Woodturners. Lets see those woodturnering projects

This is the vase from my mom’s Mothers Day flowers. I made a honey dipper lid for it for a dear friend back home. Turned out pretty decent and the style of the vase was perfect for this.

 

The tree service guy texted yesterday to ask me to call him. He was driving and saw a stack of Bradford pear logs in a homeowner’s driveway. He actually stopped and asked the homeowner what he was going to do with them.

The homeowner was just going to cut them up for firewood so Ben showed him photos of the stuff I’m making from Bradford pear wood and asked if I could contact him and make arrangements to get some of it.

The homeowner said that was fine and texted me photos of the logs today so I know what I need to pick them up:


I picked up a used 18” 220v Rikon bandsaw recently with a 12” resaw capacity to resaw logs for lathe blanks. Looks like it will be getting put to good use soon.

 

This spatula is from a blank I cut from a Bradford log this winter. Initially I thought it had too much bark on the handle so I tossed it into the firewood pile. I subsequently pulled it out and set it aside.

Friday I threw that blank on the lathe to see if I could “salvage” it, but if I had turned all the bark off it the handle would have been too thin to be usable. So I had to leave some of the bark on it.

The result is the most interesting looking kitchen tool I’ve made so far:

Here it is leaning against a honey dipper jar I made from a small mason jar. I recessed the metal mason jar lid into the cherry wood top then slid the honey dipper shaft into a corresponding hole in the cherry lid so the honey jar lid would screw closed tightly.


And I turned a Bradford pear cooking spoon to make a pair:



I made a set out of these two Bradford pear utensils, a Bradford pear honey dipper, and a spalted maple salad mixing bowl and serving bowl. These are for a close friend to give to his great uncle who taught him how to shoot and hunt:

 

I like the handle on that spatula! Very nice work.

 

Very nice. I like them all! The dark on the spatula makes the whole piece and I really like the honey/mason jar. First class work there!

 

Thanks. Since I’ve only been turning for 10 months, I truly appreciate the words of confidence.

 

You've earned it.
Nice work.

 

It actually compares quite favorably with common species used for firewood, at least in its hardness. I’d assume that translates to its density and btu content too?

 

Experimenting with some walnut this week. 11” bowl/ platter and five matching 6” bowls.

Since I’ve been focusing on other stuff, the 11” bowl was only the fifth bowl I’ve made so far.

I like to post photos of stuff I’m trying on my Facebook page for family and friends to see what I’m up to.

A Facebook friend from Wisconsin sent me a PM and asked to buy these if they weren’t spoken for, and she offered an amount I never would have dreamed of asking for them. So they’re shipping out this week.

 

That's an awesome set, glad my wife hasn't seen it or there may have been a bidding war!!

 

10 months and product like that?
You have a hidden talent for sure. That set of bowls looks amazing!!

Yes sir " eatonpcat" , if there was a bidding war I would be in!

 

Thanks. I just started turning wood in October.

I wasn’t making these with any intention to sell them. I was just experimenting with some old rough walnut lumber.

She sent me a PM and offered $300 for the set. It was “an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

 

Thats great !

 

Bradford pear is now my favorite wood for turning. Its Janka hardness rating is almost as high as oak and it’s very fine grained and turns and finishes like a hard bar of soap.

A local homeowner had six large mature Baradford pear trees taken down this winter. A local tree service guy has been keeping an eye out for them for me and saw the pile of Bradford logs in the guy’s driveway so he told the homeowner he knows a wood turner who uses Bradford and could he have some of his logs. The homeowner said to come get as much as we want.

So this weekend I rented a UHaul 5x9 utility trailer and went to get them. It took three trips to bring it all home:


I’ll never in my life use this much so if anyone is near northwest Virginia and you like Bradford pear for turning, you’re welcome to come get some.

Fortunately I just picked up a Granberg Alaskan 36” chainsaw mill and a Stihl MS660 as well as an 18” Rikon bandsaw off Marketplace so I’ll be able to process it into lathe blanks without too much trouble.

 

I have a neighbor not far from here looking for some Birch, I'm not sure what he'll make but maybe some bowls.

We had a Birch come down across a trail that I cleared this morning, would the rounds in the pictures be good for turning?

 

Not speaking from experience but......

From what I understand, you need to split those rounds and then turn a bowl. It's not a matter of just gouging out the round from the bark to the center. Those are prone to splitting more readily.