The Next IT Contest Entries

[John Hart]

Hi all! This is the place for The Next IT Contest Entries!

I would like to kick it off with my EXAMPLE Entry. This is not an official entry...Just an example.

Snakewood and African Blackwood Magnifier

This little device is intended for Fly Tying but since I've never tied a fly in my life and I don't Fly Fish....Well...I guess it's just gonna hafta sit on my desk.:o It stands 6" Tall (measuring the centerpost height), 21" from claw tip to claw tip, and the magnifier is 3.5" in diameter. The finish is buffed BLO. This took me approximately 23 hours and I started it last Wednesday, January 25th. I had no plans...Just looked at a metal one and kinda made it up as I went along.

Thanks for looking....and GOOD LUCK!!
SHOW PIC #1
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SHOW PIC #2
30850 (http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/groups/g_15994071/8c6d/__sr_/4ab1.jpg?grggE4DBtHo21Kqh)

SHOW PIC #3
30851 (http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/groups/g_15994071/8c6d/__sr_/d356.jpg?grggE4DBLGPibi74)

[John Hart]

Close UPs (These are optional)

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Next Post is the Required HOW-TO

[John Hart]

This project basically started with me looking around the room. There were quite a few things I saw that I thought I could turn into a project....but I was running out of time. With less than a week left before the contest, I decided to replicate one of these things.
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I have some Snakewood boards that were given to me by Mike Glazer, but I didn't have a chuck that would support them. So I had to make a chuck.
Just took a piece of mahogany
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Turned it to a cylinder
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And put a hole in it that would accomodate the square rods of Snakewood
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[John Hart]

Making all the spindles for this project was the most tedious part. I cut several square rods and got them round
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This gave me a good chance to finally use my steady rest. It's not the greatest steady-rest on the planet...but it worked!!:)
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Then I turned all the various snakewood spindles. I gotta tell ya though....I lost a bunch of them!:o
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[John Hart]

The Centerpost.

I gave a lot of thought to this part. I knew that I would have spindles running through, perpendicular to each other...and I wanted it to not turn out blocky and bulky...but still have strength. I had some African Blackwood stored away for a rainy day...so now was the time.

First, I mounted the piece to the lathe to knock the corners off and inspect how centered the piece was.
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Then I drilled two perpendicular 1/2" holes, spread just far enough apart to give me strength in the final turning and not look stupid. (that was the tough part)
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Then turned the Cylinder
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Then just free handed a spindle that had some curves and allowed me to get some fun Skew work in.
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And this is how far I got on the first day.
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[John Hart]

The Base

The Base was made by mounting a piece of Snakewood to a block of Ringshake Beech (useful stuff):D
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Mounted it up and turned it. Nothing special...just kinda fun. I did find that it was easier to turn the corner of from the face of this, because the snakewood had a tendancy to splinter.
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Sorry about the focus....but here it is
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Next was the Flatwork - Those pesky little holder things. I decided on African blackwood to match the centerpost.
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These were simply cut on the Table saw and then rounded on the beltsander. I did one set with a Dremel router bit...but didn't like the look..So I decided to go rustic
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[John Hart]

Drilled Centerholes to accomodate a tap on one side and a through-hole on the other side.
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Then used a 3/8ths bit to put the two Detent holes for the ball joints
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Then tapped the hole on one side
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And fit it up
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So far so good :)
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[John Hart]

The Magnifying Glass

This was the scary part. First pic shows it mounted up on a small piece of Beech that allowed me to get behind it.
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Made it round....As lathes tend to do.;)
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I continued to ensure that the magnifying glass would not quite fit in the opening but tried to get it as close as possible
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Then went deep. First, I bored through the center so I could see where the bottom was. That helped take some of the guess work out of it
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Before parting it off, I put the indentation into the frame to accomodate the glass
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[John Hart]

Here was the hard part. I had to break it to insert the glass.
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Got it all glued together and then turned a ball joint for the Magnifier...Next to a giant dime
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All that was left was some simple assembly...very little glue. I used epoxy for the Center post to base and to get the arms in secure....Oh and the Itty bitty spindle for the Magnifier pivot.

