| Project by Karson | posted 613 days ago | 609 views | 1 time favorited | 7 comments |  |
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The person who commissioned the Pulpit for the church wanted a Gavel for the Pastors Wife. So this is my first try at turning a gavel. He wanted one BIG. He gave me a 4 X 4 of Osage Orange to turn the gavel from. It’s about 3.25 ” in Diameter and about 7 ” long. The handle was about 15” long. It was turned from 5/4 Osage Orange. I tapered the hole in the head of the gavel and split the handle and then used a blind wedge to secure it to the head. I used Epoxy glue. The moisture content of the 4 X 4 was a little high but the cutoff piece from the turned head has not developed any cracks yet so hopefully all will be well.
I also made an Osage Orange Pounding Block so she wouldn’t be pounding on the Pulpit.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
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7 comments so far
Dick Cain
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4828 posts in 748 days
posted 613 days ago
That’s a Paul Bunyan size Gavel, nice job. I also like the pulpit it’s sitting on. Top shelf craftsmanship.
-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1
Don
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2586 posts in 626 days
posted 613 days ago
OK, I’ll ask. What on earth does the pastor’s wife want a gavel for? I think this idea begs for any number of answer, like…
When the Pastor’s sermons are too long, she brings down the gavel.
When the pastor’s preaching uses personal references that include her, she…
When church members start complaining about the pastor, she…
You get the idea – any more suggestions?
-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/
Obi
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2147 posts in 686 days
posted 613 days ago
You can tell a lumberjock goes to your church when the pastors wife has her own personal gavel?
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/
Obi
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2147 posts in 686 days
posted 613 days ago
It’s prpbably for the Women’s Ministry Bake Sale/ Annual Auction. “Sold! to the guy behind the pulpit”
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/
Obi
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2147 posts in 686 days
posted 613 days ago
If my brother-in-law ever sees that pulpit, Imma have to make him another one.
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/
oscorner
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4576 posts in 760 days
posted 612 days ago
The pulpit is beautiful. I’m glad to hear that the gavel was for the Paster’s Wife, even though I never heard of the need for a gavel at church. Was the Osage Orange selected by his wife or the Pastor? I like your turnings on the head and handle of the gavel.
-- Jesus is Lord!
Mark DeCou
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1271 posts in 855 days
posted 611 days ago
Hey Karson: nice project, and great use for Osage Orange. I thought Wives hit people with rolling pins, not gavels. Things are more refined in Delaware I guess. Ha.
As for using the damp wood, I made a carving mallet once from moist wood and the only trouble I had was that the diameter of the handle shrunk more than the diameter of the hole in the mallet. To keep the head of your gavel on for sure, you could add a small dowel pin that goes through the head, and through the handle tenon. If you don’t glue it in, then you could always drive it out and add some epoxy to the joint should it get loose, and reinstall the head. I know you are more than capable of figuring it out, just thought I would offer a suggestion from my own moist wood mallet experience.
Love those grandkids, that would make a wonderful carving for the wall some day, eh?
Mark
-- Mark DeCou - Kansas Flinthill's Artisan