First Turned Project Since 1968

This is my first turned project since 1968. I was an Industrial Arts major at North Texas State University in 1968. I turned a milking stool out of Mansonia (a wood that no longer seems to be available). Still have it, finish was lacquer and is long gone, the handle has disappeared and all the legs are loose! (Looks like a project for down the road)

I inherited a Jet mini lathe from my late father-in-law a couple of years ago and I finally put it use. I needed a gavel to use in a presentation I made in January. I was training “shop teachers” in Texas how to start a SkillsUSA (VICA) club for their students. One thing I showed them was how to teach high school kids parliamentary procedure. The group elected a president and the person elected got to keep the gavel.

The gavel was made of pecan. The wood was donated by one of two fully grown pecan trees in my back yard. I get fully dried donations every year or two. Looks like I will get two donations this year.

The finish was CA/Tung oil. Thanks to sbwertz for the suggestion in a forum question I posted. I was looking for a finish that was hard, impact resistant. The CA/oil finish did just that. It was also fast to apply, no drying time.

I will be giving the same presentation in July so I will be making another gavel. I have a collection of 74 internet photos to work from so lots of ideas. This gavel is a combination of a couple of those designs. I will probably try and give the new one a more interesting shape and deeper grooves on the handle. I may try a stain this time as I did not like the blonde color. I will probably use the same finish.

Thanks for looking. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

-- Bill - Mesquite, TX --- "Everything with a power cord eventually winds up in the trash.” John Sarge , timber framer and blacksmith instructor at Tillers International school