Spring has been busy with yard work, but I had to make something for a swap/trade on a forum, and I was a bit chagrined to find my selected swap partner was a big-name AAW turner and contest judge I did not know. Ah-hem. So, when I chose this chunk of Silver Maple to cut into, I wasn’t sure about needing pyro work, patterning the rim, or cutting a turning into a shape, or piercing. I was very happy to find rays, curl and grain patterns that let the wood speak without any embellishment. Just mailed it; I hope he likes it, though it is nothing like the skill level he displays in every piece. At least I don’t think I shamed myself! This is one of the few, rare pieces I’ve turned that I don’t pick apart finding only the faults with afterward. It’s just as striking on the inside as the outside, and is 100% free of any traces of tool marks. I can breathe a little easier now that it’s mailed off! All comments very welcome.
Oh, almost forgot: 4-1/2” tall, and about 4-1/2” in diameter at the rim.

A 10” mill in walnut, with holly strips inlaid in the blank before turning. How’d I do?

I’ve long admired the plum bob collections of many woodworkers, but having no flea markets nearby, I don’t have access to look for any, so decided to just make some and hang them in my shop from the rafters. Then decided to make each one out of a different species of wood, so it will be a ‘collection’ of its own! The first ones are flame box elder, cocobolo, apricot, osage orange and dyed maple. Just ordered more kits from Craft Supplies USA, so I can get busy adding to the set!
Second photo (hanging) shows one of fruitwood cherry on the left.
The tiny ones are from a 1” wood blank, the larger are about 2-1/4”.

I’ve been making finger spin tops for some time, but a customer challenged me to add a base so I gave it a whirl. This set is made in Apricot, one of my favorite woods to turn. Subtly chatter-worked on the top, and grooved rings on the dished base, which is 3-1/2” d. The top is about 2-1/8”. Comments welcome!

I know there is a plethora of pens posted here, but this one is sufficiently different that I hope it will be appreciated. it’s a kit from Craft Supply USA called ‘Penache.’ The gold plated base is 3/4” in diameter to stand it upright. I turned it from an exotic gifted to me; it is Wamara, also known as Guyana Rosewood, and is so dense it played havoc with all my tools. The drill press yielded smoke from every 1/4” drilling. My gouge had to be resharpened after each pass across the blanks, or they would simply bounce off the wood. It took a Long time to turn down to size from a 1” sq. blank. I turned walnut after this one, and zip-zip, I was done! I doubt I’ll be using Wamara in another pen. It polished up nicely, as dense woods do, but what a trial it was. Good thing I’m a determined sort!

A fancy desk set with a 10-3/4” long twist pen in a brass funnel and brass posts to hold business cards or Post-It Notes. The Curly Koa base is 9” x 2” x 1” thick. I had a bit of trouble with this long slender pen vibrating on the mandrel and it came out twisting off-center. My solution was to hand sand the mating center edges and substitute a smaller center band, which worked admirably well. Whew, what a relief! I’m still waiting for the day I can turn something beginning to end without having to ‘fix’ something!

Quite a while ago, woodcanuck did a Child's Lock Box with different hardware all over it. He was my inspiration for this model for my two-yr. old grand daughter. I found out I hate doing hinges by hand! It has a key-inserted lock on one end, a hook and eye, a luggage latch, a padlock with keys dangling, a bolt slider, and two ring-lift trap doors at the top, plus a handle for her little fist. I was trying to use what I had or could scavange, but still spent $25 on hardware, then found I didn’t have the proper screws for many hinges, so it looks a bit strange, but she should love it. It’s 18”x 8”x 6”. Quite the little birthday gift, and I Thank You, Woodcanuck!

I am most pleased with these two little pots. They are made of very dense Persimmon, a relative of the Ebony family, and burnished up off the tool, then polished like glass. They are 3” high x 3-1/2” d. and 2-3/4” high x 3” d.
I added a chatter-work medallion made out of walnut-stained maple on the top of each lid for interest. All comments most welcome.

I can’t seem to quit making ‘Spittoons!’ This banded bowl of spalted sycamore (5-3/4” diameter) came out with the upper lip a bit too high for the design, I think, but to correct it and make it more proportional, I’d need to eliminate about 3/8” of the nice spalting pattern off the top, so I left it alone. All comments appreciated.

