It's finally done

[SceneryMaker]

Here is the piece my wife has wanted me to make for her for the last eleven months. I've spent the time learning how to do it, including learning how to avoid wrecks like I posted earlier. I think it was worth the mess.

Under the clear lacquer and dye is about 20 board feet of maple.. The final piece stands 28" tall and is 15-1/2" diameter. If the rough diameter had been 1/8" larger, it would not have fit in my lathe. I think I missed an easy chance to "justify" a big Robust lathe here.

[Strokes77]

Here is the piece my wife has wanted me to make for her for the last eleven months.  I've spent the time learning how to do it, including learning how to avoid wrecks like I posted earlier.  I think it was worth the mess.

Under the clear lacquer and dye is about 20 board feet of maple..  The final piece stands 28" tall and is 15-1/2" diameter.  If the rough diameter had been 1/8" larger, it would not have fit in my lathe.  I think I missed an easy chance to "justify" a big Robust lathe here.

If THAT doesn't earn you a Robust... then well, I can just quit dreaming...


Great job on the project, and the perseverance to get it right.  Very impressive.

[Mr Eddie]

WOW!!  Everything about that is beautiful.

Lonnie

[DFJarvie]

I love the color. Can you explain how you dyed the piece and what brand did you use?

[Dusty Workshop]

Very nice!
What did you do to the side of the open segments to achieve the color you wanted?
Does it hold an insert?
What is your topcoat?

Well done Sir !

[MidwestMan]

Wow... that is an awesome project. Thanks for sharing. It's fantastic.

[SceneryMaker]

I love the color. Can you explain how you dyed the piece and what brand did you use?

Very nice!
What did you do to the side of the open segments to achieve the color you wanted?
Does it hold an insert?
What is your topcoat?

Well done Sir !

After turning, I sanded through 400 grit then used Artisan dye from: https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/50/...ring-Dye?1 right out of the bottle and applied with a small piece of tee shirt.

I dyed all but the outside faces of the open segments and the adjoining solid rings before gluing the piece up and I put some dye in the glue so I didn't have to be fanatic abut cleaning up squeezed out glue that would prevent even coloring.

The top open segment was made with an ID of 1/2", making it hard to see the inside of the piece because I was afraid to turn the inside. I could see another wreck if I tried that. That made the top 2 solid rings form a 4" deep bowl with a funny-shaped bottom.

The top coat was about 10 coats of clear gloss Deft spray lacquer, rubbing with 0000 steel wool every 2 or 3 coats. The final step was polishing with Yorkshire Grit (You can tell I watch too much Al Furtado) and buffing with a piece of old tee shirt.

The Robust just wasn't in the cards because I had already justified the new Galaxi with this piece in my future. My 1953 Shopsmith just wasn't going to cut it as a lathe. It does do a good job as an assembly press, a drum sander, and a drive for the CBN wheel I got from Arlin.

[Arlin Eastman]

Another "Well Done" vase!!

When you can afford it I am quite sure she will say OK on the Robust lathe.  For me I would just love to get the 4" and 6" tool rests for my lathe.

[crokett™]

That's spectacular. When you say Deft spray, did you thin Deft brush on, or did you use Rattlecan? If you thinned it, what was the ratio?

[BrokenOlMarine]

Outstanding!  That is just beautiful.

Each project I complete builds skill toward the next... and I am grateful that miss T has always been supportive.  The phrases I hear most often are, 
"Of course you can do it," and "If you need it, order it."  I am blessed.  Seems like we both are.