# Prototypes



## darryl (Jul 22, 2006)

*The Background*

I have had my lathe for about 18 months. I started right away turning pens. If I had to guess, I would say I have made somewhere around one hundred pens at this point. I have enjoyed turning pens since it's typically a quick project cycle and provides that immediate sense of accomplishment. The majority of these 100+ pens were made using a single piece of wood or acrylic stock. That all changed at the end of 2007.









A collection of early pens made with Bird's Eye Maple and Rosewood.

One of my friends, and fellow Jock, also turns pens. He had provided me with some "gentile encouragement" to take my pen making abilities to the next level. With Christmas coming up quickly, I decided I would take the opportunity to experiment on a group of pens my wife had asked me to make for our daughter's school teachers.

The pens made for the teachers were all made with slim line kits. I created six different designs for the 13 pens. For wood selections, the set of pens used Sapele, Bloodwood, Maple and Walnut. I also used a new finishing technique of CA glue (superglue) and BLO (boiled linseed oil). I'm pretty pleased with how the collection turned out and have received several very nice compliments from the teachers that received them. The designs I like best from this group are the "harlequin" style that are shown in the picture below. The harlequin in the middle, of the picture below, is made with walnut and maple. The harlequin on the far right, of the picture below, is made of maple and bloodwood.









A sample of the designs used in the Teacher's gift set.

Shortly after finishing the pens created for the teacher's I attended a local turner's group meeting that featured one of the members doing a demonstration of his segmented bowls. I decided to try implementing those techniques into my pens.

The segmenting process I use is fairly straightforward. I build my pen blanks in a bricklayer's fashion (offsetting seams). For this first pen, I used a combination of Maple, Jatoba and Walnut segments. After milling strips of ¾ inch wide stock down to 1/8 inch in thickness, I then cut each of the segmented pieces at 30 degrees allowing for six segments to be used in each layer of the blank.

My first segmented pen attempt was a success and failure all in one! The body of the pen came out as I had hoped. Turning the cap however, is where the trouble started. In the process of turning the cap, one end of the blank blew apart. I eventually completed the pen by turning a piece of Ebony for the cap.









My first fully segmented pen with damaged cap.









My first completed segmented pen.

This segmented pen was also my first time using a fountain pen kit. The kit is a Classic American Fountain Pen. There are few things I didn't like about this kit:
• With the cap screwed on to the back of the pen, the pen is very top heavy and awkward to write with.
• When turning the cap, you are required to turn on end down to the brass tube (this is where my segmented piece came apart) to fit the pieces together.
• The ink dries out real quick in the nib and it's a bit of a nuisance to get it flowing again.

I have seen several postings, at the IAP (International Association of Penturners) website, of pens made with the Jr. Gentlemen's II kit. Liking the look of this kit, I decided I would try a few out. I ordered four kits to start with, two rollerball and two fountain pens. I've made two segmented pens using the Jr. Gent kit, and have a third in the works, and have been very happy with the look and feel of this kit. I've also found, from quite a bit of reading, that rhodium, black titanium and gold titanium are the most durable finishes on pen kits. My goal is to try and focus on only using kits with these available finishes.









My first segmented Jr. Gent II fountain pen with black titanium finish.









My first segmented Jr Gent II rollerball pen with black titanium finish.

As I work on my next segmented pen I thought I would take some time to work on a few different designs to see what works and what doesn't. I decided to work with some smaller segments as well. The next few pens will include eight segments per layer versus the six segments per layer I had used in the first couple of pens. To start, I cut several hundred segments of Maple, Jatoba and Walnut.









Maple, Walnut and Jatoba segments (left to right).


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## Betsy (Sep 25, 2007)

darryl said:


> *The Background*
> 
> I have had my lathe for about 18 months. I started right away turning pens. If I had to guess, I would say I have made somewhere around one hundred pens at this point. I have enjoyed turning pens since it's typically a quick project cycle and provides that immediate sense of accomplishment. The majority of these 100+ pens were made using a single piece of wood or acrylic stock. That all changed at the end of 2007.
> 
> ...


Looks to me like you are becoming quite the turner. The pens look great. You must be a very patient man to do all those little pieces. I'm not sure I could be that patient.

Looking forward to more pictures.


