Earliest Turnings

[Mitchell Cholewinski]

These are a few of my earliest turnings, turned about 11/2 years ago from cherry and I was experimenting with these to see if my sealing method would work in preventing cracking etc. The cherry bowl is similiar to the one I posted recently. Still looks store bought. The ne turning was the first one I ever turned. I didn't have a clue how to turn a ne but this was my very first one. It looks way dark in the picture but really looks pretty good in your hand. The vase was a piece of very punky cherry and I was going to throw it away but as I turned I would seal and kept doing this till the wood firmed up and it looks like a nice piece of wood now, not punky and feeling like cork. Mitch

[Bernie Weishapl]

Those are some nice first turnings Mitchell. You didn't say what you used to seal them with. I like Minwax Antique Oil. I soak till it won't soak anymore. I do this on a lot of my HF's. Seems to stop cracking pretty much and after 3 or 4 coats buffs out real nice.

[Mitchell Cholewinski]

Bernie
Thanks buddy. Back when I turned these items I am almost positive that I used clear shellac to finish these turnings Bern. I hadn't experimented with any other sealer at this point so clear shellac is it. I was using amber shellac then but looking at the big cherry bowl I am sure it isn't amber shellac by the color. You suggested I try antique oil and I tried to find it at Home Depot but they had none at the time. I fully intend to try it as you suggested. I like oil finishes a lot. I use the sealers because of the wet wood cracking problem, but oils are my preferred finish. Let me tell you something I did today and I did this before many times in flat work. I ran out of the sealers I use and I just finished turning a Pilsner glass. Do you remember what them Pilsener glasses looked like? So I just thinned down some amber shellac and put a coat on and dried then sanded. I used raw linseed oil and rubbed it in . Did it three times tonight and will do it till I can get some clear shellac. I know all the pitfalls of linseed oil but once I get the shellac and brush on a coat the shellac goes on in an unbelievably smooth coat Very nice finish for this nickel and dime finish. Thanks again Bernie. Mitch