Using Up Some Scraps

Vaughn McMillan

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Tonight LOML started looking though my turned pieces looking for something suitable to put paper clips in on her desk as the office. About then, it dawned on me that I'd ordered a couple of magnetic rings for paper clip holders, then forgotten about them in a drawer in the shop. So I told my dear lady not to fret...I had things under control.

Flame box elder is her favorite wood, and I just happened to have a nasty-looking piece of it that was too small for a bowl or hollow form, but it looked like it might work for what LOML had in mind. Turns out it was real wormy (with real worms, too, but they were kinda motion sick by the time I dug them out of their little houses). Still, it had some neat color, a little bark inclusion, and it turned nicely. I drilled the bulk of the inside out with a pair of Forstner bits, then hollowed the inside to match the outside profile. The magnet ring is glued with epoxy.

Turned and sanded in about 15 minutes, with about another 15 minutes playing around building up Myland's friction polish and buffing it. With the exception of a few pens, I've been turning only large pieces lately, so it was nice to get something done that didn't require hours and hours of work. I may see if these will sell at the shows. I have another ring, so if time permits, I'll turn one before my next show. If it sells, I'll order more rings.

And the results...nothing fancy, but it should do the trick. Little goodies like this please my wife as much or more than the more impressive (at least to me) pieces.

Kian's Paper Clip Holder - 01 800.jpg Kian's Paper Clip Holder - 02 800.jpg Kian's Paper Clip Holder - 03 800.jpg

Comments, questions, and snickering are all welcome. :wave:
 
vaughn, good use of scraps...wild color and texture makes it very attractive. it reminds me of a dvd i watched by jerry crowe on wood turning into art. he uses filings from machines that make keys...brass filings...with cna glue to fill voids in some of his turnings. he also uses crushed turquoise for the same purpose. it would make an interesting change of pace for some small turnings with voids. what do you think???
 
Vaughn, this is a great idea, she will love it. Beautiful colored flames in that wood. It's simply, useful, and beautiful, just the way I like to see turnings.
Very well done.

Ad :thumb:
 
That's gorgeous, Vaughn. I can see why your lady likes that wood; it's beautiful! :thumb:

A question: with the magnetic ring on the top like that, won't all the paper clips tend to gather around the top rather than falling into the cup? :dunno:
Then again, that may make for an interesting and unusual visual effect.:)

Very nicely done, Vaughn, and another idea I'll have to steal, I mean borrow.:eek:
 
Thanks for the comments, guys.

Pete, the ring came from Craft Supplies. Gord, you'll see in the pictures on that linked page that the idea of the magnet is to keep the paper clips up around the top of the box. I guess it makes them easier to reach.

Thanks again -
 
Nothing like using scraps to make somthing beautiful with. Those worm holes are interesting. I wonder if they can be funtional, as pencil holders for example. :D
 
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