The peppermill was not as difficult as I thought it would be. Originally I had intended the shape to be a much more gentle taper to a narrow point about 2/3 from the base and then taper back out to the top. The gouge took a bad catch and forced me to remove more wood near the base than I had originally intended. I will have to be more careful next time. I also managed to turn it slightly out of round. It is hard to see but easy to feel when you twist the cap. Overall I am pleased with my first attempt, but definitely have some work to do. I finished it with one coat of danish oil and one coat of tung oil.
The spinning top is made of a wood that I got from Woodcraft's bargain bin. It has a nice color but apparently is rather green. As the top has developed splits. I finished it with two coats of danish oil. I may need to look into another finish to help slow the moisture loss and reduce some of the splitting. On the bright side it spins really well.
Last but not least, the key chain. I needed a new key chain for the Kubota RTV and decided a small piece of lignum vitae would be a good candidate. I really liked working with this wood. The density and hardness forces you to take your time and make good cuts. It also finishes well, it polished up well with out any oil. Although I did apply one coat of danish oil just for a little added protection.
Are you using wood collected from sustainable sources? Aka the farm, backyard, etc?
ReplyDeleteYour bowl looks so cool!
(Alison wrote this)
Some of the wood is sustainable through roadsides, yards, farms and the other stuff is sustained via Woodcraft, Woodworld and a host of other wood suppliers.
ReplyDelete(I figured it was Alison, who could contribute to the wood supply by collecting some from her adventures in wonderland, er Russia)