I posted earlier about a new turner who turned her first wand after her third time at the lathe: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...her-first-wand

Her friend Kristina was there at the time and decided she wanted to try one. This was Kristina's fourth project at the lathe. She too quickly learned the one-handed skew technique with the left-hand steady rest. This was her first try, made from cherry. Her design has four "distressed" texture areas, made by stabbing at the spinning wood with a sharp point tool, each outlined with a v-groove with a friction-burned line.



She was excited to finish it and immediately stated trying to cast spells on me, probably intended to do bodily harm - fortunately she is learning woodturning faster than spell casting! Now she wants to come back and make another one for a gift. Then she wants to learn to make a lidded box, then a hand-bell ornament, then a...

BTW, Kristina said the skew chisel was a lot easier to use than the spindle gouge.

JKJ