platter rim design method question

[Chip Sutherland]

I am going to do a 3 set of platters in mahogany. Size will be 12-13.5" wide in total. The rim will be 1-2". I want to try a textured rim design and wanted some suggestions. I will have some type of rim/cove detail but for the flat part of the rim, I wanted something interesting to touch. I don't have a chatter tool but I've got some $$ to consider a purchase. I don't have a pyro tool but I have a soldering iron with a standard tip. I don't have any carving knives or gouges but some $$ for a few selected ones. So with no experience in texturing but a big dream what types of texturing have you guys tried. And what technique and/or tool did you use.

I'm going to practice a bunch, too.

[Jim Ketron]

there are endless things you can do as you well know but here is one I finished up a few weeks ago with the Sorby Texturing/spiraling tool.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b201/Jim_k/Cherrytexturedplatter1.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b201/Jim_k/Cherrytexturedplatterside.jpg

[Richard Allen]

You can make random burn points with that soldering iron.

A thin tool used with a long overhang makes a good chatter tool but chatter tools work best on endgrain.

Cutting a series of groves with a small detail gouge and then using something like Formica to burn lines in those groves. With those burned lines you can color between the lines with an artist marker (like "prizma color" markers). Note that the color will need to be darker than the underlining wood to show up.

You can use a wire brush (like the one you might use to clean a BBQ a steel wire wheel in a drill used while the lathe is running works better) to add texture.

Using a rotary tool with a different ball end burs to make random cuts looks nice.

You can take a punch and punch a bunch of depressions. Then turn or sand the rim so the dimples disappear. Then steam the rim which will raise the places where the dimples used to be. You can use leather stamps and a 6 ton press to make more complex raised patterns.

There are loads and loads of low cost options.