I have few of these left, but it’s time to start thinking of Christmas projects again! These are, of course, from the Bonnie Klein designs of chatterwork on tops. They’ve been a big hit, and I’m about to start stock piling some more. This year I’m hoping to avoid the last-minute rush of below-freezing turnings all through December to make the deadline.
So, what are you planning for holiday gift giving?

I haven’t posted a project in a little while, because I have been teaching myself to make pens. I found it every bit as addictive as other turners had warned me about! It’s very fun, and there is enough variety in designs to keep me ordering kits and trying new things. The first of these are Amboyna Burl and Fruitwood Cherry from my own orchard, the others are all various acrylics.

I acquired some Box Elder wood and have been playing with it. Some is more colorful than other pieces, but it is a fun wood wo work with. Both these bowls are about 5” in diameter. The first is finished with Danish oil and wax, the second, shallower dish is finished with wax only. If anyone knows how to best finish Box Elder, I’m open to suggestions.

These pieces of special wood sat in my shop for over a year before I decided what to do with them. They’re on Etsy

The clock faces are about 1-1/2” in diameter, and the tall one is some unknown type of pine, 10” tall, the other a Big Leaf Maple Burl about 6-1/2” x 7” wide.

Comments always welcome!

I didn’t know, when I bought this kit, that seeing it completed would find me grinning at it. It’s an antique coffee grinder that holds about 1/4 cup beans, and is fun to watch the gears turn and hear the rumbling, grinding works of it going. I know others must have made these, but really, this is my first one and I’m loving this thing! It has a little swing trap door to dump the beans in, and the mechanism turns smoothly, and the grounds fall down into the bottom cup, all ready for a fresh cuppa’ coffee. I used local Orchard Cherry wood. Isn’t that Just Cool? I mean, Really. ;-)

I’ve completed a new shop cabinet to contain and protect my finishes and glues from the freezing cold. I know, I know, it’s almost March. We still have many cold nights on us (down to 21ºF forecast for tonight) and I’m tired of carrying bottles into the house and back out to the garage every time I want to work on something. This idea came from Scott Landis’ The Workshop Book, where he illustrated a smaller box in B/W with a light bulb in one corner and a thermostat in the upper corner to turn it off and on. My George helped me wire the two in series, so I can set the temperature at about 55º and count on it keeping things from freezing. I’m gonna’ love this. It’s tall and skinny (60” x 15”w x 10” deep) to fit a space available. Access isn’t great (behind the big lathe) but I can get to what I need well enough. Changing that light bulb on the bottom may prove a challenge, though. Nothing’s perfect.
To see the complete build, go to my blog at Might As Well Dance

A new bowl in warm, wonderful Cherry. 9-1/2” diameter x 2” deep, the inside form of this one slopes gently to the center, while the outside is flared in a wide cove to the rim. Always trying new forms, for me. Tell me what you think!

Claro Walnut is one of my favorite woods to turn, when I can get it! This salad bowl is 12-3/4” in diameter and 2-3/4” deep, just right for salsa and chips. I oiled it with Walnut oil and buffed it out by hand. I think it turned out nicely.

This is a 10” turned birdhouse in two pieces, a natural edged bowl inverted over a hollowed out vessel. I decorated it with feathers and clay beads. It was intended to hang outside this spring, but now my mother says it’s too nice “for the birds to poop on.” So much for that idea!
It proved too long to photograph in a light tent, so this photo is taken of it hanging from her ceiling. I had to block a busy background of a picture window, and this photo is the best I could do for now.
All comments welcome.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. My french rolling pins were well appreciated, and the little mini-spin tops were marveled over, and the turned bird house drew raves and ooooohs and ahhhhs, but the big hit of the season was pine scraps made into Klopper Stompers for the four bigger kids. The one-yr. old didn’t quite know what to do with them except clap them together. They were a big hit, and the kids wanted to take them to the hotel at night to use up and down the long halls. Grandma voted for that, but the parents nixed it. My little house was pandemonium with Klopper Stomper races going on amid the tossed packaging. It warms my heart, that with children, it’s always the simple things that get to them the most. We had a Great Christmas, and it’s going to be too quiet around here when they all go home!

I took an afternoon to make three French Rolling Pins in Cherry for Christmas gifts. My list is shrinking! Still more to go. These are 15” to 16” long, the limit of my short-bed bowl lathe, darn it. Isn’t it the truth, that you think you’ll never want another option than the great new machine you have, and one day… well, you need more options. Oh well, 16” ought to be enough to roll out dough. If it isn’t, I’ll hear about it from my girls.