A Cold Weekend

Thankfully I have a gas fire in the shed to stop my bits falling off from frostbite. It was about 2°C outside, but much colder inside until the fire did it’s thing.

I managed to finish a horse chestnut bowl I had rough-turned back in April. I re-shaped the outside 2 weeks ago, and left it mounted on the lathe. It moved a bit, but nothing to write home about. Anyway, I turned the inside, and applied sanding sealer and melamine lacquer, then polished with paste wax.

There are a couple of bark inclusions I couldn’t quite bring myself to remove. I think they add to the character.

These inclusions left the rim a bit wiggly, but that doesn’t worry me. I like the natural look. I like wood to look like wood.

I will be making a set of button jaws for the lathe, or a longworth chuck, so I can get rid of the spigots/recesses used for holding the work in the chuck.
All in all, I am happy with it. I am now managing to turn end grain with very little tear-out, which means much less sanding.

I bought some glass liners for tea-lights, so naturally had to turn a tea-light holder. This one is laburnum, which is a very beautiful timber. It’s poisonous too, so care has to be taken when working and handling.

The finish here is friction polish, which has been burnished to a high sheen. It doesn’t do to have potentially flammable finishes on candle holders.

And finally. I have turned the final prototype of the oak barrels I have been commissioned to make. They are about 3″ high by about 2¾ in diameter. Finish is cellulose lacquer.

The lid is side grain from the same piece of timber.

It’s a nice snug fit, but opens with a good hard shake.
The flash made a poor job of showing the bottom. It’s much nicer than this “in the wood.”
I think the whiteness is a reflection from the medullary rays.

Now to turn another 29.