Graduated ‘Flame’ Sycamore Pot

I started this 6″ Sycamore ‘pot’ in early March 2016.  It was hollowed using the Simon Hope Hollowing Jig to around 3mm (1/8th inch). By the end of April it was dry enough to colour and finish which took place at the beginning of May.  The pot was stained (with spirit stains) all over in yellow, then from the bottom to roughly the shoulder with a weak red solution.  A band around the bottom was then layered in full strength red.  The whole vessel was washed again in yellow and all colour boundaries blended.  This was one of three vessels finished to fulfill a customer request.

Three Footed Bowl

Image

Following on from my ‘Four Footed Bowl‘, I have recently produced a three footed version.  This should have overcome the ‘rocking’ issue with the first one as it moved slightly with moisture changes.  I used a lovely piece of ‘rippled’ Sycamore that is pretty enough to not need any embellishment beyond a buffed coat of Chestnut’s Wood Wax 22.

I have just finished a short follow-up post and video that covers the carbide burrs and tools I used in order to create the feet.  Of course there are many other ways that this could be done – use what ever method you are most comfortable with!  The follow-up, with links to the manufacturers, can be seen here.

 

I produced a video of the creation of this piece.  It can be found here: Video – Three Footed Bowl

Video #01 – Onwards and Upwards!

Image

This was my first YouTube video, and the start of my story.  I returned to turning in my middle years, having turned a little in school back in the late 1970’s.  I pretty much had to start again, with only a slight memory of how the machines work and how the tools should feel in my hands.

I started making YouTube videos after watching a chap called Peter Freitag who used his workshop, and his videos, as a therapy for his very acute depressive states. Having become very ill in 2007, and hardly ever leaving my home, I too had become depressed.  Peter, and his videos, showed me that I could do this too, to challenge myself and to meet new fellows around the world.  It didn’t take me long to come back ‘out of my shell’ and very quickly the videos became a part of me.  If you have a few minutes free, please go and visit Peter and his world… https://www.youtube.com/user/PeteTGIF

I have come an awful long way since creating this first video.  My turning, I hope, is almost unrecognisable from these first few videos.  I feel I have undergone many years of learning in just a few as old learnt skills came back to me.