orange Agate Vase

[John Hart]

Hi all.
While everyone has been going Itty Bitty, I decided to try my largest vase ever. Rockler had this piece of Orange Agate on sale for $25, down from $50.....Then he decided to cut the price in half...so I got it for $12.50!!

Mainly because it had the beginnings of checks and cracks but I figured that it was worth a shot. So anyway, here it is. I went looking for Ancient Egyptian Pottery for inspiration and this final piece looks fairly close to a pottery piece that I found on the internet. It did start to crack on me so I wasn't able to maintain the 3/16" wall all the way down. Left about 3/4" in the bottom for ballast. It will stand on its own but I'll be making a tri-stand for it in the next couple days.

It is 13" Tall and 7" in diameter. Just BLO on it for now.

Thanks for looking!!

[Andy Hoyt]

John - I've just read through the entire Itty Bitty thread and my eyes are blurry, I've got a wicked headache, and I really really need to go get a drink and not an Itty Bitty drink.

So, please accept my gratitude for posting something of normal size.

Very nice and a beautiful chunk wood. Did'ja use that new toy?

[John Hart]

....Did'ja use that new toy?

Thanks Andy. Yup...I used almost everything in the arsenal. I'm not really comfortable with the hollowmaster so I limited myself to the top opening. It went really well and I learned a lot. But getting down into the lower half, I got a little skeered because there were a lot of knots and voids that were horrendous catches. I think I broke my little finger....hurts like the dickens!:(

Bertha did most of the lower half hollowing and the Ugly stick got to taste a little too.

[Keith Burns]

John, that is one fine, and I mean fine, piece ! Love the form. It's different from what we're used to seeing. Flows well. Outstanding.:) :)

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

VERRY NICE, John! It would be itty bitty to Golith!

Perception is everything!

Bruce

[Ernie Nyvall]

That's a really nice one John. Good deal on some fine wood.

Hey, how long is Big Bertha to go 13" and still have leverage on the back side? Did you use a steady rest?

Ernie

[John Hart]

...Hey, how long is Big Bertha to go 13" and still have leverage on the back side? Did you use a steady rest?

Bertha's shaft is 11" and has a 15" handle so I get quite a bit of leverage. The toolrest is a curved bowl rest that I got to sit at the lower opening so that bought me 4 inches.

Here's a pic of the Rest and also of the pottery that I used for inspiration. I should have printed out the picture and stuck it on the wall. I kinda missed the mark on the design now that I look at it again. I'll do better on the next one.;)

[Travis Stinson]

Great looking vase John. I think you've got the form down, very cool. If you ever get the chance to use a captured hollowing rig, you'd be in Heaven!:D

[Keith Christopher]

John,

I LOVE your work ! I can't wait until I do my first hollow form.

Keith

[Bill Stevener]

Ill tell ya John, this place is getting real busy, hard to catch up.
Love your vase, hollow form. you don't see to many two step jobbers. The wood is something else.
Can't wait to see it when you finish the stand.
Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Jim Ketron]

Nice Job John!
Great looking piece!

[Dennis Peacock]

Very nice John......I like the form...it seems to fit the wood rather nicely. Excellent job.!!!!!:D

[John Miliunas]

John, I have to keep reminding myself that this is SMC and not an AAW site!!!!:rolleyes: That's beautiful and largely done with homemade tools, no less! Very, very impressive, my friend!:D Be sure to re-post once you get that BLO dried and buffed out!:) BTW, Bill S. is right...Getting downright hard to keep up with just the beautiful work out here anymore!:) :cool:

[Chris Barton]

Interesting piece John! The wood looks very nice and I really like the color. Keep up the good work!

[John Hart]

Thank you all for the kind comments. I sure wish I could get out of that mind set that makes all my pieces "fat". Not that I dislike this piece but I really wanted it to have the sleek lines. Practice practice practice!!:)

[John Hart]

....If you ever get the chance to use a captured hollowing rig, you'd be in Heaven!:D

I've been thinking about that Travis. I look at Jim Ketrons rig almost every day and drool a little.:D

[Rich Stewart]

I really like the looks of that one John. I did one similar to it a while back. I don't have any hollowing tools (yet) so I just went down as far as I could and then drilled the bottom out with a forstner bit as big as I could. Not the greatest picture but you get the idea.