My first piece to show the Vortex

[Matt Hutchinson]

Hello turners. I have been a member for about 4 months now, but haven't shown any of my work. This is mainly due to the fact that my garage isn't heated, insulated, and is very cold right now. But I have finally gotten out there in the last couple weeks. So here is my first finished piece in a long time.

This is my first plate. It is made of spalted, curly silver maple. It's just over 9" in diameter. The finish is sketchy due to my ignorance of working with punky wood. (I just posted about this earlier today.) I will do better prep next time. But I figured that, short of refinishing it, it was about as good as it will get. So here it is! :)

Hutch

[Steve Schlumpf]

Matt - that's a great looking plate! Beautiful wood color, spalt markings and curl! I like how it has a natural oval shape! Very nice! Hope things warm up for you soon so you can get to turning more like this!

[Tom Sherman]

Matt, I agree with Steve, that is a great looking plate. You couldn't have asked for better wood and your design shows it off well.

[Bill Bolen]

Matt thats just plain prettyyyyyyy! Gotta love the spalting although that punky stuff does try ones patience...Bill..

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is a beauty. Wood is really a great piece with the spalt lines. Well done.

[robert hainstock]

Very nice first effort. Your comments on finishing spalted wood make me wonder if anyone has tried CA on a piece that size? :):)
Bob

[Dale Gregory]

Welcome to the vortex, very nice piece of wood! Love spalted maple! Nice form!

Dale

[Mike A. Smith]

It looks great Matt! And if you turned that without heat in Grand Rapids in the last few weeks I salute you!

[Matt Hutchinson]

Thanks you for your comments. I have struggled to get pieces off the lathe in one piece. It's been rather depressing, especially when a gift for my mother, then another for my sister, were damaged as they ricocheted off the headstock, tool rest, and then hit the floor. Every time I try to finish a foot, something goes wrong. (My lathe's centers weren't lined up for a while! I just fixed this.) But I think things will go a little better, and I am going to be more conservative on my chucking. I think I am going to make a Longworth chuck, and maybe even a donut if necessary.

Yes, it's true. I have been working in my garage, door open, in freezing weather. But lately 32 degrees has actually been feeling kinda warm! It's not as bad as it sounds.

Also, I was wondering about the CA glue thing also. But the expense seems rather prohibitive. I would rather find a different solution. More money for more tools!! :)

Thanks again for your encouragement.

Hutch

P.S. On a side note, does anyone find cherry difficult to cut when it's dry? I have a few rough bowls dry, and my first attempt at finish cuts resulted in tearout on the endgrain. Do you think it's just my technique, or is it a tough wood? Thanks.

[Bill Wyko]

Very attractive Matt. Isn't it great when you come across a beautiful piece of wood like that and turn it into a thing of beauty like this piece?

[ross russo]

Hutch,

Beautiful plate. I have family up above the Bay City Area. They are calling C**d and S**w very nasty four letter words. You do need to sign the bottom of that plate though. Let the world know that you are the artist that rescued that beautiful piece from ending up in somebody's wood stove.

Ross (former resident of the c**d and s**w)

[Toney Robertson]

Very nice. I love the wood and plate lets the wood shine.

Here's to spring and warm weather.

Toney

[John Fricke]

Where the heck is Harvey. Never heard of it. Very nice looking plate. Interested to see answers to your cherry question. I've turned a lot of cherry green, soaked in DNA and they are in drying mode. I havn't tried finishing any of them yet.

[Dennis Peacock]

Very nice piece made from some awesome wood!!!!! :cool:

[Glenn Hodges]

Beautiful spalting, thanks for showing it to us.

[Ben Gastfriend]

Nice plate! I really like the oval shape, and the spalting in that wood looks great.

[Matt Hutchinson]

The oval shape may be a little deceptive. It actually has two small natural edges that give it that appearance.

Thanks to you all here at the Creek, I can't stop turning. Yesterday I completed a 15" sycamore bowl. I have the first coat of finish on, and in a couple days I will get it posted.

Hutch