I blame Bryan!

[Les Symonds]

I blame Bryan for this! '.......go ransack the firewood pile again, it won't be the only bit!', he said. So I did, and I came out with a piece of birch that looked good in the log (which was about 12" x 6"diam), but it had some terrible splits in the end and a great chainsaw cut across the middle. Never mind, I managed to salvage enough to make a bud vase. I've drilled it out to 19mm and will put a 16mm glass insert into it. the finished piece is about 7" tall and 4" diameter.



I really should have cleaned the dust out from the inside before I took this photo!



Les

p.s. ... I had spelt Bryan's name wrongly (with an i instead of a y), so the 'modify' button came in handy....sorry Bryan!

[Bryan Milham]

Can't be me you are talking about, I spell my name with a 'Y'!

Les, that is beautiful, you've got (to my eye) a perfectly formed curve running down the length of that vase, and what lovely spalting it's got too. (we'll forgive you the wood dust!)

Br 'Y' an

[Les Symonds]

OK...I don't blame Brian, I blame Bryan! Thanks for that rather pleasing comment about the curve. I find it quite difficult when standing over the lathe to appreciate the curve along the line of the vase (or whatever I'm turning) and I have to keep standing back to see it. Is that normal, is it something that changes with time as you get used to 'eyeing' the curve?
les

[John D Smith]

Hi Les I like everything about this especially the spalting on the wood What a good idea to fit a glass or plastic tube then if someone want's to put a single specimen flower in and not grasses they have the option. Regards John

[thebowlerhattedturner]

I am quite happy for you to blame Bryan for this, he's got a lot to answer for,(hoarding 10 year old Malt whisky for one).
      Well done Les, a piece made encompassing the true spirit of the forum, nice wood and looks like a good finish.You have also turned a different shaped bud vase than we normally see here.
(If Bryan tries to claim this as a collaborative piece....claim half of his 10 yr Malt )
Regards
John BHT

[Les Symonds]

I hereby claim 5 years' worth of Highland Malt! Cheers Bryan!

[Francesco Dibari]

 beautiful wood and elegant shape ... many compliments 

[Mark Sanger]

Lovely wood and I like the form very much.

In relation to having difficulty in see the line.

the brain see's things differently in the horizontal than it does when the item is vertical. So if you turn your head on an angle to view the form it will probably look different when it is taken off the lathe.

What I do which helps is to take the piece out of the chuck and put it on the headstock so I can stand back and view the form when it is vertical.

With bud vases and the such it is easy to realign as you can bring up the tail centre to fit into the neck. Or I turn tapered sleeves to fit over my tail centre from scrap wood of differing sizes. If I then have a vase that has a larger opening I just put a sleeve on and bring the centre up before tightening the chuck. HTH