That's it!!!:) <!-- / message --><!-- attachments -->

[Ernie Nyvall]

Wow John, that is impressive. I don't fish for flies either, but that thing looks like it would work fine for making them.

With this, you have really presented a challenge to all of us.

Ernie

[Jim Dunn]

Very nice John, but you stole my idea:eek::):) Just kidding:p. I'm a thunking! My head is still spinning from trying to look up stuff for my signature line this past weekend.:rolleyes::D

[Mike Ramsey]

Thats a lot of little turnings! Great job John!
Oh & I liked the way you recylced those roach clips :D .

[John Hart]

Thanks y'all...Yeah Mike....ever since I took up Lacquer....I got no need for all that teenage paraphenelia!
Oh...Here. I figured out a use for the Magnifier. An Itty Bitty Looker-Atter thing! This is the Itty Bitty that Keith Burns gave me.

[Keith Burns]

Well, I give up:( Another great one John:) I still give up:(

[Andy Hoyt]

Well done, John. I like the very first picture the most. Reminds me of Bill Stevener hunkered down over his spinner thing doing itty bitty spinny things.

[Bill Stevener]

Great example John, looks like the picture police can take a break, as we may well have a col loge????? a vast group of photos.

Andy, some days my joints feel like the #1 photo.:(

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Gary Max]

I got started on my project today-----no sence waiting till the last minute.

[Bill Stevener]

Hi All,

I guess someone has to be first. So I thought I would jump in before the crowd.

I was thrilled when John posted a new contest. I told Gerri about the contest and how it may work. I also told her the idea I had. She said a WHAT:eek: . The first turning I ever turned was a lamp, from an old bowling pin, looked the same, however, spiffed up and smaller. Never turned another one since, that was some time ago.

Thought I might try another lamp. With my idea in mind I began doing some research into the things I may need. One of the main items was a tank, now where would one get a round glass tank. I thought of going to the local large hospitals and seeing if I could not get a large beaker of sorts. Well along in my in my search it was suggested I try Kay's Merchandise.
They had just what I was looking for. A start.

Several other items were needed, a small air pump, special lighting, and various smaller items. All were readily available but the lights, more later.

The wood of choice is Local Wild Black Cherry 1/4 swan. The lamp measures 34" to the top of the final on the shade. The base is 13" in diameter and 1-3/4" thick. All wood parts were finished with 5 coats of Deft clear spray lacquer, then a buffing on the Beale.
The stock was prepared and glued up on the first of February, and ready for turning the next day. All of the pieces except for the spindles were mounted to a large face plate. The spindles are turned the way spindles are turned. They are of two parts, each having a grove along the length, cut on the table saw and then glued up. The groove is to accept various components that will be noted in the photos that follow.

The first four photos show the Base, top and the top, top - the hatch that opens, for various reasons. The spindles are also shown. There are various cut-outs in the base and the top that one will see there intended use as we go along.

The first four photos.

[Bill Stevener]

The next four photos are of the top, top -- hatch with the upper lamp fixture being attached via epoxy. The lamp fixture is a brass candle holder with some modification and the addition of the various required lamp parts. The candle holder was also found in Kay's, for $3.00.

The other three photos show the top and base with the cut-outs and the beginning of the required material being installed - conductors and tubing being fit in to the same. They also show a grove turned into the top and base that receive a 10 light strings of Christmass lights. This proved to be one of the hardest parts to get. As the standard lights are only .25w ( I think) and come on a string of 100. I played with the 100 string and began to blow up bulbs. One can not cut the strings of 100 or 50 eather. Found a co. in Colorado that had a string of 10 at 1w ea. This seamed to do the trick.

Next four photos.

[Bill Stevener]

OK, coming along now.

