Again, many thanks for the plentiful feedback.
George: there won't be much weight difference when they dry out, as the timbers used were pretty dry already (around 13-14% MC), and since they have the same weight, they also occupy the same volume (roughly), and therefore will more or less lose the same amount of water. We'll what happens over time.
John: I will keep this in mind, and will post smaller pics. Apologies for the inconvenience.
As Mark will know, I experiment with ideas. Some of them work, some don't work at all, and some need development. I think this one falls into the latter category.
During the seminar, Ambrose O'Halloran made a very clear point about the distinction between Workmanship of Certainty (used in mass production) and Workmanship of Risk (used in art). Clearly, if we want to develop wood turning as an art form, we will need to take risks. And that includes the acceptance that not everything comes out perfect the first time. I am happy to accept that, so look out for (or forward to?) variations of this piece (and the entire theme).