Sweet Gum vase from dead limb

[Brian McInturff]

Ok, so I'm cleaning up the yard and see this limb up in the tree that's been broke off. It's been hanging up there forever. Probably 6-8 months. Well I'm thinking what would it look like inside. I climb up and get it knocked down to the ground. Take and break me off a piece and then cut it on the bandsaw to square up the ends. It's pretty punky, dry, and might as well say rotten. I mount it on the lathe and think hmm... maybe if it holds together a bud vase. I turn it down a little off center. then mount it on center. Then hollow it out. It only exploded on me 3 times and I was able each time to glue the pieces back. I finally had to give up and let the sand paper handle the rest. It actually looks better in person than in the pics. The table I use for pics is being used for homework right now so bad angles. Take a look. Brian
http://stampclassics.com/images/creations/bud%20vase/IMG_0316a%20(Small).jpg
http://stampclassics.com/images/creations/bud%20vase/IMG_0317a%20(Small).jpg

[Brian McInturff]

Forgot: it's 7.5" x 2.5"
Brian

[Christopher Hunter]

Beautiful piece Brian,
A very good find and I hope you get another one like that ...!
--Chris

[Bernie Weishapl]

Very cool Brian. That is a nice save. Beautiful job.

[John Chandler]

This is nice looking - good job.

[Jonathon Spafford]

Looks beautiful to me... why on the second picture does the right side look flat while on the first picture it is symetrical?

[Brian McInturff]

Jonathan,
There is a flat spot. A piece of bark flew off from there. I decided to leave the spot or otherwise I would've had to make the bowl part of the vase too small. The reason it's not in the first pic is the pic isn't 180 degrees around. It's more like 90 degrees. I couldn't get a pic of the void unless I shot from the bottom up. This was really more an experiment to one try a little off set turning and two to practice taking lighter cuts. My offset didn't go quite as planned as I shot from the hip instead of laying it out on paper. What I was shooting for was a flare to one side at the top of the vase. I ended up with just a small flare. The light cuts didn't go as good as I wanted either as the piece did explode 3 times. But all in all I'm still satisfied as this piece of wood even though it doesn't look it now was nothing more than a rotten limb that had broke off months ago. I learned a lot from it though which was really the main goal. And my glueups after the 3 explosions was good practice:D . Had to use the thick CA as the thin just wouldn't hold. This thing really soaked up the BLO also. Didn't think it would ever quit.
Brian

[Steve Schlumpf]

Brian, glad to see you had fun while making the vase. Always can learn something when turning. I like the all the little defects in the wood - gives it lots of charactor!

[Chris Barton]

Nice bud vase there or as John H would say, vasse. When I lived in Baton Rouge my yard had 17 sweetgums in it and at the time, I hated them. The little (well, not so little) spikey balls they droped seemed to have a half-life of about 20 years. But, it looks like you have found and excellent use for these trees...