HF #8, Hickory, I Think...

[BILL DONAHUE]

This is the 2nd "hickory" blank I got from turningblanks.com and it looks totally different than the 1st. It was rough turned a little green on the Jet mini, kept for a week in a bag and finished on the PM3520b. It's 6 5/8 wide x 8 1/8 tall. The base and finial are spanish cedar w/ebony stain and it was all buffed on the beall.

Since you guys are all so nice and don't critique too hard, I'm going to say what you're really thinking and answer.

"That finial doesn't look original" Right on. I copied it from a website of a famous woodturner and won't do it (too much) in the future.

"That finial is too thick" Yeah but, being finial impaired and having skipped the entire spindle turning part of my learning, I didn't want to take a chance on busting it as it got thinner. In fact, I only had a beginner's pen turning spindle gouge when I started it and bought a Sorby spindle-master just to finish it (neat tool).

"You can see where the tenon was on the bottom" I didn't think you'd see it in the pictures.

"You ever going to take decent pictures of these things?" Yeah, I'm working on it.

"What's that odd piece of wood on the right?" Made my daughter a bangle type bracelet. Don't remember why it's in the picture other than I was happy to finish it in 14 minutes.

[Gerold Griffin]

Don't be so hard on yourself it looks great to me. As for coping the final I never would have known or cared one way or the other, it just is a real nice piece. Besides that guy probably copied it from someone else intentionally or otherwise. Folks been turning wood for sometime now and really most good patterns have probably been done. Piece I am currently working on has busted off 3 times now and went flying across the shop agsinst the wall, roof, floor, other tools, the dog, and me. Now that peice is really beginning to remind me of someone else's work-Babe Ruth's or NASA's!!!! Seriously you got a nice piece there and can't wait to see some more pics.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nice work Bill! This one looks like Hickory! Nice form and nice work on the finial - they can really be a challenge! Keep working on the hollow forms - they do get a little easier with time! Looking forward to your next one!

[Richard Madison]

Bill,
Would you believe that you missed a couple of things? Good news or bad news first?

OK, good first. You are most assuredly getting a handle on hollow forms. The shape is beautiful.

Except for the shoulder thing on top. Carry the smooth curve all the way to the opening.

You are NOT "finial impaired". That one is pretty darn good. It just doesn't go perfectly with that hf. Use the same size opening in hf's so you can mix and match if appropriate. And nothing wrong with emulating the best. Have "copied" Cindy, and several on this forum in effort to learn and improve my phinials.

In the left picture the finial appears not fully seated on the hf. Maybe an optical illusion.

What to say about the foot? Maybe smaller diameter and half as tall? I sometimes use a small diameter foot about 1/8" or 3/16" tall to help the piece "float" a bit above the surface, but the foot is invisible from any normal viewing angle.

Bill, this may not sound like it, but is intended as praise and encouragement. You have made a very nice piece, and the next one will be even better.

[Dennis Puskar]

They both look great to me nice work.

Dennis

[Bernie Weishapl]

Bill that is a good looking HF. Keep working on your finials and they will come to you.

[Geoff Hanha]

Hi Bill nice try, i say nice try as each turning we do we try. the form is nice and i dont agree with Richard the shoulder is good in the form apart from i would have made it a little sharper, finials to me do not all have to be thin, if a shape fits the piece then thats it.
To much is put on to turners that it should be this way, a box lid has to be tight plop sound a finial has to be long slender this is just a thing to show of with to how good we can get something, they can look fantastic but i stubby looking turning can look as good as something slender. Its getting like models and the catwalk with turners. Keep going the way you are. Bad points your pics are as bad as mine:D..Geoff

[Philip Duffy]

Bill, Wood looks just like my white oak! Heading to P'cola in ten days for a squadron reunion at the beach. Have not been "home of Naval Aviation" in many years and really looking forward to seeing many friends and the city. Bet the sand on the beach still squeeks like no other sand in the world! Phil

[curtis rosche]

i think the peice looks nicce, question for those of you who do the finials, what would it look like if you made the finial the exact shape but smaller size of the rest of the peice?