A turn for the better

I actually managed to get some turning done yesterday. Unfortunately the banksia nut exploded all over the place, so my intended project was a wash-out. Not to worry, at a fiver a pop it isn’t exactly going to break the bank.
I did manage to rescue the vase I thought I had destroyed last week. There were some cracks round the neck which have been glued to hopefully stop them spreading. I stained it, to enhance the grain which was difficult to make out in it’s natural colour. Ash really does have some nice grain.

The stain is Chestnut’s red mahogony spirit stain, finish is acrylic lacquer, and the inside has been painted with acrylic satin black as a contrast. Unfortunately every bit of dust in the shed appears to have stuck to it.

This little bowl is purpleheart, a Brazilian exotic species. The colour is beautiful, although I have been told it eventually fades to brown over time.
This is my favourite bowl shape. I have been told it is the perfect bowl, because it is instantly recognisable as a bowl shape in every culture.

The grain is quite beautiful, even the end grain which is showing here.

This is slightly out of focus, because of the different focal points between the inside and outside. The walls are a uniform 5mm and the base is 8mm to allow for the 5mm chucking recess.

I do like a tidy bottom. There is polish on the bottom here, which I didn’t notice until after I had photographed it. It has fluoresced in the flash.

I also finished turning a maple bowl with natural edge I rough turned in April. It is still sitting on the lathe, with some superglue under the bark. Hopefully I will get out tomorrow to get a finish on it.