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## keithcruickshank (Jun 3, 2008)

darryl said:


> *The Background*
> 
> I have had my lathe for about 18 months. I started right away turning pens. If I had to guess, I would say I have made somewhere around one hundred pens at this point. I have enjoyed turning pens since it's typically a quick project cycle and provides that immediate sense of accomplishment. The majority of these 100+ pens were made using a single piece of wood or acrylic stock. That all changed at the end of 2007.
> 
> ...


Nice job! You've got to be one who likes to work with small details.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

darryl said:


> *The Background*
> 
> I have had my lathe for about 18 months. I started right away turning pens. If I had to guess, I would say I have made somewhere around one hundred pens at this point. I have enjoyed turning pens since it's typically a quick project cycle and provides that immediate sense of accomplishment. The majority of these 100+ pens were made using a single piece of wood or acrylic stock. That all changed at the end of 2007.
> 
> ...


This looks like a lot of work, but the results are very impressive. I didn't even know so much could be done. Nice work!


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## Nils (Oct 27, 2007)

darryl said:


> *The Background*
> 
> I have had my lathe for about 18 months. I started right away turning pens. If I had to guess, I would say I have made somewhere around one hundred pens at this point. I have enjoyed turning pens since it's typically a quick project cycle and provides that immediate sense of accomplishment. The majority of these 100+ pens were made using a single piece of wood or acrylic stock. That all changed at the end of 2007.
> 
> ...


Can you describe in more detail how you cut all those tiny segments? I'd be very interested in trying this technique for my pens, but I'm worried I won't be accurate enough when cutting the pieces.


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## darryl (Jul 22, 2006)

*Building Prototypes - Group 1*

Prior to finishing my latest segmented pen, I cut several hundred segments with 22.5 degree angles to create a few more pens with eight segment layers. Having these pieces of Maple, Walnut and Jatoba, I thought it would be a nice way to get a good visual of what some different designs could be. Kind of like a rough sketch in 3-D.

I didn't want to get into gluing anything and commit myself to a design I didn't fully like, so I carefully stacked my segments and let gravity hold everything together for me. I figured this method would let me quickly see, physically, what I thought I was seeing in my head. It would also be much less time intensive than gluing a full blank together to flesh out the complete idea. Each design I have put together is the full size of a Jr. Gent II cap.

After stacking a design and taking a couple pictures from different angles I took apart what I had done and designed another. It was after I had six or eight of these designs that I thought I would put together a blog series to show how these segmented pens would look from design to completed pen.

A couple of the designs I've come up with include all three species that I had prepped. This first design is one I've been thinking about for a while. With the light color of the Maple separating the Walnut and Jatoba diamond patterns; it reminds me of an argyle sock.

Design 1:









Another design I put together uses all three species in staggered columns. I'm on the fence about how I feel about this design. I think this design is the best example of why I find it helpful to put together these little prototypes though. I know the final look will be slightly different than what is shown here simply because the length of each segment will be smaller. But I'm not convinced yet that it will work.

Design 2:









I've not yet thought of a nick-name for this third prototype but it is one that I like. The only real concern I have with this design is how it would transition from the cap to the body of the pen. I can't decide if perhaps a solid color body should be used, or should the pattern repeat itself on the body. Again, here is another good example of how prototypes can help prevent wasting time and materials on a design.

Design 3:









The forth prototype is a similar design to my first segmented Jr. Gent II roller ball. In this example the peaks and valleys are a bit higher and deeper. I think the colors contrast well in this example. I think there is a good chance that this prototype could become a pen. I think the balance of color is what I like the most about this particular design.

Design 4:


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## lazyfiremaninTN (Jul 30, 2007)

darryl said:


> *Building Prototypes - Group 1*
> 
> Prior to finishing my latest segmented pen, I cut several hundred segments with 22.5 degree angles to create a few more pens with eight segment layers. Having these pieces of Maple, Walnut and Jatoba, I thought it would be a nice way to get a good visual of what some different designs could be. Kind of like a rough sketch in 3-D.
> 
> ...


Good looking designs, I am not a turner (YET) so I can't really tell what will work or won't but I think they would all look good. I really like the idea of prototypes.


