Banksia Pod Turning

Nice work, Thomas.

Where’s the Banksia from? These grow everywhere in Australia.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hillsbiblechurch.org/

It’s from a local Rockler store. I didn’t ask them where it came from originally, but it may have come from down under… who knows. I just see them from time to time in a bin and always wondered how they turned. Messy… but easy. Nice aroma.

-- Thomas Porter, Phoenix, AZ, www.thomasporter.com

Interesting piece. I wonder how big they get?

Thomas, I always wear my mask when turning Banksia seed pods. Makes lots of fine dust but are very beautiful when finished.

I also slab them out and pour Kraft Kote in the holes and use them in the handles of my trout fishing nets. NICE.

Don, could you send ma about 100 of them?

Dennis, they get to about 9-10” long and 6” in diameter.

Nice work Thomas.

Bill

-- Make Dust

I don’t think it will hold water. Ha. Very nice form, and nice use of the pod. Just a suggestion, you might go back and post some encyclopedia information on the seed pod, such as where it comes from, and other biological facts. It would be interesting to read more about it.

Looking at your first real lathe work, I don’t think it will be your last. Nice job.

I know a guy in Sedona (www.galencarpenter.com) that uses pinecones embedded in black epoxy to make segmented turnings, just truly amazing. He’s been picked many, many times for the Smithsonian Art & Crafts Show. If you are ever in Sedona, I’m sure you would love seeing his studio. I’ve not been to his studio, just have seen his work in a show. He grew up in the area I live in, and is the guy the locals all talk about that left here and “made it”. In his gallery page, picture “09” is one with pine cone. Note, picture “08” is “chip board”, makes a great way to use scraps of OSB plywood. He’s a real master, the best at turning I have ever met, and just a hop & skip from your place.

Mark

-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com

nice project, Mark, great website, those turnings are unreal.

-- Cheers

Nice turning Thomas, though I have to admit the first picture looked kinda creepy. I thought you had an octopus all wrapped up and ready for turning!

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Did you have trouble with the seeds? I saw a woodturning show where the host warned of the seeds flying out of the pod while turning and that he used a dental tool to pick the rest of the seeds out.

-- Jesus is Lord!

I’ve seen those in the Rockler catalog… been wondering what to make of the so called “alternative turning materials” and what I could come up with myself. (after seeing pens made from corn cobs and ornaments made from a pinecone.
I’ have a bag full of pinecones ready to epoxy, just to try my hand at those.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Van Gogh -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

There weren’t any seeds in there that I could see, but one strange thing that happened when I started turning it is that once you get passed the superficial layer or skin of the nut there are small hair-like things underneath. It’s really fuzzy. Looks almost like felt or velvet. It turns off after you dig in a 1/4” or so.

-- Thomas Porter, Phoenix, AZ, www.thomasporter.com

There is a fair amount of information available on using Banksia Pods as a turning medium. Here’s one.

And here’s another.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hillsbiblechurch.org/

Very nice piece Tom. Keep up the good lathe work, skys the limit. jockmike

-- (You just have to please the man in the Mirror) Mike from Michigan -

Man, I’d like to turn one of those. Pretty cool! Don, you’ll have to bring some next time you visit Canuckistan!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Beautiful turning Thomas.

-- Carpe Lignum; Tornare Lignum (Seize the wood, to Turn the wood)

They probably have some at Lee Valley. I’ve got one to try. It was a christmas present. I know that Craft Supplies and Woodcraft carry them.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov