Vase - Ash & Poplar

[Ruler2112]

First time using an airbrush, which malfunctioned during the entire time I used it on this. (Finally figured out what was wrong after it was done, of course. ) 21" high, 7" top diameter, 5" bottom diameter.

[Arlin Eastman]

The picture is not showing up.

Arlin

[badwhiskey]

Picture shows up for me and its great. I just yesterday saw a vase like this for the first time and was going to experiment with how it is done. Care to explain the construction method?

[chips ahoy]

badwhiskey said:

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Picture shows up for me and its great. I just yesterday saw a vase like this for the first time and was going to experiment with how it is done. Care to explain the construction method?

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I agree with Frank, interesting design and very well executed, but you got some splainin to do.

Mel

[badwhiskey]

This is the link that I found the other day. Description of how they're made at the bottom.

[chips ahoy]

badwhiskey said:

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This is the link that I found the other day. Description of how they're made at the bottom.

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Thanks for the link Frank. That is some amazing work.

Mel

[Dusty Workshop]

Very interesting indeed.

I assume that you painted the entire "accordian" insert black and then airbrushed the outer side before assembly.

[Ruler2112]

Don't know why the picture doesn't work for you Arlin - hosted on Tinypic like most of mine. Here's a direct link to the image itself - does that work?



Wish I would've seen that video before starting it... saw a dude showing one on youtube about 2-3 years ago and that's all I had to go on. Sent him an e-mail on how he constructed it, but never got a response. Kind of feel that I should leave you guys to suffer through it, but will be nice instead, so here's how I made mine:

Turned the top & bottom - easy & straightforward. Decided how many 'support posts' I wanted and used indexing to make a light pencil mark where the center of each should be. Crossed these marks with another pencil mark so that they'd all be the same distance from the inside & outside edges.

Found a 3/4" board. Measured it and then used trigonometry to incorrectly calculate the angle given the diameter of the top & bottom and how long the hypotenuse is. (You can see that I don't know how to do basic trig if you look closely at the top inside corners - there's a slight gap, just as there is at the bottom. Filled most of this with epoxy blackened with toner, but couldn't get it perfect. Was able to hide the gap at the bottom much easier because I had access to it. ) Double checked to make sure that the wrong result was achieved and cut both ends of the board to this angle on the table saw.

Used the marking gauge I made in HS shop class to lay out a series of lines equally spaced. Drew another line perpendicular to this near each end. Bandsawed every other line to the 'stop line', then flipped it around and cut the rest.

Bemoaned the fact that my bandsaw left such a rough surface on the inside. Started sanding between the slats, broke one apart and epoxied back together. Sanded a while longer before saying F-it and put it in the corner of the shop.

Thought about working on it again and made 2 aborted attempts to do so due to my aversion to hand sanding. Years pass.

Decided that I was either going to botch it up and get it out of the shop or finish it and get it out of the shop. (Just wanted it out of the shop and didn't want to toss it in the burn box quite yet.) Finally made myself sit down and hand sand every single one of those darn cuts. Slathered black tempura paint on with a brush, working it between the slats. Sanded all the black paint off the outside.

Cut pieces of cereal box 1/2" - 3/4" wide and 22" long. Put one between every slat, lined up with the unsanded surface. Clamped and airbrushed yellow, then went over and added red as shown on youtube for the airbrush gradient tutorial. Again, used tempura paint, only thinned way down. Worked awesome with the exception of the airbrush malfunctioning.

Unclamped and disassembled cardboard sandwich. Realized that I hadn't gotten black into every crevice. Said F-it and put it in the corner of the shop.

Next day, I had an idea. Reassembled cardboard strips into the side part, again making sure to line up the edge with the outside surface, and clamped. Sprayed blond shellac (thinned) onto outside. Disassembled sandwich while it was still wet to avoid having the shellac glue the cardboard to the wood. Let the shellac dry.

Put finishing nails into two scrap boards to hold the thing spread out. Sprayed thinned black tempura paint into crevices. Wiped off the surface with a paper towel while it was still wet - shellac prevented it from sticking, just as I thought it would. I love it when a plan comes together.

After the paint dried, sprayed the entire thing with thinned blond shellac. Colors are now set.

Adjusted drill press table to the incorrect angle carefully calculated earlier. Drilled a hole in the exact center of each end to a set depth so as not to go through the side. Reset DP table and drilled holes in the top & bottom at the points laid out years earlier.

Epoxied finishing nails with the heads cut off into the top & bottom and let dry. Cut points off 1/4" above the surface. Scraped off paint from ends of the end slats of the sides and epoxied sides together so it's round and clamped overnight.

*CAREFULLY* drilled hole by hand into end I just glued together.

Notice that the angle is completely wrong on the side. Swear at it, myself, and the whole field of mathematics.

Apply extended set epoxy inside each hole on the bottom, then work around the base getting every nail started. Applied 5-minute epoxy onto the bottom of the sides where it meets the base. Held the other end to approximately the diameter of the top & pushed down hard until the 5-minute epoxy got gummy enough to hold.

Did the same thing to the top.

Mixed black toner with 5-minute epoxy and used a dental pick to lay it into the gaps caused by my not being able to do math anymore. (I did start this & do the math involved not long after suffering a concussion & fractured skull, so at least I have some excuse. )

Debated with myself whether I should post it or not.

Posted.

[chips ahoy]

Debated with myself whether I should post it or not.

You made the right decision in posting it, great job.

Mel

[jasfrank]

Scrolling down that picture with the thumbwheel it appears like an optical illusion. Great work!