The next three photos show some of the wiring in the top, top -- hatch. The others show the spindles being glued in place with the main conductors installed, also the air supply tubing. The third photo shows the top glued up. The wiring and tubing exits via holes drilled in the top.

Next three photos.

[Bill Stevener]

OK,

The next four photos are showing the testing of the electrical circuits.

The last photo is the testing of the hatch, all seemed to work on the first try.

Note, the lamp has a fused plug, on the main in feed conductor, and is plugged in to a GFI receptacle.

Next four photos.

[Bill Stevener]

The last three photos are the required photos of different views.

My entry is a Fish Tank Lamp, all wood parts turned on the lathe, with special efects lighting.

It's hard to show something round in three views. The first one is a front view, the next is a side view and the third one is how the lamp looks at night, with out the upper three way lamp lit.

One of the hardest parts of the photo process, was to get my new friend (IT) to pose. He's rather camera shy.

This is my entry for the "IT" contest, I finally turned another lamp, hope you enjoy and any questions, please fire away.

Thanks for having and allowing me to enter in the contest. Getting all this on line was the hardest part.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Chris Barton]

Bill,

What an original project! I like IT!

[Bob Noles]

Bill,

That is a really slick project. I don't believe I have seen anything like it before.

I give you a 10 :)

[John Hart]

That is just too cool!!! I love fish tanks...they are soothing...and your lighting is wonderful. The turning is...well...excellent as always. Nice presentation too Bill. So....What does Gerri think of the finished project?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

BIll ....absolutely ingenious! Great idea....great execution!

[Mike Ramsey]

I'm with John & Ken on this one, WOW! Maybe you could have
went further and maybe put an auto fish feeding mechanism
like maybe whenever you pull or turn the light on it will dump
fishy food into the tank! :) .

Great job Bill!

[Dennis Peacock]

Most Excellent Bill....!!!!! Very nice and unique!!!!!:D

[Ernie Nyvall]

That's really great Bill.

Sheez, I haven't even thought of anything yet.:o

Ernie

[Keith Burns]

Since Bill has already posted his wonderful, creative and inovative project I thought I should maybe do the same (although not in the same league as Bill's) so here goes. Mine consists totally of turned components. It contains exotic woods: Mahogany, purpleheart, shedua, yellowheart and rosewood. It can be used as a paperweight or as a decoration in a childs room. The diamete is 5-1/2" . The first four photos show the wood blanks for the four spiders and how I turned them:

[Keith Burns]

Next I turned the Center portion. I drilled the holes prior to turning so the would be centered. The photos show the drilling of the holes, mounting ready for turning and the piece ready to come off the lathe. All pieces were completely sanded on the lathe. All that is left is to glue the spiders to the center shaft and finish, which is deft spray.

[Keith Burns]

These are the 3 required final photos of my "Exotic Jack". I have another entry in mind so it's time to get started on IT.

[Gary Max]

This is my design---my intent is for IT to be in the thought of post Stickley and pre Eames Era art. All the wood is from the same Sycamore tree that fell and blocked the road from our house last fall. I have always wanted to take the time to build this lamp but just never could force myself to start it.
1st pic is the wood for the shade and arms
2nd is the start of the shade
3 and 4 are shapeing and sanding the shade

[Gary Max]

I wanted to start with the shade feeling that IT was going to be the hardest part. It is two pieces and has to match the arms. So I am going to build everything to fit the shade.
Pic 5 is the shade with a coat of BLO and mineral spirits ---wanted a little color
Pic 6 clean the inside out----- then sand out to 400 grit
Pic 7 start the base---really just a block of firewood from same tree.
Pic 8 drill the center for the cord.

