Jug styled on Seamus Cassidy's design

[Les Symonds]

A few weeks ago I saw a jug made by Seamus Cassidy, featured in a woodturning magazine, and fancied having a go at making one myself. I deliberately didn't refer to the magazine when I made this, as I wanted it to be my own version, rather than heavily influenced by the photograph. It's been a long job, with numerous trips to the lathe and lots of coffee breaks, but at last it's finished. The doc has told me not to avoid any vibration through the arms, so as not to inflame the neck muscles, so I drilled out the core then used light cuts with a 'Big Brother' hollowing tool to achieve the inner shape, which worked really well.
The finished jug is 10" tall and just under 4" diameter, with the jug wall down to about 7mm, tapering to 4mm at the lip. It's made of sycamore and oak-burr, and has had one coat of Danish Oil, so a few more coats to go, and I'll keep it down to a satin sheen.









Comments and criticisms very welcome...Les

[bodrighywood]

I love the shape of the jug and the contrast with the burr at the base. Only critique (and this is a matter of personal taste) is that I would prefer the handle to flow rather than be in sections if that makes sense. No doubt others will love it though. No point in commenting on the quality of the work, I'd expect no less from you now LOL.

Pete

[Les Symonds]

.... I would prefer the handle to flow rather than be in sections if that makes sense.
Pete

Thanks for the comment, and fair point, Pete.....it's the only aspect that I'm not completely comfortable with. Mark two will, no doubt, be a little more 'fluid'

Les

[edbanger]

Really nice Les, I agree the handle could do with something maybe a bit of the oak

Ed

[Bryan Milham]

Les,

The blandness of the Sycamore against the Burr Oak is appealing, but I do like the handle arrangement. The shape for the handle you've chosen with the single contact point. It give the piece a strange juxtaposition between the free-flowing wooden form and an applied engineered handle.

Not sure it would stand upto everyday use if it was a functional piece, but as a decorative item, it gets my vote.

I understand the inspiration the picture in Woodturning caused. I've was affected the same way. When I work out the handle arrangement I want, I'll post a picture of mine as well.

[Les Symonds]

Really nice Les, I agree the handle could do with something maybe a bit of the oak

I considered that, Ed, but a piece of weathered burr, which the base is made of, would never remain intact in such a small handle.
Les

[edbanger]

Hi Les

I was wondering if that was the case.

Could you turn the spindle thicker then give it a coat of epoxy and then turn it to size?

Ed

[Les Symonds]

Could you turn the spindle thicker then give it a coat of epoxy and then turn it to size?

Ed

Fair question! This particular batch of oak burr is from some very weathered old beams and it's riddled with hairline cracks....it's what this (and several other pots) came from......I suspect that it would need a pressure vessel to drive the resin into all the cracks to make it stable.

Les

[Graham]

I like the simple lines of the jug and the sycamore burr oak combo is stunning.

[bodrighywood]

Les,

 but I do like the handle arrangement. The shape for the handle you've chosen with the single contact point. It give the piece a strange juxtaposition between the free-flowing wooden form and an applied engineered handle.

Classic example of how we all see things differently. Just as well.

Pete