Pictures of a few first.

[Cecil Arnold]

Managed to finish up a couple of first last week so thought I would post some pics. I've done a couple of things with my captive HF tool more to get the feeling of it than do a finished piece, but had a nice piece of walnut, courtisy of Ernie Nyvell (This is a truly nice guy who as most of you know is very generous with his wood and expertiese) so I tried a HF out of it. It is about 6 3/4 X 3 1/2" with a BE maple collar finished with 3 coats of waterlox but not yet buffed. Since I had some smaller pieces left from the half log I tried a couple of boxes about 4 x 2 1/2" one with waterlox and the other just wax. Finally, another of Ernie's finds, from a pecan tree that several Houston turners managed to get some of the bowl is 9 1/2 X 2 1/2" with a wax finish.

[Cecil Arnold]

Well the pecan didn't upload, so here it is.

[Tom Sherman]

Great lookin wood Cecil, and very nice work. Looks like you have found the secret of the tool.

[Corey Hallagan]

Awesome Cecil. I love that HF..your did great! Nice boxes as well!

corey

[Henry C. Gernhardt, III]

Nice work, Cecil. Looks like you're not letting that hollowing rig sit idle.

[Ernie Nyvall]

Okay, I've given a few sticks of wood away, but expertise???? That's actually kind of imbarrasing among the turners around here. Oh... I know, you want some more walnut.:D Okay, it's yours.

Wow, you already have a pecan bowl done.Nice job too. I haven't started on it yet. I like the boxes too and the HF. Nice work Cecil.

Ernie

[Michael Stafford]

Cecil, all of your work looks good but you know me, I love your boxes. They look great and I hope you'll keep turning more boxes. Yep, that Ernie is a great guy, generous, helpful, handsome, tall, dark, heroic, walks on water, etc. etc.:p :D Let's just stick with generous and helpful....;)

[Ernie Nyvall]

Cecil, all of your work looks good but you know me, I love your boxes. They look great and I hope you'll keep turning more boxes. Yep, that Ernie is a great guy, generous, helpful, handsome, tall, dark, heroic, walks on water, etc. etc.

Don't stop there Big Mike.:D

Ernie

[Jim Ketron]

Nice turnings Cecil!

[Cecil Arnold]

Big Mike, if you met Ernie, you would know that Tall he ain't. Otherwise everything else is true.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Cecil........it looks like you are mastering that captive tool! Nice work!

[Frank Chaffee]

While those boxes are very wonderful Cecil, I give high praise to your HF!!! I’ll be quiet now so as to not short out my keyboard with tears.

Frank

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Nice group Cecil.

Bruce

[Cecil Arnold]

Thanks all for the kind words. Now if I could just get the skew under control I might try something in spindles.

[Tom Jones III]

Wow, love that hollow form!

[Henry C. Gernhardt, III]

Cecil---Don't fear the skew!

Seriously, I believe a skew chisel was the second or third turning tool I picked up. It's not a difficult tool to use, it just tells you when you do something wrong much more quickly and aggressively than a gouge will. I've used the skew for V-cuts, beads, face truing, rotary peeling, and position marking. If you pay close attention to which part of the chisel is being presented to the wood, and can make nice, fluid movements, it will do wonderful things for you.

Oh, one caveat: I did read several different books, as well as look at stills and videos of technique, before making my first presentation of skew to wood. :)

Good luck!

[John Miliunas]

Well done, all the way around, Cecil! I particularly am fond of the HF! :) Keep up the great work! :) :cool: