My 16th segmented turning, critiques welcome

[Bill Wyko]

This is my 16th segmented turning. I made it to take to the Art and Wine Festival at the end of February. It's made of Quilted Maple, Bloodwod, Gaboon Black Ebony and Turquoise inlace. It has 937 pieces and it's 12.75 inches tall and 9 inches wide. It was sanded to a 600 grit and has 5 coats of Minwax Tung Oil. Each coat was applied 24 hours apart and 0000 steel wool between each coat. BTW I used the sander that Chris Hartly had posted about a while back and I have to side with him. It made sanding this a piece of cake. Please share your opinions so I can do my best at the show. I haven't signed it yet but there's a pic of the bottom. Thanks.

[Bill Bolen]

Malcom T better watch out. You are getting close to him! Beautifullllll..Bill...

[Tom Sherman]

Bill this is a very nice piece. The contrasts of the woods is awesome, the addition of the inlace adds a new level of depth to the overall piece. You did a wonderful job. Seeing the pieces that you and some others have done has kindled a stirring in me to give it a try, after all this therapy for my knee it is on my list. Great job.

[ROY DICK]

Bill,
That is stunning to say the least.
LOML saw it and just looked at it and said nothing. I asked her what she thought and she said, "no words can describe the beauty", so i guess you have another total fan of your art.:D

Roy

[Steve Schlumpf]

Bill - impressive is an understatement! Beautiful colors, great pattern, form and finish! This will WOW them at the show! Seriously nice work!

[David Walser]

Bill,

You do great work. It's amazing how far you've come in such a short time. (What was even more amazing was the high quality of your first turnings, something I still hate you for...)

This piece has a nice classic form with a great finish. The wood colors contrast well with each other and the inlace adds a touch of elegance. From what I can see from the photographs, all the joints look tight (both inside and out).

For a future piece, I'd like to see the shoulder come back at a sharper angle with a negative curve -- like some of the Greek urns I've seen in museums. If you took that approach, it would be nice if you could mimic Greek decorations rather than Southwestern Indian. (Greek form combined with Southwestern decoration can look very nice, but it's a little jarring to my eye.) But that's for a future piece. Leave this one alone. It'll be perfect once you've signed it.

[Bill Wyko]

Thanks everyone:) I don't think Malcolm has anything to worry about. He's in a class all by himself. Roy, tell your wife I appreciate he kind thoughts. David, thanks, I'll try that in the future being that I'm Greek. I'm always looking at art and pottery from ancient times for inspiration. I also like getting ideas from Indian blankets as well.

[Bill Wyko]

I almost forgot. It's a touch over 1/8th inch thick.:eek:

[Tony Wheeler]

very nice work Bill i wish to try one of these some day when I can get a drum sander made and i like sowthwest much better then them greeks

[Bill Wyko]

Thanks Tony. I used to have to drive to my stereo shop to use my drum sander. It was a PITA. One day my employees came in to work and said " where'd the drum sander go?" It now resides in my shop at home.:D I needed it more than they did.:p

[Bernie Weishapl]

Bill that is beautiful. Color, wood, turning, finish. Wow. My wife said the same thing. She just stared at the pics. She said you just can't describe that kind of beauty.

[Bill Wyko]

Thanks Bernie. Tell your wife I also appreciate her kind thoughts as well.
When I was turning it I had to be very careful when transitioning from the Ebony to the Maple. It was like going from steel to Butter. Another little trick is when sanding, sand from the light color wood towards the dark colored wood. This will help prevent the dark sawdust from getting into the grain of your light wood. It was a real booger to keep the light wood light.:o

[Brian Brown]

Beautiful vase Bill!!! but isn't there a rule that says you have to make each piece more complex than the last?;) Just kidding. After the complexity of the last one, you deserve a break. I really like your wood combinations on this one, and the turquois. Is the turquois hard to do?

[Donald Price]

Wow – absolutely gorgeous! Color contrast really makes it pop out.

[Walt Nollan]

Beautiful work! Very nicely done!

Walt

[Bill Wyko]

Not really, unless you make your casting too thin and have to go back and replace segments like I did on the bottom ones here. I turned through the turquoise to the epoxy resin so I had to cut out all but one and re-do them. What I do is, using a bread pan, I put the chips in the bottom. Then I mix the resin with a dark walnut dye. Next I pour it over the Turquoise inlace and make a sort of brick. Once it's dry, I cut it just like wood and make my segments. I use Thick CA to glue it to its opposing pieces of wood. Tightbond doesn't stick to epoxy very well. Thats how I do it.:D

[TYLER WOOD]

Stunning work Mr Wyko. Your still amazing me every time. I love seeing it.

I am just now getting to the point of doing some segmented work. I actually have a couple of platters glued up. If you add them together you get 10 segments. DOES THAT COUNT?!?!?:D Well ok, maybe not, but I've been thinking about doing a piece, just don't have the fwork tools YET!!!

[Ben Gastfriend]

Really nice job, Bill! The turquoise inlay really pops out of the red and dark backrground! I'd be scared as heck to take it down to 1/8", I seldom take bowls down that far.

[Malcolm Tibbetts]

Bill, you're doing exceptional work - congratulations. About the only thing that you could improve would be the photography and that's not so bad.

