goblet? maybe a gobble it?

Haven't been able to turn much for awhile, spring has sprung, new med's, phase of the moon, a visiting pup, (insert fourteen excuses, three whines, and a belly ache here).

Cut down a nice bearing pear tree that got hit by lightning last year, wasn't happy but it was dead as a hammer. Much to my dismay this thing had the most awesome root system this side of a giant redwood! The gentle pop it out the ground with the tractor plan went south and I discovered ten huge radial roots in a near perfect pattern. Nicely elongated roots top to bottom, should be a beautiful root ball, too big for me to turn so after cursing and digging half a day and saying more foul things about jamming my good chainsaw bar into the ground to cut roots I'm passing it on to a friend with a VB-36. One plus, I needed a junk bar for such occasions anyway! Kept a piece of trunk for myself and some heavy limbs. My piece of trunk must be entirely hollowed out into ant tunnels judging by the 379898849379978309739705973-1/3 red ants I have already removed and more keeping coming out!

Anyway, this little goblet, ice cream dish, junk bowl for a desk top, came from the pear tree. Three and a half wide by five and a quarter tall, maybe. Measured it a couple days ago. Put a dull finish I am trying to get right on it then buffed and waxed. The inside is a little less than pleasing, exaggerated by the fact I have no way to buff or sand inside. The line on the inside is mostly an indication of how far I could reach with my big beale buffing wheels. Getting better buffing, haven't let the last few pieces get ripped out of my hands and go bouncing across the concrete! Did rush the finish and waxing, should have let it dry a week while wiping down daily to get more of the oil back out of the wood that I am trying to use as a carrier for the varnish which I don't want on the surface but do want to protect. Oil and wax seem to be a little unhappy together. Maybe I'll toss it outside to bake a day or two wiping regularly and reapply the carnauba with a buffing wheel.

Anywho, this is my latest. An eighth to three-sixteenth thick, haven't measured. Bottom is hollowed to a similar thickness. Had a home for it before I started turning and I think they will be happy.

Photography is lousy, got to find a manual for this NOS Rebel. I don't know how to get to the items I want to set so I shot this outside on autopilot. I think the photographs are roughly the equivalent of a crash and burn!

Hu

barbgobletpost.jpg
 
That's a really nifty piece of wood! Lots more texture for sure than the pear wood I've gotten around here (some of it was nice but not THAT nice!!). Finish certainly looks good from here :thumb: I like the shape as well, especially the base and the bottom part of the goblet.

There is something about it right below the rim that I'd change but am having trouble figuring out exactly what/where looking at it (I think its the flat spot right below the rim that catches the eye off guard a little maybe?). Maybe someone with a better sense of style than me can pick it out :D

For the picture, more angular striking light, I can only get good ones in the morning and afternoon with the light somewhat over my shoulder (not claiming I take good ones, just that those are the only ones I'm moderately pleased with usually). Although the shadow across the foot here does add some nice dramatic flair.
 
Thanks Everyone! Overall I'm pretty pleased with this piece. Almost the quality I'm looking for. I think it would be more attractive with a lacquer finish but everything I turn gets this penetrating no finish finish put on it until I get the mix down to suit me.

Ryan, I agree, I tend to put an inward curve to the top of most everything I turn, seems to have gotten a bit lost and flat on this piece, not sure why. Probably from rushing things. Was getting tired end of the day and must have gotten a little sloppy. I usually don't turn the outside any more after reversing things but I have been getting enough walk with the natural wood I turn to cause some thickness issues so I returned the outside after reversing the piece and before hollowing. Got a nicely consistent thickness all the way around but I did flatten that area a bit. Looks better in three d and fortunately my local critics aren't too tough. Does help to have people point out flaws though, trying to get better. Not quite happy with the sweep through the stem area and foot either but I'm working on it.

Jim, Good idea! For fairly deep and narrow stuff like this I use some foam pipe insulation over a dowel I turned down on one end. Need to buy some smaller sizes of foam than what I had laying around after winter insulating projects. I did two finger sand inside the goblet a bit before I turned it around to hollow the bottom but I was remembering how easy it is to wrap fingers up inside those small openings the whole time. Seems like we should be able to spare a finger or two when we have ten but I'm attached to all of them!

Going to see what a few months in the barrel did for my tallow tree wood. Some more of that laying in the woods but I may have to cut some real trees down. If I do, I'll select trees with little commercial or wildlife value.

All comments much appreciated!

Hu
 
Not quite happy with the sweep through the stem area and foot either but I'm working on it.