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## MikeyFlies (May 13, 2008)

darryl said:


> *Building Prototypes - Group 1*
> 
> Prior to finishing my latest segmented pen, I cut several hundred segments with 22.5 degree angles to create a few more pens with eight segment layers. Having these pieces of Maple, Walnut and Jatoba, I thought it would be a nice way to get a good visual of what some different designs could be. Kind of like a rough sketch in 3-D.
> 
> ...


I think any of these will look fantastic based on your other pens. My favorites are the first and last with the slight edge going to the argyle sock pattern


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## darryl (Jul 22, 2006)

*Building Prototypes - Group 2*

In my second group of prototypes I wanted to experiment with using just two species of wood. In these examples I have used Walnut and Maple. Of course any one of these designs could be created with a different selection of wood. I just wanted to mix things up a little to keep it interesting for myself.

The first design I put together with the Walnut and Maple selections is based on the popular celtic knot design. In this version, I went with a single knot. I didn't think the design would be recognizable enough if I tried a double knot. Then again this is why I'm putting together these prototypes, isn't it? I'll have to try the double knot with three wood species that might help define the design enough.

The alternating color layers at the top of this design are just something to break up the solid Maple. I think it may distract a little from the knot design and I may eliminate that if I do glue up this design.

Design 1:









I like this second design for the mere simplicity of it. One of the keys of this design is not just that there is a large diagonal stripe of Maple running through the Walnut, but that there is only one full layer of Maple in that whole transition. That of course just might go to show that I really over think this stuff!

I again run in the dilemma of what to do with the second half of the pen though. This example is the length of the pen body rather than the pen cap. Making the design fit the cap would eliminate the ability to add the solid layers of Walnut, which I will admit is not a crucial requirement. I think some more thought is going to be needed before this design sees any glue.

Design 2:









This third Maple and Walnut design is a variation of the "argyle sock" I showed in group one. In this version I didn't separate the diamond patterns with a defined border. I also added the alternating wood species to the center of each diamond. I think this design could look ok if it were glued up as I think it would transition well from the cap the pen body.

Design 3:


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## darryl (Jul 22, 2006)

*scallops*

I have seen other penmakers use this scallop techinique and thought I would give it a try. To start out I wanted to get an idea of what size I need to use initially to know what to expect when the blank is turned down. So far I like how everything is looking. I want to try incorporating this and a couple other segmenting techniques I used to come up with something a little crazier than I've done previously.










I've got several long weekends coming up so hopefully I should have some time to play around in the shop.


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## gad5264 (Sep 13, 2007)

darryl said:


> *scallops*
> 
> I have seen other penmakers use this scallop techinique and thought I would give it a try. To start out I wanted to get an idea of what size I need to use initially to know what to expect when the blank is turned down. So far I like how everything is looking. I want to try incorporating this and a couple other segmenting techniques I used to come up with something a little crazier than I've done previously.
> 
> ...


darryl, I like the design already. I will be watching this closely.


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## darryl (Jul 22, 2006)

*To Dye For*

One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.

I've been a big fan of Joe's (trifern) postings and the amazing work he does. His work has inspired me to try working with dyes. A realized early on that a key requirement for me is my pieces can't rely on just the surface being dyed, I would have to make sure my pieces were completely saturated. Thankfully it wasn't hard to do!

Here's a mockup using some maple samples dyed green:









a close-up:









whoa… back up!









I'm pretty excited to see what new concepts come to life with this new capability!


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## papadan (Mar 6, 2009)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


So how are you satcherating the wood?


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## darryl (Jul 22, 2006)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


by letting them soak for 4 days in a mixture of food coloring and denatured alcohol… it really could not have been any easier!


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## trifern (Feb 1, 2008)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


I am anxious to see the end result!


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## matt1970 (Mar 28, 2007)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


this will be great…


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## sharad (Dec 26, 2007)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


Very nice if the dye lasts for a pretty long time.
Sharad


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## dustbunny (May 18, 2009)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


Outside the box and over the top. 
This is gonna be cool !!

Lisa


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## Russel (Aug 13, 2007)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


It's always good to see creativity. I'm looking forward to the finished product.


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


Darryl,

This is certainly going to add an exciting new dimension to you stoppers. Like everyone else, I can't wait to see the turned results.

Lew


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## darryl (Jul 22, 2006)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


hate to be a tease, but my initial sample size was only two more pieces than what you can see in the picture. I have a larger batch of both green and blue going right now.

