Australian Burl and Padauk candy dish

[David A. Peterson]

This is my current personal best. It was a real challenge. The top and bottom were turned separately and each component sanded before it came off the lathe. I used one of those contour tools (wires in a row, pressed against wood, shows the reverse contour on the other side of the ruler) to get the bottom curvature of the top, then transferred that pattern to the African padauk wood base. I used epoxy to join the two pieces, then sanded some more in the middle, so it felt seamless. Several good raps to the knuckles, as the clearance was less than 3 inches between the square base and the top live edge (gloves saved me from damage.). I used long strips of sandpaper and went between the pieces with just an index finger to hold down the sandpaper. The photos are accurate for color. Max top rim diameter 9". Height 3". depth of 'candy holding area 1 1/16" and diameter of candy holding area 3 3/4". Sanded to 2000 grit. finish as shown is walnut oil, but I am going to apply several coats of minwax tung oil finish and build up a little shine on it. Time invested: 15 hours over a period of 4 days.

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[John RStegall]

I must say that it was 15 hours well spent. Most excellent results.

[Tim Leiter]

Your piece looks great. The colors go very well together, good job.
Tim.

[Ed Loudermilk]

What a beautiful piece. Wow!!

[jwjerry w kowalski]

Very nice David, I like your beads, the bottom is quite creative and the finish looks immaculate, not to mention what a beautiful wood it was made from.

[Gus Dundon]

Great wood selection and of course great craftsmanship. Beautiful! You have done that burl justice.

[John Keeton]

David, this a nice piece. Well designed and executed. The Padauk will darken over time and loose much of its red tones. One thing you may want to consider on similar turnings is to fit a tenon and recess for joining them and using tail stock pressure, you can turn them as one unit. It is much easier to get a good flowing curve and sand. Then, you can chuck the top piece and finish turn the top dish area. Just a thought.

[Dok Yager]

Very nice piece of work. Those two woods look great together.

[David A. Peterson]

David, this a nice piece. Well designed and executed. The Padauk will darken over time and loose much of its red tones. One thing you may want to consider on similar turnings is to fit a tenon and recess for joining them and using tail stock pressure, you can turn them as one unit. It is much easier to get a good flowing curve and sand. Then, you can chuck the top piece and finish turn the top dish area. Just a thought.

John: thank you for some good ideas. I sort of did what you suggested, but just did not take it all the way. I left the tenon on the base of the top portion after I turned it, and then cut a recess to match in the top of the base. I then finished turning the square on the base. I had the base already flat on the bottom, and attached it with the plate and 4 screws. While the base was still attached to the machine, I kept making comparisons with the top, to get the curve as close as possible. I did not have a jam chuck made for the tail stock side, and the recess had already been finished for the top, so I left the faceplate on the bottom and put it on the work bench, then used epoxy to join the top and bottom. My match was very close for curvature between the two halves that had just become a whole piece. As I now had a non-round top rim and a non-round bottom rim, I only had 3 inches between the two to sand the area where the two pieces were glued together. I sanded it while spinning, using long strips of sandpaper and just using the ends of it, as my fingers are only so long and i was occasionally getting bumped fingers and knuckles (gloves on, no broken skin!). It only took a short while to sand the seam so it was a nice flow between the top and bottom. I could have made the tenon and recess when I first started, leaving the very top unturned, BUT, I did not think of putting on the base plate until after the top was finished. It was just barely 2" in height and 9" long, and it was just missing something. It was at that point I decided some height would look good on it and I had to figure out, mid-project, how to do it. Now that I have one done...the next one will be easier. I think the next one I do will have both a Red Mallee top AND bottom, and I can plan ahead with a tenon and recess connection before I finish the top area. Sometimes on a new project, we can't envision the finished product until after the wood speaks to us! LOL I am always trying to take the next step, and generally don't try to repeat unless I have a specific request from a relative. One added thing I found too, that I think I need to mention. After I completed the sanding on the center seam (2000 grit), it was seamless to the touch. After it had sat for 48 hours, the top moved just microscopically enough so I now feel the seam again. Short version? it shrunk a little. One of these nights, after I know that it is done moving, I will sit while watching TV, and just mindlessly rub it through the grits to get a seamless feel again, then add more finish. IF I do the next one with red mallee top and bottom, I am going to let it sit glued together 2 weeks and keep one end chucked, so if I get any shrinkage, i can just do it faster on the lathe. I was just in a hurry (my mistake).

[John Keeton]

David, a lot of things can affect a glue joint - most water soluble glues will swell the joint and the two adjoining woods may react differently. When the joint dries, one may recede more than the other. Then, there is glue creep, which occurs with most glues and can occur over time. And, woods react differently to ambient changes. In those situations, improper grain alignment can exacerbate the problem. Most burls don't have consistent grain pattern, and when mated to a wood that does, another factor is introduced.

I use a lot of wood combinations in my work and with some rare exceptions, I make the glue joint a part of the design by including it in a detail, such as a bead or inset. That joint should be located consistent with basic design principles, such as the Golden Ratio, etc. Doing so will mask any movement in the glue joint.

With all but simple bowls or forms that I have done many times, I also do a scaled sketch of the piece prior to turning. That allows me to get proportions correct, make any aesthetic modifications, and consider how I will be able to grasp each element of the piece to turn and sand it.

While we all have different tastes, I enjoy using wood combinations in my work, and I particularly enjoy multiple piece turnings. They present challenges that push us to greater levels of competence. I applaud your efforts!

[David A. Peterson]

David, a lot of things can affect a glue joint - most water soluble glues will swell the joint and the two adjoining woods may react differently. When the joint dries, one may recede more than the other. Then, there is glue creep, which occurs with most glues and can occur over time. And, woods react differently to ambient changes. In those situations, improper grain alignment can exacerbate the problem. Most burls don't have consistent grain pattern, and when mated to a wood that does, another factor is introduced.

I use a lot of wood combinations in my work and with some rare exceptions, I make the glue joint a part of the design by including it in a detail, such as a bead or inset. That joint should be located consistent with basic design principles, such as the Golden Ratio, etc. Doing so will mask any movement in the glue joint.

With all but simple bowls or forms that I have done many times, I also do a scaled sketch of the piece prior to turning. That allows me to get proportions correct, make any aesthetic modifications, and consider how I will be able to grasp each element of the piece to turn and sand it.

While we all have different tastes, I enjoy using wood combinations in my work, and I particularly enjoy multiple piece turnings. They present challenges that push us to greater levels of competence. I applaud your efforts!

In this particular case, I used epoxy, as I wanted to avoid creep. I think it was just a matter of the burl not being totally dry. It is all a learning process, and I am way behind you, but trying to learn from every piece something new!