Woodturning Green Bowl & Carving Foot(s)
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I had this honey locust block of wood sealed with wax sealer and wrapped in plastic.
When one of you asked about a footed bowl instead of a bowl foot, why not use this wood.
I still consider the wood green but maybe it has lost some moisure. In any case, I will turn this bowl all at one instead of rough turning followed by time to dry, followed by final turning.
I did let it dry about a week before carving and sanding to prevent excessively wet wood from clogging my tools and sandpaper.
Then I marked off for three feet and carved them from the old tenon and waste wood.
The honey locust bowl is 8 by 2 finished with walnut oil.
Enjoy.
Turning Segmented, Slanted, Offset Vase – Double Trouble
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Over the past few years, I have turned several experimental projects involving irregular segmented rings. All were difficult. However, this one doubles the difficulty. Being slanted at a 20 degree angle, the rings want to slide past each others while being glued together. Now beyond that, I sliced the side of the vase and then offset it up one ring.
It has an interesting appeal. I saw one along the same lines at the Segmented Woodturners symposium. However, based on my previous experiences, I believed that I could derive a better creation process.
My 3D printer came in handy for temporary slanted base rings and for spacers to keep rings in line. This saved me from making them from wood or plastic by hand.
The vase is of oak and walnut with 12 rings of 8 segmentes each, totally 96 segments. It is finished with walnut oil.
Maybe I was crazy – you be the judge.
Enjoy.
Woodturn Old Fashioned Hand Crank Pepper Grinder
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I do not turn that many kit projects. But, here we go with an old-fashioned style crank pepper grinder.
There are instructions on the box. The instructions are not verbose and I am not sure they could be more explicit. They do mention using a jam chuck. However, I prefer turned wood plugs that enable it to be turned between centers. The instructions mention a three inch block of wood of any length and a one inch hole to be drilled. I used a stack of segmented rings – 19 rings in all of 8 segments each – totaling 152 pieces.
In most cases, I was able to split the maple rings to get 3 or 4 per glue up.
The wood block can be solid, laminated or segmented as mine is.
One objection that I have to this kit is the design. The mounting holes are one a flange but not easily accessible since they are under the sphere of the grinder.
Still, a nice project.
Enjoy.
Upscale Old Fashioned Style Ornament To Sweet Treat Station
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I love the old fashioned glass ornaments. I do not see many of them any more.
For this project, that ornament is the model for a candy station.
I turned a sphere but hollowed it out. Then I added the top section.
Just for fun, I 3D printed a cap and a stand.
I love Christmas and I love candy. Now I have both.
My ornament is about 4 inches diameter and finished with shellac.
For more detail on turning a sphere, please see:
Woodturning Perfect Spheres – For Wise Turners
Enjoy.
2022 Christmas Ornament Challenge Winners
Voting is over- what a great challenge. Thank you for voting. Thank you for your ornaments.
Countries represented
Australia
Belgium
Canada
Italia
Puerto Rico
The Netherlands
United Kingdom
USA
Sponsors
STARBOND Bonus Prize
ALUMILITE Bonus Prize
CRAFT SUPPLIES USA Grand Prize
WOODWORKERS EMPORIUM Bonus Prize
HUNTER TOOLS Grand Prize
AIR BRUSHING WOOD Bonus and Grand Prizes
SPIRACRAFT Bonus and Grand Prizes
WOODTURNERS WONDERS Bonus Prize
TURNTEX Grand Prize
AS WOOD TURNS Bonus Prize
Honorable Mention
1 Shelly Kent Nutcracker
14 Jack Murphy Segmented Ornament
1 Shelly Kent Nutcracker
14 Jack Murphy Carol singers
37 Ron Pollmann Lighted Sea Urchin Ornament
45 Frank Young Santa in a Segmented Ring
53 Steve Patzman Ballerina in Black
81 Gene & Norma Duck
164 Jonathan Durocher Self Discovery
166 Jonathan Durocher Toboggans R Dangerous
268 Doug Stearns Pierced Maple Ornament
Popular Vote
1 Kevin Kapp #140 Christmas Angel
2 Mike Lober #161 Everything Is Better With Chocolate
3 Victor Lopez #122 3 Wood Wise Men
4 Henry Morgan #243 Turned and carved
5 Dan Schmidt #6 Christmas Tree Globe
6 Brad Hildenbrand #13 A Day Off at the North Pole
7 Maynard Green #188 Lighted Snowman
8 Mark Fishburn #251 Turned Hollow Form
9 Bob Summers #7 Frigility #6
10 Layne Manginelli #35 Multicolored wood ornament
11 Bob Keller #255 Santa Gnome
12 Howard Stenger #200 Globe ornament with tree
Plan now for the 2023 Ornament Challenge. Entry window will be November 2023.
