Sea urchin ornament tip

[Curt Fuller]

This may be old news to you that make sea urchin ornaments, but it was a new technique taught to me by a friend so I thought I'd pass it along. The urchin shells are pretty fragile, the openings are usually irregular and not perfectly round with the top opening being quite a bit larger than the bottom. There isn't much to glue a finial and icicle to. But, if you leave a 1/2" - 3/4" long tenon on the finial that goes in the top, drill a 3/8" hole in the center of it, then on the bottom icicle leave a 3/8 stem that can slide into the hole in the tenon. You can then have the two pieces glued to each other with the urchin shell resting between them without supporting either and risking breaking the fragile shell. In the past I've made a few of the urchin ornaments but they get broken very easily. This technique will still be pretty fragile but seems less likely to break the shell.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Thanks Curt for the heads up. I made a couple of them and as you said they are fragile. Both were broken by picking them up with the finial or icicle. That sure would add some stiffness. Appreciate it.

[Tony Wheeler]

I have been spraying the shell with 4 to 5 coats of matte lacquer soon as they come out of the packaging when I get them to toughen them up. I since I have broken several while holding them and shaping the holes with dremel tool and then I use a gloss lacquer when finished seems to work a lot better.

[Ron Ainge]

I have made a few of the Sea Urchin ornaments this year and I have only broken one of them. The one I broke was dropped on the floor after it was finished and it shattered into a thousand pieces. I have had very good luck by saturating them with thin CA before I start to work with them. I also use the Sputnick Urchins most of the time.

Just a bit of a brag on this line. I put one of my Sputnick Urchins in the educational fund auction at the 10th Annual Rocky Mountain Woodturning Symposium in Loveland, Co. and it sold for $90. I sell them for $25. It is an understatement to say I was very happy.:D:D:D

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I must be the lucky one here :D, as I purchased one urchin shell at the last turners club meeting, I carefully put it in my shirts front pocket to keep it safe, and promptly had it squashed when given a hug by one of the turner ladies :o :o :o :D

[Jim Kountz]

I must be the lucky one here :D, as I purchased one urchin shell at the last turners club meeting, I carefully put it in my shirts front pocket to keep it safe, and promptly had it squashed when given a hug by one of the turner ladies :o :o :o :D

Thats what you get for being a ladies man Leo!!:D:D:D:D You ol dog you!

[Tom Wilson66]

Very nice ornaments. I guess I'm and oddball, but I like No. 2 the best, the white is really set off by the red finial. I did essentially the same as you when I turned some last year, just used a 1/4" dowel between the top and bottom finial, to save turning the 3/8" tenon on one of them. Also, I had a couple of them "pop" on me, breaking into two or three pieces while handling. I carefully fitted them back together and "tack welded" them with some medium CA on the inside of the shell. Couldn't tell they had cracked. Don't know if that would work for one broken into a thousand pieces.

[Allen Neighbors]

Good tip. Nice Work, too! Tedious, but truly nice!
Not good for an old man with shaky hands, I guess. :(