[Gary Max]

At this point things are starting to come together. The arms are the only parts that are not turned. They are 4 pieces which is going to make it easy to adjust them to fit the shade. I turned a smal cap/cover to go on top of the arms to hide any spacing trouble I might have.
Pic 9---How the arms fit without the cover on
Pic10---- the heat riser for the shade--turned it like a small bowl---then cut a tenon on the inside---the fun part was cutting it off the lathe---really just cut through the bottom from the back side with a parting tool.
Pic 11-----you can see how I used a dremal tool to make pockets for the shade to sit on the arms and how the heat riser fits the shade
Almost forgot -----It is a total of 24 inchs tall and the shade is just under 12 inchs wide
The finish ---started by appling a heavy coat of BLO and mineral spirits---let is cure for a couple of days them wipe with soft rag. Next spend a week appling 2 coats of Deft every day. Each coat must be hand sanded. You do this until it shines the way you want it.

[Gary Max]

For The Judges---3 different angles
I hope everyone enjoys IT as much as I have building IT

[John Hart]

Wow...two entries today! I just started my project this afternoon.

Hey Keith....That is a cool idea...Plus, it is so simple. Simple innovation...can't argue with that. IT's very nice to look at too.

Gary...I almost decided on a lamp with a turned lampshade. Glad I decided to go with something else. Very cool!


Sheesh....I sure hope I don't screw mine up!:o

[Ernie Nyvall]

Very cool Travis and Gary.

Still don't have anything here.:o

Ernie

[Bill Stevener]

Keith and Gary, glad to see you fellas join in the contest, I can see this is going to be a fun one. Cant wait to see who will show next.

Good luck to all,

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Barry Stratton]

All I can say is WOW! You folks are incredibly innovative as well as talented.

[Keith Burns]

Ok, this is a two face clock, reverseable clock, mood clock, bowl clock, oh, call it what you want. The idea came to me in the middle of the night. The first five photos show the cutting of the segments and the sanding of the segments on my disc sander, the glueing of the segments and the final sanding of the halfs that are now ready to make a ring.

[Keith Burns]

These five photos show the rings glued and ready for the drum sander for flattening. They also show gluing the rings using a centering jig I made and the turning of one bowl.

[Keith Burns]

These five photos show the two bowls glued together, drilling of the center hole, turning of the support posts, and turning of the finials.

[Keith Burns]

These two photos show the drilling of the supports to accept the dowels to hold the bowls and the assembly of the support posts to the base.

[Keith Burns]

The required three final photos. Forgot to mention the materials are maple and walnut with ebony finials. The size is 7" diameter x approx 10" tall. If anyone hase questions please feel free to ask me. Thanks for looking and thanks to the organizers of and the gift givers to this contest.

[John Hart]

I just came up from the shop, working on my entry, feeling pretty good about myself. I quit.

Nice innovative piece Keith!!:)

[Mike Ramsey]

Gary, like the lamp! looked like a lot of work. Great job!

Keith, man that clock is awesome! The only thing that ever hit
me in the middle of the night was my loml for snorring to loud!

[Chris Barton]

What a great project Keith! very nice...

[Chris Barton]

Veyr nice lamp Gary! I have never seen one with a wood shade!

[John Hart]

Okie Dokie....I finally finished my entry. I'll start my thread with the Final Judging Pics. This is a Buckeye and Bubinga Globe Ensemble that I call "Planet Buckeye". I did some checking and didn't find any total turned globes so I thought it fit the innovative part....although, I know it doesn't exactly fit the Functional part, since there's no map....But the whole thing spins around and the Planet rotates too. It's finished with the Secret Recipe and I put a coat of matte lacquer on the globe and buffed. Thanks for looking!:)

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[John Hart]

This first set of pics shows the Buckeye blank mounted up on the lathe and being cut down to the size for the globe. Then I turned it into a pseudo-sphere....hollowed it to about a 1" wall and put it in alcohol for a couple of days.

