i was so happy i could get this finished and delivered for one of my best friends’ big day, it was great to be at the occasion. i started one week before i had to deliver it 500 miles away up in northern california, so needless to say I thought i might be in for a nail biter, especially if anything went wrong…and for the most part they didn’t, the biggest error being a miscalculation on one side of the leg’s mortises and having to do a big chunk last minute patch job…i was actually somewhat surprised with how well it came out, although i know my fit on the mortises and laps were no where near stellar. I have a lot of tools, but a lot of rusted/cheaper stuff, so at times i knew there was a better way i Could be doing things, but i had to pass on just to get it done in the sake of time. This was my first attempt at an all solid exotic wood piece, i had to get over being scared to work with the nice stuff and just go for it cuz hey, it’s a wedding gift!

top – from a single piece of curly walnut (need to get my “wet” pictures of the top uploaded, it is beautiful)
aprons – from a single piece of walnut
legs – laminated mahogany
shelves – teak (recycled from old umbrella =])

finish – 1 coat teak oil (yikes! i was in such a rush and didn’t know what to do, seemed like it had the least chance of failing and getting decent results, and that i know my friend could reapply and have a nearby source for it….what do yall think?)

end cost of materials – ~$30? the legs are actually door framing material that i got for $3.50 per 8’ off craigslist! teak oil and other finishing stuff, the walnut was retrieved/received

time – probably >40 hrs with all my mistakes and newbie-isms.

Appreciate all the comments and criticisms….

this wooden goblet was made to hold anything from candy to keys. It is made from laminated pieces of pine, painted expresso brown and then finished with lacquer. 5” tall x 5” diameter

Been having a tough time finding a new job these days so I’m listing some items for sale to raise whatever money I can, how ever little it may be…thanks in advance for all your support! whether with words or purchases, it is much appreciated.

If interested contact me privately or go through my Etsy =)

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24008057

Lidded jar/bowl/cup made with exotic woods of unknown origin. Sealed with shellac, finished with lacquer. 3.5” diameter 4.25” tall

Been having a tough time finding a new job these days so I’m listing some items for sale to raise whatever money I can, how ever little it may be…thanks in advance for all your support! whether with words or purchases, it is much appreciated.

If interested contact me privately or go through my Etsy =)

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24001465

constructed of hard maple and brass rods, sealed with shellac/stained cherry/finished with lacquer. Holds bangles, bracelets, earrings, rings, etc. Have alternate designs if you are interested in something similar but tailored more to your desire. Rods are 12” and 8.5” long, all together the display is 9” tall and 6” deep.

Been having a tough time finding a new job these days so I’m putting some of my items up for sale to raise however little money i can. thanks to all in advance for their support! with words or purchases…

If interested contact me privately or just go through my Etsy store. =)

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24000483

Made of a single piece of maple, a walnut base, and the stem/knob is again exotic wood of unknown origin. Finished with shellac/lacquer. Great for holding lots of snacks/treats/chips/food on your dining or side table. 14.5” tall, 10” and 4.5” diameter bowls/trays

Been having a tough time finding a job these days, so I am listing items for sale to pay some bills. I thank all of you in advance for the support! With words or purchases…

To purchase contact me privately or go through my Etsy store.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24007190

=)

basically a bowl within a bowl. Burned the edges with steel wool, made from laminated strips of exotic flooring that cost me next to nothing, reclaimed the glass from i don’t know where. Finished in a rush so it was just shellac and some wax but end product looks pretty good and feels pretty good. This was a fun project, and I was surprised how highly regarded it was by my mother. She thinks something of this quality is sell-able at craft shows, what do you guys think? I know i’m gettin better with each turning and i’ve only done a couple so far. Ended up going to my grandma, whom i don’t think i’ve ever seen light a candle but hey, it’s the thought that counts right? =)

comments and constructive criticism welcome!

reclaimed project. reused some corks, found a branch somewhere around my neighborhood while walking my dog. Still have enough from that lil branch to make a few more, which I will because clearly its some nice figured maple.
Didn’t have to do much shaping as this branch is roughly the same size as the finished piece. Definitely finding out after a couple turnings it’s hard to keep some of the detailed lines true after sanding through all the grits, any advice in the category? These were a fun quick project that will be well received i’m sure as my grandparents abide by the glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away motto, lol. Finished with I think 3 coats of BLO, probably should have put more for a deeper/glossier shine.

oh and I noticed there was a weird change of grain near the knot on one side of one of them (at the top of the knot in pics 2 and 3 you can see it), and the way it soaked the BLO made it look completely different, like there was a spot that was unfinished…i know there’s sections that’ll soak up less than others, but this noticeably? any comments are appreciated…

got the wood in an impulsive buy while at rockler in the cutoff bin, don’t know the species but it looks “exotic”

I don’t think these could be made for profit after you include all the overhead, unless you have people lining up to pay $25-30 each which I don’t see happening anytime soon, so these would remain in the gift category for me.

sanded to 600 grit, then burnished with some of the shavings inside of steel wool, I found this burnishing step to really make the difference pre-finish in polishing up all the fine scratches from the sandpaper. finished with BLO, maybe 3 coats…is this enough usually? I didn’t dilute it at all, but i think a couple more would have really made for a shinier finish, but I’m sure it will be well received by my grandma who eats ice almost every day now…when you get to a certain point who cares if its bad for you right? Also, how long does straight BLO take to dry usually? it doesn’t say any time window on the can…

also, what makes every turning project more difficult for me is I don’t have sharpening equipment yet so with each project my tools are getting duller and I don’t have anything but a face plate and a very dull spur drive, i have more vibration than there should be and I always have to saw off one end by hand at the end and re-sand/burnish the bottom/top by hand, it’s a PITA right now, hopefully I can find funds to buy a chuck jaw vice soon though…

thanks for all your comments and constructive criticism, i’m still a beginning turner and this is one of my first few projects

i haven’t posted any of my small projects like this here yet cuz I usually think they are not even share-worthy, but I guess everyone’s got to start somewhere…small candle holder made of a piece of walnut I got for free that had a spline in it, I centered it on the piece so it could have looked like i did it on purpose? lol then used a small piece of poplar scrap for the top. I think this was my first project since taking woodshop in 7th grade about 12 years ago? Finished with a couple coats of shellac. Wish it would have been more well received but a lot of people here in socal (and specifically most of my family) don’t appreciate woodworking really, sighh. I will have lots more projects in the future and I intend to hopefully become a regular here….i welcome your comments/criticism