...it's going to be a few days of letting them soak though.

on the postitive side, using the alcohol base seems to be a good choice as my samples seem quite dry after just a day or so.


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## Kindlingmaker (Sep 29, 2008)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


I'm staying tuned in! This going to be one of those inspiring learning things!


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## mattg (May 6, 2008)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


Darryl,

Is that how it's done??? WOW, thats a lot of glue joints!!

Matt


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## Innovator (Jan 20, 2009)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


I am looking forward to the end result.


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


Darryl:

looks cool Standing on one foot waiting. Well really I'll be laying on one foot in just a few minutes.


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## Gary (Jul 24, 2006)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


Mmmm, mmmm good!


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## huff (May 28, 2009)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


I'm like everyone else, can't wait to see the end results.


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## darryl (Jul 22, 2006)

darryl said:


> *To Dye For*
> 
> One of my top goals in the making of my wine bottle stoppers is to make each and every one unique. Currently I'm only working with four species of wood (maple, walnut, jatoba and cherry) and while this does provide a large number of options I'm always looking to see how I can inject a little something extra.
> 
> ...


just a quick update.
Today I got the glue-up through steps one and two. I have a vacation day scheduled for tomorrow, so I'm hoping to complete the final glue-up do some turning!
stay tuned!


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## darryl (Jul 22, 2006)

*Is that your natural color?*

well here it is, my first attempt at a dye job.









As you can see, the dying process mostly worked, but not 100%. I'm not really sure I like the color selection anyway, but it would have been better if each piece of dyed maple had dyed completely. I wonder now if using a pressure pot is the only way to ensure that each piece gets 100% color saturation… time and testing will tell I suppose.

here's a detail shot of the piece.









Any feedback, suggestions & insights would be greatly appreciated.


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## dustbunny (May 18, 2009)

darryl said:


> *Is that your natural color?*
> 
> well here it is, my first attempt at a dye job.
> 
> ...


Almost…I think you might be onto something with the pressure pot. I'm not so sure about using alcohol under pressure….be careful.

This stopper is still cool even though I think we had all imagined the stain different.

Nice work, Keep trying…

Lisa


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## Sawdust2 (Mar 18, 2007)

darryl said:


> *Is that your natural color?*
> 
> well here it is, my first attempt at a dye job.
> 
> ...


There were recent posts about using a vacuum system to stabilize wood.
Your might try that, also. Put the wood in a container with the dye solution and that container inside a larger jar, such as a pickkle jar. 
If it will work with absorbing acrylic it should work with a dye solution.

Just a thought.

I like to turn bottle stoppers so I've been following your posts.

Lee


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

darryl said:


> *Is that your natural color?*
> 
> well here it is, my first attempt at a dye job.
> 
> ...


It isn't too bad Darryl. I think what you are experimenting with is very interesting. I have a hard time getting exotics with different colors, so a good way to dye wood all the way through would be a great benefit to me. I hope you will keep us informed on this topic. Thanks very much for posting this blog. I liked the stopper by the way. Nice shape and nicely done.


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## mattg (May 6, 2008)

darryl said:


> *Is that your natural color?*
> 
> well here it is, my first attempt at a dye job.
> 
> ...


Cool!!


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## matt1970 (Mar 28, 2007)

darryl said:


> *Is that your natural color?*
> 
> well here it is, my first attempt at a dye job.
> 
> ...


good start…


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## darryl (Jul 22, 2006)

*the heart stopper*

I've made quite a few segmented wine bottle stoppers now. I want to continue to push myself with in complexity and creativity… so I've got a new design that I've been working on. In this piece I use two species of wood (maple and mahogany) to create a heart shaped pattern with the segmented pieces. I am acutally now working on the second version of the heart stopper design. I was fairly pleased with the first, but I thought I could do better.

To give an idea of how it's assembled, here's a view of the 1st blank before turning. This piece includes 183 individual pieces.









The turned piece looks like this









while happy with the overall results, I wanted to make the heart a little smaller so it could be viewed in its entirety without having to twist the stopper. So i made some adjustments to my tablesaw sled to cut some smaller segments and I finished assembly of the new blank today and hope to turn it this weekend. There are 207 pieces included in this version.









I'll be sure to post pics of the finished piece… good or bad! 
any and all feedback is appreciated.