[John Hart]

These next two show how I turned the sphere around and used my handy-dandy capture rig to hollow out the south pole. I made the rig sometime last year. I know there's a thread somewhere, but I don't remember. Anyway, in the end, I had a 6" diameter ball that was hollowed to about a 1/2" wall with the south pole a little thicker for ballast.
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Next...The Orbit.
Just took a 1" slab of Bubinga and turned a 9" diameter ring and put some design to it. Then turned it around and mounted it to the handy-dandy capture ring to finish up the other side.
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[John Hart]

To make the base, I used the leftover 7" disk from the Orbit and glued another slab of bubinga to it.
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[John Hart]

This next set of pics just shows some of the finishing and all the parts and some assembly. I turned 2 little knobby bubinga finials and collars for the poles and glued it all together with System Three Epoxy. The entire thing is turned with the exception of the 1/4" aluminum rod and a small plastic bushing for rotation.

That's it! I like it. Hope you do as well.
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[Ernie Nyvall]

Absolutely outstanding John. And of course we haven't mapped out that planet yet so there is really not one to put on there.:D The swirl is a sandstorm and we wouldn't be able to see a map anyway. At least now we know what planet buckeye looks like.

Great job. I really like it.

Ernie

[Andy Hoyt]

Too coooooool!

Outta this world!

[Michael Stafford]

Ain't no way I am entering any of these contests with you guys. Sheesh, I have no imagination and limited skills. John, Keith, Gary and Bill, it is a pleasure to see your work and I am glad I am not a judge. Just outstanding work, I congratulate you all.:D

[Glenn Clabo]

Wicked awesome John. I wonder if that Keith fellow can laser a globe?:D

[Jim Dunn]

I know it doesn't exactly fit the Functional part, since there's no map

Hey, if some of us can see ghost, babyinwomb, mountains and such in turned pieces I'm sure we'll see some lakes, oceans, mountains, valleys and even a town that would take Andy on the globe:eek::eek::D

A real nice job John. No wonder your were tired.:rolleyes:

Jim

[Keith Burns]

Thanks John, it was worth the wait ! I knew your entry would be special and I wasn't wrong. That is absolutely beautiful ! I love it !:) :) :) :)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Excellent project John!

I would like to thank everyone for documenting your procedures in such detailed manners! Gives ideas to the new kid on the block! Old folks can learn!

[John Hart]

Excellent project John!

I would like to thank everyone for documenting your procedures in such detailed manners! Gives ideas to the new kid on the block! Old folks can learn!

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. It took me about a week just to visualize it. I enjoyed it very much. I'd like to thank Chris Barton BIG TIME for coming up with the idea for The NEXT IT Contest. It's really his brainchild, and was his idea to make the documentation of the project part of the contest. This way, everyone can learn something from the fun that the contestants had. I hope we see more entrants.:)

[Rob Bourgeois]

globe of Mars???

Cool idea.

[Travis Stinson]

Outstanding work John, I love it!

[Dennis Peacock]

Lots of outstanding entries. It's going to be tough judging all this ya know. :eek: :)

[Jim Dunn]

Again Dennis, "That's why your paid the big bucks" or get a free subscription to the turners forum :)

[Bill Stevener]

It was worth the wait John, yur given us a run for the bone.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Curt Fuller]

John, that's an incredible piece of work. And the process is very interesting too. Lots of home made jigs and things that I never would think of without seeing your tutorial.

[Curt Fuller]

OK, I've read and re-read the directions and I think I've met most of the criteria for the "IT" so here goes.

For lack of a better name, my project is a Toilet Plunger Cozy. Because its so danged innovative I'll explain what it is first. Every household has or should have a toilet plunger around somewhere. But it's usually hidden under the bathroom cabinet or in a closet, somewhere out of sight. Why? Because there just isn't anything very attractive about a toilet plunger. But now that has changed. With a decoratively turned Toilet Plunger Cozy you can proudly display your toilet plunger in full view. In fact you might even want to put it out in the living room. Put a little garland around it and it could even be the centerpiece at the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day. Add a couple of interlocking captured rings and it could even make a wonderful wedding or anniversary gift. (I wish I had a captive ring tool) Never again will your toilet plunger have to hide in the closet.

