Spalted poplar HF

[Tim Rinehart]

This spalted poplar is the first wood I ever turned much with. It was from a tree I had taken down several years before I started turning, and I made some awful initial pieces with it...not knowing how special it really was. I kinda took the attitude that it was rotten wood, but good practice. I didn't even know the word spalting when I started cutting up the pieces for turning blanks. Fortunately, I didn't get thru all of it, and sealed/saved away several pieces, though not particularly large. This was turned about 6 weeks or so ago...before I started on some home projects that have absorbed my time.

The photos don't do justice to some of the green heartwood and even pink undertones present.
A little over 4" diam, 3.5" tall and light as a feather. Too many coats of WTF to count, and buffed out, but again, pics don't do justice to the sheen. I may just have to take a local workshop on photography being offered this summer for 6 weeks. I think it may take my photos up a notch.

C&C welcome as always...and I should say a special thanks to Steve S who's body of work with SW forms has made this variation among my favorites to do and build upon with so much of the pieces I do.
sp poplar_Reduced.jpgsp poplar a_Reduced.jpg

[Jon Prouty]

Awesome piece! Really love everything about it.

Are you using WTF on the lathe or off?

Thanks,
JP

[thomas prusak]

Love it . The form IMHO is perfect as is the wood.

[Jim Burr]

You nailed the form Tim...good little HF!

[Dennis Ford]

The form is as good as it gets. Nice wood too.

[charlie knighton]

very nice Tim, wood and form

[Bill Hensley]

Nice job, especially through the small opening. The wood has some nice character.

Your pictures look fine to me. The fact that you don't have any hotspots from the lights on a glossy finish is an accomplishment.

[Jon Nuckles]

Really pretty form and some great character wood. Very Schlumpfesque!

[Dave Haughs]

that's beautiful

[Rick Markham]

That's a super nice piece Tim, glad you saved some of it! I would say, definitely take the photo class, I took one this semester and learned an AMAZING amount of stuff (and it was fun too)

[Dave Haughs]

Be careful, photography is a bigger downward spiral than wood turning is and it can get a lot more expensive a lot faster! The two biggest issues I see with the photos are they are out of focus and the white balance is off if there is supposed to be green and pink tones in there. What are you lighting with?

[Tim Rinehart]

Be careful, photography is a bigger downward spiral than wood turning is and it can get a lot more expensive a lot faster! The two biggest issues I see with the photos are they are out of focus and the white balance is off if there is supposed to be green and pink tones in there. What are you lighting with?

Dave...I have no doubt on that being a big spiral! I was photographing in near darkness, with only a little natural light reflecting in. My exposure time was about 10 seconds...if that tells you anything and my F stop somewhere around 10, if I recall. Anything else...all Greek. I keep adjusting my white balance (changes for same setup but different piece) till it seems about right, then load into Photoshop to correct exposure/color.
Kinda like turning a bowl with a shovel head...may get a bowl and OK results, but better ways of doing it and coming out better!

By the way, thanks all for the nice comments on this piece.

[Bob Bergstrom]

That wood puts maple to shame. Beautiful stuff. Great job turning.

[David DeCristoforo]

My first thought when I saw this is "That's a "darn" fine looking piece!" and I'm sticking with that...

[John Keeton]

Excellent, and drop dead beautiful wood. I will go with David D. on this one - even before I edited his expletive!!!