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## cosmicturner (Feb 7, 2009)

darryl said:


> *the heart stopper*
> 
> I've made quite a few segmented wine bottle stoppers now. I want to continue to push myself with in complexity and creativity… so I've got a new design that I've been working on. In this piece I use two species of wood (maple and mahogany) to create a heart shaped pattern with the segmented pieces. I am acutally now working on the second version of the heart stopper design. I was fairly pleased with the first, but I thought I could do better.
> 
> ...


nice job it looks great what kind of glue do you use?


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

darryl said:


> *the heart stopper*
> 
> I've made quite a few segmented wine bottle stoppers now. I want to continue to push myself with in complexity and creativity… so I've got a new design that I've been working on. In this piece I use two species of wood (maple and mahogany) to create a heart shaped pattern with the segmented pieces. I am acutally now working on the second version of the heart stopper design. I was fairly pleased with the first, but I thought I could do better.
> 
> ...


Really Cool, Darryl!

I see an entire line of holiday stoppers- Shamrocks, Easter Eggs, President's Profiles, Pumpkins, Turkeys, Santas- the possibilities seem endless!!

Lew


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## mattg (May 6, 2008)

darryl said:


> *the heart stopper*
> 
> I've made quite a few segmented wine bottle stoppers now. I want to continue to push myself with in complexity and creativity… so I've got a new design that I've been working on. In this piece I use two species of wood (maple and mahogany) to create a heart shaped pattern with the segmented pieces. I am acutally now working on the second version of the heart stopper design. I was fairly pleased with the first, but I thought I could do better.
> 
> ...


Man, that's a heart-stopper!!!


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## scottb (Jul 21, 2006)

darryl said:


> *the heart stopper*
> 
> I've made quite a few segmented wine bottle stoppers now. I want to continue to push myself with in complexity and creativity… so I've got a new design that I've been working on. In this piece I use two species of wood (maple and mahogany) to create a heart shaped pattern with the segmented pieces. I am acutally now working on the second version of the heart stopper design. I was fairly pleased with the first, but I thought I could do better.
> 
> ...


Nice, Matt.

Tis like 8-bit art. Albeit with 207 bits!

really added a new level to these stoppers Darryl.


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## matt1970 (Mar 28, 2007)

darryl said:


> *the heart stopper*
> 
> I've made quite a few segmented wine bottle stoppers now. I want to continue to push myself with in complexity and creativity… so I've got a new design that I've been working on. In this piece I use two species of wood (maple and mahogany) to create a heart shaped pattern with the segmented pieces. I am acutally now working on the second version of the heart stopper design. I was fairly pleased with the first, but I thought I could do better.
> 
> ...


you keep going to the next level…


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

darryl said:


> *the heart stopper*
> 
> I've made quite a few segmented wine bottle stoppers now. I want to continue to push myself with in complexity and creativity… so I've got a new design that I've been working on. In this piece I use two species of wood (maple and mahogany) to create a heart shaped pattern with the segmented pieces. I am acutally now working on the second version of the heart stopper design. I was fairly pleased with the first, but I thought I could do better.
> 
> ...


*Very nice!*

That's what I like about segmented turnings, you don't exactly know what the end results

will be.


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## scrappy (Jan 3, 2009)

darryl said:


> *the heart stopper*
> 
> I've made quite a few segmented wine bottle stoppers now. I want to continue to push myself with in complexity and creativity… so I've got a new design that I've been working on. In this piece I use two species of wood (maple and mahogany) to create a heart shaped pattern with the segmented pieces. I am acutally now working on the second version of the heart stopper design. I was fairly pleased with the first, but I thought I could do better.
> 
> ...


Fantastic! Your segmented pieces are always outstanding. Thanks for the design info.

Keep it up.

Scrappy


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## darryl (Jul 22, 2006)

darryl said:


> *the heart stopper*
> 
> I've made quite a few segmented wine bottle stoppers now. I want to continue to push myself with in complexity and creativity… so I've got a new design that I've been working on. In this piece I use two species of wood (maple and mahogany) to create a heart shaped pattern with the segmented pieces. I am acutally now working on the second version of the heart stopper design. I was fairly pleased with the first, but I thought I could do better.
> 
> ...