I went back and forth looking at that part, but in the end decided I quite liked it. It has a nice smooth organic feel that imho works quite well with the wood and the design. It is always hard to tell from a single picture though and like you say they look different in person (this is often the saving grace on my pieces - my bad pictures hide the details :D)
 
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I really like it, Hu. :thumb: I also see the flat spot near the rim, but I have to put on my SuperCritic glasses just to see it, and even then, it's barely noticeable. I'm sure in person it's next to impossible to see, and the only person who'd notice it is another turner anyway. ;) I really like the simple but clean look of the pedestal and stem. And that wood just add to the awesomeness. Great piece that I'm sure the recipient will love.

On the inside sanding, I use handheld sandpaper for things like this, but it's not really "handheld"...more like "fingerheld". I use a single finger to hold a piece of sandpaper against inside of the workpiece as it turns on the lathe. I just make sure I'm using a low speed (< 100 rpm) and a light touch. Since holding onto a small piece of sandpaper with a single finger can be tough - especially the coarser grits - I use small rectangular pieces of sandpaper, say roughly 1 1/2" x 2", folded into a triangle like this:

Sandpaper Fold 800.jpg

Folded like this, there's abrasive on both sides, making it easier to grip with a single finger. Also, because of the overlapping end flaps, it's more resistant to unfolding and becoming a regular, hard to hold strip of sandpaper. Lastly, the various folds make the paper a bit thicker, which also helps make it easier to hold onto.

I also use the same approach for sanding inside the opening on hollow forms (as far as I can reach with a single finger). I have other tools like forceps and 1" drill-mounted sanding pads for other parts of hollow form insides.
 
Thanks a bunch!

I really like it, Hu. :thumb: I also see the flat spot near the rim, but I have to put on my SuperCritic glasses just to see it, and even then, it's barely noticeable. I'm sure in person it's next to impossible to see, and the only person who'd notice it is another turner anyway. ;) I really like the simple but clean look of the pedestal and stem. And that wood just add to the awesomeness. Great piece that I'm sure the recipient will love.

On the inside sanding, I use handheld sandpaper for things like this, but it's not really "handheld"...more like "fingerheld". I use a single finger to hold a piece of sandpaper against inside of the workpiece as it turns on the lathe. I just make sure I'm using a low speed (< 100 rpm) and a light touch. Since holding onto a small piece of sandpaper with a single finger can be tough - especially the coarser grits - I use small rectangular pieces of sandpaper, say roughly 1 1/2" x 2", folded into a triangle like this:



Folded like this, there's abrasive on both sides, making it easier to grip with a single finger. Also, because of the overlapping end flaps, it's more resistant to unfolding and becoming a regular, hard to hold strip of sandpaper. Lastly, the various folds make the paper a bit thicker, which also helps make it easier to hold onto.

I also use the same approach for sanding inside the opening on hollow forms (as far as I can reach with a single finger). I have other tools like forceps and 1" drill-mounted sanding pads for other parts of hollow form insides.



Vaughn,

Thanks for the diagram, I'll certainly give that fold a try!

All this one finger talk got me to thinking, I may have a finger I ain't attached to. Just the first faint glimmer of an idea with lots of details to be worked out but if I were to hang a sanding shape off of the end of that hollowing rig, it might work as well as one finger while my fingers are well out of harm's way. Don't know, just thinking there may be some potential there.

Thank you and I'll post a picture of the fickle finger nightmare tool if I get something put together. Still have a gimp in my giddy-up and the grass is growing like grass in the summer. Actually been getting plenty of rain and overcast days, things showing no signs of the usual summer heat and drought kill. Never thought I'd miss huge brown spots everywhere!

Hu
 
dont forget to feed the cat and the dog:) after yu get your chores done yu can play on yur lathe hu:)

Hated to see the little stinker go but the dog went to a better home. He sits in the AC and plays lap dog all day now. The cat has been contributing to the food chain for the last year or so. Danged if she hasn't successfully raised two kittens now, they are a little slimmer I believe but taller than she is! They live in the barn and get fed out there. Momma cat gets fed on the back porch and hangs out where it is cool.

Got to replace the twenty year old handles on my favorite loppers. Just happen to have those hard maple cue handles laying around just the right length! Need a spacer to support a sun umbrella where the flag once was, another lathe job. Got to straighten up a bit in the back forty, chainsaw work. Notice how most of what needs doing involves playing with toys!

Worked on the lawn mower yesterday, mowed the lawn today. Feel some lathe time coming on. Need a handle for my new cane head too, found a nice red cedar knocked down by the dozer clearing a fire lane. Don't think it is real strong but probably adequate for what I have in mind. Going to dig out another piece of roughed in tallow tree just to see what is happening to it too. I don't go too fast but I go pretty far, eventually!

Hu
 
Lookin' good from here. Haven't seen wood pattern like that in pear before. I have only turned well seasoned Bradford pear. Hard as granite. :eek: If I need to for a special project I'll do pear again but not looking forward to it. If that is to be used I suggest no finish of any kind inside. My reenactment cups and noggins have never done well with any kind of finish inside. Wood is good, drink and enjoy.
 
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