Ironwood Eucalyptus Cup

 

Ironwood Eucalyptus, 3.25 inches in diameter and 3 inches high. This wood is so beautiful, but super hard. The finish on this feels like satin. I cut pairs of grooves near the rim and the base. The sap wood on these trees is that dark brown and the interior wood is orange-to-red, and usually darkens as it ages. 

5 Inch Spalted Maple Bowl

 

Here's a 5 inch diameter bowl in spalted Maple. The black is almost blue in this one, and there are a couple other colors in the spalting as well. This was turned green so it'll warp as it dries and won't be round or level as that happens.

8 Inch Maple Bowl

 

This is a Maple crotch-wood bowl (Y-section of a log). There's a bark inclusion right down the middle of the bowl, and lots of crack, which I bonded with black CA glue. This wood was semi-green, only drying for about 6 months instead of the two years it should have dried. There's some warping starting, which will continue until the wood is dried. It's a fairly ugly looking bowl, though to some it may have a certain rustic charm. I've some other crotch wood I hope to have better luck with.

Small Pear Wood Obelisk

 I turned this 8.5 inch high Pear wood obelisk on my lathe. It's a companion piece to go with the other obelisks I made. I intend to group them as decorative elements. I'll make variations in woods and styles to make a diverse group.

Small Spalted Maple Obelisk

 

I used spalted Maple, hoping it would look like marble. The obelisk is 8.5 inches high. The Pear wood base is 2 inches high. 

Small Iron Wood Obelisk

 

I made this 8.5 inch high Ironwood Eucalyptus obelisk just to see if I could make one. This one has a 2.5 inch spalted Maple base (to simulate marble). 

Maple Box

 

Here is a Maple wood box measuring 2.25 inches in diameter and 5.5 inches tall. The finial is mahogany. A texturing tool was used on the shoulder of the lid and around the base flange. 

Plum Wood Box

 

This is a Plum wood box measuring 2 inches in diameter and 4.5 inches tall. The finial is Pear wood. The cracks and holes were filled with black CA glue. Wet sanded to 320 grit and beeswax and orange oil buffed. That's a knot on the left side of the box.

Ironwood Box w/Finial

 

This 3.25 inch diameter by 4.25 tall box is made from a Eucalyptus variety some call Iron Bark, and sometimes, Ironwood. The bark is very rough and somewhat 'rusty' looking. The wood is very hard and heavy, and warps and splits and twists. So it's not a good lumber for most wood workers. But it is a beautiful wood. Turns nicely but it's hard on tools, dulling them quickly. This box was finished my usually way, wet sanding with mineral oil up to 320 grit, then buffing with beeswax and orange oil. The finial was made from a scrap of, I think, Teak or maybe Oak.

Pear Wood Box w/Finial

 

This is a 3.5 inch diameter Pear wood box. The finial is mahogany. This was wet sanded with mineral oil up to 320 grit, then buffed with orange oil and beeswax. Feels like satin to the touch.

Small Pear Canister

 

Here's a small Pear wood canister with a blue glass marble knob. The canister is about 3.5 inches tall and about one inch in diameter. The lid is friction-fit. A little detailing with grooves on the side and top. 

Pear Wood Box With Finial

 

4 inches tall and 3.5 inches in diameter, this Pear wood box is topped with a finial capped with a light blue marble. Spiraling textures added with my Sorby texturing tool. Grooves cut into the wood add more detail to this beautiful box. Finished by wet sanding with mineral oil, grits up to 320, then burnished with it's own shavings. I love working with this wood.

Small Iron Wood Bowl

 

Here's a 4 inch diameter by 3.75 inch high Iron Wood bowl. Some call it Iron Bark Eucalyptus. Same thing. Really hard wood but it finishes nicely, has beautiful grain and I get it for free from trees in my backyard. I cut some grooves at the rim and the base and added a band of texturing below the rim with my Sorby texturing tool. 

A Light "Pull"

 

This is a "pull" for the end of a ceiling fan or light switch cord. A decorative weight and "handle" for the end of that cord. It has a hole drilled through the length of it. This one is done in spalted Maple. I make these as practice for skill-building with my spindle lathe tools, which I don't use often enough to get good with them. Plus, I can use really small scraps of wood to make these.

Small Eucalyptus Bowl

 

3.75 inches in diameter and 2.25 inches high, this is another with the scalloped base. This one in Eucalyptus wood. Lovely grain in this wood. Lots of checks though. Very hard wood. I cut groove detailing at the base and near the rim. Wet sanded up to 320 grit, then burnished with its own shavings.

Eucalyptus Bowl.

 

5 inches in diameter and 2.25 inches high, this Eucalyptus bowl has some beautiful grain. I'm not sure the specific variety of Euc I have here. It's from my own back yard which contains four different kinds of Eucalyptus trees. This stuff is really hard once dried. Like Oak. Unfortunately it's also prone to checks and cracks. The grains is various shades of brown, from creamy and warm to darker shades and an almost silvery chatoyance (sp?). Wet sanded with mineral oil up to 320 grit, then burnished with its own shavings. 

5.5 Inch Pear Wood Bowl

 

This Pear 5.5 inch diameter by 2.75 inch high wood bowl is another with the scalloped base design. A pair of grooves were cut near the rim, and around the base for design detailing. This nice looking chunk of wood was full of cracks and checks and even a knot once I cut into it. Not bad enough to be dangerous, I kept going. As I the turning progressed I filled the checks and cracks with black CA glue, which acted as both a fill and as an adhesive. Wet sanded with mineral oil up to 320 grit. Finished with orange oil and beeswax. Feels like satin.

Pear Wood Bowl

 

Here's a Pear wood bowl, 4.25 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches high. This is a bowl shape I've been working with lately. Using the scalloped undercut at the base of the bowl, exploring variations of it. With this Pear wood there's an understated beauty in the grain. Interesting, as in the above photo, you can see the grain going in opposite directions. In my bowls there are often cracks, knots, and bits of bark as well. I cut a couple grooves near the rim for detail. The finish in these bowls feels like satin.

Scrap Wood Bowl

 

This bowl is 3.75 inches in diameter by 3 inches in height. The woods are, top to bottom clear, clean Maple, thin line of Pear wood, then spalted and worm eaten Maple with the holes filled with black CA glue, then a layer of Iron Bark Eucalyptus, then slightly worm eaten spalted Maple on the bottom. The wormy wood is kinda funky but it's a functional not-so-bad bowl.

5 Inch Pear Bowl

 

Here's a lovely Pear wood bowl. It measures 5 inches diameter by 2.75 inches high. There is some bark still attached that adds some interesting character along with some subtle beautiful grain. There were some small cracks that I filled with black CA glue. Another with that scalloped base design. I cut a pair of groove at the top of the bowl.

Small Iron Bark Eucalyptus Bowl

 Here's an Iron Bark Eucalyptus bowl measuring 3.75 inches in diameter and 2.5 tall. Made a bit of a scallop around the base area. I've been playing with variations of this shape this week. Nice grain in this wood.