Spalted wood is one of my main turning materials, when considering wood with some figure. I primarily turn sculptural vessels and cremation urns and proactively take steps to spalt a lot of the wood that I gather. In my area spalted maple is most common and the most diverse spalting species. That being said I spalt just about every species …
How Big of an Urn do I need? 4 important thoughts
Cremation urns definitely were not on my mind when I started woodworking. However, once I learned the skills needed to make sealed hollow vessels the seeds were planted. When considering the idea, I noticed many of the commercial cremation urns are not that attractive. At least, I didn’t think so and I wanted to challenge that notion with some nicer …
Danish Oil Finish – Top 3 Reasons to Mix Your Own
If your familiar with Danish oil finish then scroll down to get to the tips. Otherwise, keep reading for some basic information. Looking for a list of all supplies discussed? Click here to jump to the list of the Danish Oil mixing supplies. Danish Oil Finish… Whats that? A little background for those less familiar with Danish oil finish. Danish …
Catalog of Wood Sculpture – Hollow Forms
What is a hollow form? It is a form of wood sculpture, somewhat popular in woodturning. Think of a wood vessel or pot. They are made by turning a block of wood on a lathe, creating a form or shape and hollowing out the inside. Some are segmented, which are lots of blocks of wood glued together to make a …
Cutting Wood Threads on a Lathe by Hand
Several years ago I learn the process of cutting wood threads on a lathe. This allows me to make sealed hollow vessels and is one of the quality features on my urns. I make wood finials out of Blackwood and Persimmon to seal the urn vessel opening. Sometimes the cutting of threads in wood is called thread chasing. I do …
A Rare Find – Unique Story of a Large Magnolia
From time to time I come across wood that has a nice history. Such is the case of a large magnolia tree that I acquired from St. Paul’s Episcopal in Edenton, North Carolina. Magnolia (magnolia grandiflora) is a species that is typically long lived and very robust, not often dropped by strong storms. My experience also shows it to be …
Ben Owen III – Collection of Spalted Pecan Hollow Forms
I was fortunate enough to run into Ben Owen III at the Winter Show (Greenhill, center for NC arts) this past December, both he and I were participating in that exhibit. Ben, very generously, offered me some of a pecan tree that he had on his property that was taken down some time ago. I believe that his grandfather was …
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