For inspiration, go to www.OrnamentChallenge.com
Enjoy!
Design, Print, Then Turn Mixed Media Ornament
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After checking in an ornament for the challenge by Dan Owens, I wanted to make one similar. His was 3D printed. So, I fired up my computer with OpenSCAD, 3D design software. Then why not show you how it is done. I did not want to make a training video – only an overview.
The design is simple to implement if one already knows the software. It is a process of adding and subtracting elements on the screen. Then slice (a technical term) and print.
Finally, turn a tree from mesquite and finials from birch. The 3D material is natural color PLA. The 3D printed globe is 2 by 3. Finials add another 3 inches to the length.
Meanwhile, voting for favorites in the challenge ends 11 December. Pick yours at www.OrnamentChallenge.com Hurry
Enjoy.
2022 Christmas Ornament Challenge – Call For Vote
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It is time you to vote for your favorite ornaments in the 2022 Annual Christmas Ornament Challenge.
With 286 ornaments, there are a lot to review. But also a lot of great ideas to view and possibly incorporate into your own ornaments.
Thanks to everyone who submitted their ornament.
Thanks to all the clubs who spread the word.
Thanks to our sponsors for providing something for everyone.
Please vote for your top five (5) ornaments. Rank your ornaments from Highest to Lowest. Enter your picks in a comment below the video. For Example: 5,4,3,2,1.
If the vidoe goes too fast, there are alternatives:
1). The pause and rewind buttons.
2). At www.OrnamentChallenge.com -This is web page with all ornaments to browse at your leisure. Enter your picks at the very bottom.
Voting ends 11 December 2022. We’ll announce the winners as soon as possible after vote closes.
Enjoy!
Four Options To Enhance Woodturning Design
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I greatly appreciated a club presentation recently by Kip Christiansen. Kip has been teaching furniture design at Brigham Young University until retiring recently. His topic was design for woodturning. One main point is that form trumps all else: grain, color, decoration, construction. He went through a lot of design tips.
One thing stood out above everything else. He was prepared to turn a selection from three different blocks of wood. He passed out pieces of paper whose size matched his blocks of wood. Then he had us fold them in half and cut a design with scissors. We could trim it until we liked it. He also recommended we cut several alternatives and ask our friends which they like best. Form was paramount.
He then turned a couple of the pieces to match.
I have taken his presentation to heart and looked at options to apply it to my projects. This post is some of my ideas leveraging this excellent presentation.
Enjoy.
Turning A Hobbit Hole Ornament For Bilbo
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I was looking at ornaments from the Christmas Ornament Challenge, seeking inspiration. There are many very nice birdhouses. But, what about a hobbit house or hobbit hole. Bilbo needs a home too!
Hobbit hole seem to be built into hilsides or mounds. Why not?
The roof is part of a cylinder of walnut, hollowed from both ends. The home is similar to a birdhouse except that hobbit’s are short and ceilings are low. Maple paneling would be nice. But, bilbo also needs to keep warm by a nice fire. Whereas a bird is self insulating. How about a walnut chimney? All pieces are finished with shellac.
Still time to get your ornament into the challenge. Prizes for everyone at the challenge.
Enjoy.
Experimenting With Wave Slices In Segmented Vase
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After designing an effective process for Celtic knots on large vessels, I am no experimenting with different application and variations of the process. In this case, three walnut slices at different angles and intervals provide additional visual interest.
The base wood is sold as hickory pecan since the two woods cannot be visually distinguished. The accent wood is walnut. All rings are constructed with 12 segments each with the exception of the three oval rings which have two additional segments to transform the circle to an oval. There are nine hickory rings, two walnut rings, and three walnut oval rings. The base consists of a three ply sandwich of hickory which is then set into the base hickory ring. Three plies prevent wood expansion/contraction which could destroy the vase. Segments total 174.
Walnut oil provides a nice matt finish.
This vase is 4 inches diameter and 6 inches in height.
Enjoy.