My wife, being an avid knitter, challenged me, (meaning she said she wished there was someplace she could get homemade), to create buttons out of wood. The key to this is making them “unique” she said. I played around on the lathe for a while and found a couple ways to knock them out pretty consistantly. I’ve found that it’s a great way to use up the odd cutoffs and ends that I can’t bare to throw away, but seem to collect quickly in the shop. I turned a quick bowl, and now when I get a good piece of wood to use up, and a couple spare minutes I turn some buttons and put them in the bowl for her to use on her projects. Win – win.
10 comments so far
EyeOfTheJen
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205 posts in 582 days
#1 posted 499 days ago
All the turning I have done and I have never done buttons! Those are so pretty. What a great idea to use up some scraps..
-- Jen ~ Happiness is being covered in sawdust.
a1Jim
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86947 posts in 1743 days
#2 posted 499 days ago
Way cool about as unique project I’ve seen, very good job.
-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/
grizzman
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5366 posts in 1469 days
#3 posted 499 days ago
those look really nice, nice bowl also…tell tanya i said hello
-- GRIZZMAN ...[''''']
amagineer
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1013 posts in 763 days
#4 posted 499 days ago
I think the buttons are a wonderful idea. They look hard to make. I love working with wood, especially when I see all the creative ideas that woodworkers come up with.
-Don
-- Flaws are only in the eye of the artisan!
clieb91
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2674 posts in 2101 days
#5 posted 499 days ago
That is pretty cool. I may have to play with that idea at some point as I am sure my wife would figure out a way to use them in her sewing.
CtL
-- Chris L. "Don't Dream it, Be it."
Cliff De Witt
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125 posts in 858 days
#6 posted 499 days ago
Okay, how did you do that?
Turn a spindle and then part them off?
-- Trying to find an answer to my son’s question: “…and forming organic cellulose by spinning it on its axis is interesting, why?”
ckollett
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2 posts in 502 days
#7 posted 499 days ago
Those are beautiful. My wife knits ands sews, and would love these, but I wouldn’t know where to start.
Woodbutcher3
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361 posts in 1052 days
#8 posted 498 days ago
Lessons – I need lessons! These aregreat and I have scrapes that wood be perfect for this!
-- Rod ~ There's never enough time to finish a project, but there's always time to start another one.
sras
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3224 posts in 1295 days
#9 posted 498 days ago
They look great! Neat idea.
-- Steve - Impatience is Expensive
daydrik
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63 posts in 581 days
#10 posted 496 days ago
that’s cool.
-- "by all means read what the experts say. Just don't let it get in the way of your woodworking" ;John Brown
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