[Bill Wyko]

Thanks Malcolm. I have a great Cannon EOS-20 I just don't know how to work all the features. My Daughter is taking a photography class so I need to get some advice from her. :D Kids always have the answers when it comes to gizmos:) Thanks to you too Walt.

[Paul Engle]

Bill, you help make the addicton to segment turning hard to resist with work like that , very WELL DONE INDEED. the joint registrations seem to be on exactly. I under stand why people get carried away with this form of turning... very addictive as the anticipation rises wayyyyyy beyond normal turning, now if i could just find a curved band saw to make spirals with .............:eek::D

[Mike Vickery]

Beautiful piece Bill.

[Robert McGowen]

Totally awesome Bill. Don't know what else to add that hasn't already been said. :)

[Mike A. Smith]

I think you're going to be a hit at the show!

[Bill Wyko]

I hope so. I purchased Pro Pannels and an easy-up to do it right and it was over 400 bucks to be in the show. This has been quite an investment to go to this event. The good news is, I've heard nothing but great things about it. I believe you can see details at www.thunderbirdartists.com (http://www.thunderbirdartists.com) It's supposed to be a huge crowd. I still need to either build or buy display stands or tables. I guess they shut down, down town Carefree to put on this event. There are some amazing artists at this venue.

[Ron Hipp]

Great Piece Bill...!!!!!

[Cary Swoveland]

What a gorgeous piece, Bill. I like everything about it--the design, selection of woods (and turqoise), execution and finish. Do you have an estimate of the number of hours you put into it?

Cary

[Bill Wyko]

Roughly 40 hours. I took my time too. The finish only takes a little while but waiting 24 hours between coats is essential to a beautiful finish. A lot of the time is spent waiting for glue to dry or finish to dry.

[Danny Heisner]

WOW! That thing is gorgeous! You give us all something to strive for!

Danny

[Alex Elias]

I think I came late to the party and all the good compliments are already taken. Congratulation on that great piece. I like it just the way it is.
Good luck on the fair

[Dennis Peacock]

Absolutely beautiful piece Bill.!!!!!!! :cool:

Now....let me see if I can critique it a bit.




1. The form is too perfect.
2. It's a bit too round.
3. The colors are too pretty.
4. The overall curve of the exterior is far too continuous.
5. The bottom is too poportional to the oveall size and shape of the turning.
6. Most of all.........It's not sitting in my private turning collection. :p :D

Hey Bill...wanna trade turnings some time.?:confused:

[Bill Wyko]

Thanks Dennis.:D Let me get past this art & wine festival and I might take you up on some trading.:)

[Brett Baldwin]

I'm late to the party but great work Bill. Another treat to see next month.

[Andy Livingston]

Bill,

That is really something! You have passed from beginner to expert in no time at all!!! I love the colors, shape and, well, everything!!! WOW

[Quinn McCarthy]

that's an atta boy!

Nice job Bill

Quinn

[Shane Whitlock]

Fantastic piece Bill!!!

[Skip Spaulding]

I can only echo whats already been said. "What a BEAUTIFUL piece"!!

[Bill Wyko]

You are all too kind. Thank you very much.:)

[Dustin Thompson]

I don't have my micrometer handy, but I think the layout of one of the segments might be a 64th of an inch out. . . .

That is awesome! Would you happen to have any shots of the preturned glue up? Thanks for posting these pics, VERY inspiring.

Regards,

Dustin

[Todd Lord]

very nice work Bill i wish to try one of these some day when I can get a drum sander made and i like sowthwest much better then them greeks
Tony what is the drum sander for? I don't have one do I have to buy another tool? Oh, shucks

[Todd Lord]

Wow Bill, That is incredible!! You are spot on!
I'll be sure not to show that to my friends, I can't compete with that as I got em buffaloed into thinking I'm the tops.:cool:

[Jerry Casler]

A beautiful piece, very well done.:)

[John Grabowski]

I have to say that your piece is truly awww inspiring. I hope to create something with such elegance someday!! Having said that, what sander are you talking about to sand this piece? I have been searching through Hartley posts and cant find anything.

Thanks For the beauty post,

John Grabowski

[Bill Wyko]

I don't have my micrometer handy, but I think the layout of one of the segments might be a 64th of an inch out. . . .

That is awesome! Would you happen to have any shots of the preturned glue up? Thanks for posting these pics, VERY inspiring.

Regards,

Dustin
Sorry Dustin, I had left my camera at work the durring the build. I do plan on doing a beginning to end thread like Steve did to help anyone who wants to try segmenting. My next project is to finish the Humidor I've been building for the last 6 months. I'll be posting that in general woodworking when I finish it. My next turning will have a new twist that I've not seen yet by anyone.;)
Thank you all again for all the kind words. You are all an inspiration.:)

[Chris Stolicky]

Wow. Good job.

I have not yet attempted segmented turning, but your work is definitely an inspiration to try it.

[mike fuson]

Bill this is a great piece, I would say definetly the best that I have seen of your work.

[Alex Elias]

what's to critique. It looks great. The color combinations shape and finish look great. Congrats

[Glenn Hodges]

Bill, that is art.