Every Christmas I make tops for the kids in my kindergartners SS class. This is the handful I made today to take tomorrow. Never know how many kids or visitors will show up.
Dogwood, bocote, osage, goncolo alves, spalted beech, cherry, purpleheart, jatoba.
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I've probably made 1000 of these over the years. I always encourage the kids (and oldsters!) to learn to spin them upside down.
In case someone hasn't made these and is interested, the bottom is turned and finished first, then the part above, then the handle. Once you start thinning the handle you can't touch the rest again. The dark lines are friction burned with a wire, a bit of a trick on a sloped surface.
I hit it each section with a little 600 grit paper whether it needs it or not; finish is Mylands friction polish.
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It's hard to get a sharp picture with a phone camera while the lathe is spinning! But I am always amazed at how good the phone cameras have gotten.
JKJ