To use it, just grasp the toilet plunger handle and lift. Once you get it to a comfortable height just simply slide the cozy over the handle and you're in business. Plunger manufacturer instructions should be followed when plunger is in use.

The first picture is of the complete and assembled Toilet Plunger Cozy. The second is the Toilet Plunger all by itself. And the third is the three separate but unique parts. The base is turned from black walnut, the cozy (cover) is english walnut, and the toilet plunger handle is black walnut again with a brushed copper sleeve at the base.



The next post will have the narrative pictorial.

Thanks for looking

[Curt Fuller]

For the base and the cover I used some bowl blanks. My woodpile is under a foot of snow and frozen solid so I wasn't able to cut anything special for the project. The first picture is the beginnings of the base, mounted on a wormwood screw in the talon chuck. I turned the bottom flat and then recessed the base, finally turning a dovetail recess in the center to re-mount it for the top turning, and sanded the bottom. Then (second photo) I turned it around, re-mounted it using the expansion jaws in the dovetail recess. Turned the top, fitting it to the plunger and turned a base for the cozy to sit on. Sanded that on the lathe too.

[Curt Fuller]

For the cover, I turned it as you would turn a bowl, mounting it on the wormwood screw again, turned a tenon and shaped what would be the top side of the cover (1st pic). It was a piece of crotch wood with 3 piths that were cracking a little so I CA glued them (2nd pic). Then I reversed it and turned the inside of the cover with a recess to fit over the base (3rd pic). Last I remounted in a donut chuck to cut the opening for the plunger handle and do a little decorative work around the opening (4th pic).

[Curt Fuller]

To turn the handle for the plunger I used a piece of black walnut branch wood about 4" in diameter and 20" long. I cut away most of the bark on the bandsaw and mounted it between centers (1st pic). Then I first turned the stem that fits into the plunger. After that I turned a tenon to fit the copper sleeve over. The copper sleeve is just a 3/4" long piece of 1" copper pipe. After I fitted it and glued it on with CA, I used a skew to round the sharp edge and sanded it to get a brushed finish in it. Then I turned the rest of the spindle just designing as I went with no real plan or anything to copy. I got a little carried away turning the handle and forgot to take any progress shots. Sanded that all up and proceeded to sand and finish all three pieces. When I got to the cozy cover it had developed a small crack from one of the piths to the edge so I patched it with a little ground coffee and CA (2nd pic).
All the parts are finished with Deft spray lacquer and buffed with a little Briwax.

Thanks again for looking.

[John Hart]

That is just too cool Curt! Better watch out...Everyone is going to want one!;)

[Chris Barton]

Curt,

That's a great project! I just couldn't stick that beautiful piece of art down in the...:eek:

[Mike Ramsey]

Mr. Hart, that really is a great job on an imaginative project! Was
wondering what you were going to come up with and was really
surprised with it after you teased us with the Fly tying contraption.
Curt, I can see where your mind is at, In the crapper!:D :) .
That is quite the novelty! Great job! Gotta put that on my list
to make......

[Jim Dunn]

I probably should have thought of a toilet cosey but it would have gotten busted on my truck.

Very nice project Curt. Very nice indeed.

[Curt Fuller]

Curt, I can see where your mind is at, In the crapper!:D :) .
That is quite the novelty! Great job! Gotta put that on my list
to make......

Thanks all!
Hey Mike, just trying to beautify America one plunger at a time! ;)

[Keith Burns]

Thanks all!
Hey Mike, just trying to beautify America one plunger at a time! ;)

Well, that will definately help ! Nice project but I couldn't use it either. Much too nice:)

[Roger Myers]

....although, I know it doesn't exactly fit the Functional part,

It sure does fit the functional part...it's function is to be attractive and cause people to want to reach out, spin the globe, and say "isn't that beautiful"
We can use more things in this world whose principal function is like that :)

Nice job John and all of the IT contestants.... you guys are amazing!

Roger