Thank you all for the support, here's the now turned Heart Stopper…


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## darryl (Jul 22, 2006)

*Segmented bowl with floating bottom*

Being a fan of segmented turning I joined the group Segmented Woodturners, a chapter of the AAW, earlier this year. While I've made quite a few segmented turnings, I have not yet made a segmented bowl… well until now!

The current preseident of the Segmented Woodturners group is Malcolm Tibbets, an astonishly talented turner. Malcolm has written a book on segmented turning and has also produced four dvd's on the subject. With Malcolm's advice and encouragement, I incorporated his floating bottom technique in my first bowl. The floating bottom is used to prevent damage to a piece due to wood movement.

Here is a series of pictures that covers the process:

yes, there is a hole at the bottom… it's actually designed that way!









the base has a recess to hold a floating bottom.









the floating bottom is a single piece of pine, turned to a diameter of about 2". the floating bottom is just shy of 1/4" thick.









the floating bottom is kept in place with this "keeper ring" made of ten segments. there is a 1-3/8" diameter hole in the middle and the ring is about 2" in diameter.









the floating bottom in place.









the keeper ring installed. The keeper ring was designed to be about 1/8" shorter than the base of the bowl.









a top view showing the floating bottom in place.









the bowl is 2-3/4" tall. 4-1/2" wide at the top. 2-3/4" wide at the base. the wall thickness is a fat 1/8".

for dry items or display purposes the floating bottom seems to be the way to go. If you want to use any sort of liquid… you'd be better off taking your chances with a solid bottom.


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## mattg (May 6, 2008)

darryl said:


> *Segmented bowl with floating bottom*
> 
> Being a fan of segmented turning I joined the group Segmented Woodturners, a chapter of the AAW, earlier this year. While I've made quite a few segmented turnings, I have not yet made a segmented bowl… well until now!
> 
> ...


So that's how you guys do it!!!!


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## matt1970 (Mar 28, 2007)

darryl said:


> *Segmented bowl with floating bottom*
> 
> Being a fan of segmented turning I joined the group Segmented Woodturners, a chapter of the AAW, earlier this year. While I've made quite a few segmented turnings, I have not yet made a segmented bowl… well until now!
> 
> ...


cool…i love seeing how you have really transformed as a woodworker…its been fun to watch.


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## dustbunny (May 18, 2009)

darryl said:


> *Segmented bowl with floating bottom*
> 
> Being a fan of segmented turning I joined the group Segmented Woodturners, a chapter of the AAW, earlier this year. While I've made quite a few segmented turnings, I have not yet made a segmented bowl… well until now!
> 
> ...


I have never seen this design before.
It certainly makes sense,
you did a great job with the piece,
and the blog.
Nice work Darryl,

Lisa


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

darryl said:


> *Segmented bowl with floating bottom*
> 
> Being a fan of segmented turning I joined the group Segmented Woodturners, a chapter of the AAW, earlier this year. While I've made quite a few segmented turnings, I have not yet made a segmented bowl… well until now!
> 
> ...


Great turning, Darryl!

These segments must certainly be easier to cut than those for your bottle stoppers!

Does the keeper ring wedge into place or is it glued in?

Lew


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## sharad (Dec 26, 2007)

darryl said:


> *Segmented bowl with floating bottom*
> 
> Being a fan of segmented turning I joined the group Segmented Woodturners, a chapter of the AAW, earlier this year. While I've made quite a few segmented turnings, I have not yet made a segmented bowl… well until now!
> 
> ...


Darryl, your segmented bowl with the floating bottom shows what height you have reached in your turning skill. It is an amazing piece of wood working. 
Hope you will add many more novelties to your projects.

Sharad


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## lumberdustjohn (Sep 24, 2009)

darryl said:


> *Segmented bowl with floating bottom*
> 
> Being a fan of segmented turning I joined the group Segmented Woodturners, a chapter of the AAW, earlier this year. While I've made quite a few segmented turnings, I have not yet made a segmented bowl… well until now!
> 
> ...


Nice blog.
Your turnings are very nice.
Thanks for posting


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

darryl said:


> *Segmented bowl with floating bottom*
> 
> Being a fan of segmented turning I joined the group Segmented Woodturners, a chapter of the AAW, earlier this year. While I've made quite a few segmented turnings, I have not yet made a segmented bowl… well until now!
> 
> ...


Very nice,

I'll have to try this sometime.


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