December 2014, Member Monthly Contest - Holiday gift made

[Phil S]

I am pleased to get this going.

Each month we will have a theme and all members can enter.

Entries could be as simple as a picture of the final project or a whole series of work in process photos and members may enter multiple projects per month

Decembers theme is holiday gifts made by you

Entries can be submitted until Dec 20 and then we will have a vote to choose the winner. The winner will receive $25 and special recognition for a month

To enter just post your project/gift here

 

[Phil S]

This toboggan was started at a steam-bending workshop held at my shop this a few months ago

The slats are 3/8 thick white oak and were bent to a 4.5" radius

All of the slats were cut out of the same board. The first six slats bent fine, the next four did not and the last two worked - steam-bending works that way somedays

This gift was made for my two granddaughters who live up in snow country

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[Phil S]

This project has been in process for way too long. My daughter has probably forgotten her request so many moons ago

I kept thinking I had to get the four legs exactly the same - well they are not, but it actually may not matter. When I put my calipers down and just stood back, they looked good enough to move on.

The next challenge was the fan carving - I met Mary May at the Woodworking in America show and signed up for her online class.
She has a lesson on that exact fan and was a great help. Paul at Klingspor also gave me some great advice

The dovetails were all cut by hand and the all of the edge profiles were done with a plane

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[Charlie]

Phil, Beautiful pieces and excellent craftsmanship:eusa_clap

No way will I try to top those:gar-La;

 

[ehpoole]

Phil, Beautiful pieces and excellent craftsmanship:eusa_clap

No way will I try to top those:gar-La;

Please don't anyone worry about who tops who, just make an entry if you have any recent creations to share so that everyone can enjoy the variety and breadth of talent our members have to offer. Everyone has a different idea as to what is beautiful so the more variety the better -- and, besides, you never know how things might turn out as stranger things have been known to happen!

That said, each month will have a different topic so not every month will be a completed project entry, some may be How-to articles for example. So there will be room for different talents to shine each month.

 

[Jeremy Scuteri]

Both projects look great Phil.

 

[Michael Mathews]

Here's the ornament I made today! The top is Purpleheart, the "globe" is Sapele, and the bottom is Oak. First attempt at a hollow ornament!

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[Bob Carreiro]

A present for my first and only "yet-to-be-born" grandchild in Long Island, NY.

Saw a pic online for a shape idea, then drew it an appropriate size.


Traced and cut the parts. The mane and tail is a mop head.


Finished with 3 coats of Bulls Eye amber shellac


My step-daughter lives in an affluent community on the East end of the island and had a huge baby shower with many, many gifts. The rocker fit well. She's due in mid-January.

 

[Bob Carreiro]

Great job, Phil.

 

[gesiak]

I turned these euro style pens, that will be gifts. The first is rosewood and the others are Maulle burl and acrylic I casted myself.

 

[Hmerkle]

I turned these euro style pens, that will be gifts. The first is rosewood and the others are Maulle burl and acrylic I casted myself.

John,
Can you get some close-ups please?
They look REALLY cool - would love to see the cast acrylic ones!

 

[gesiak]

Hank, here are the close ups of the acrylic/burl pens. Both don't have as much acrylic on them as I would like. I cut the blank of burl too big. I am pretty happy with how they came out tho, since it was my first attempt at casting my on hybrid blanks.

 

[Hmerkle]

John,
They are both REALLY well done!
Where did you learn the casting process?
Is it hard to do?

 

[gesiak]

John,
They are both REALLY well done!
Where did you learn the casting process?
Is it hard to do?

Hank,

It it isn't very difficult. You use silmar41 which is mixed with a catalyst. You use a powdered colorant to color the acrylic. Once the mixture starts to thicken, you pour it into silicone molds. You can buy then online for about $35 @ http://www.ptownsubbie.com/siliconemold.html

i did these at a friend who's been doing them for awhile. I will be buying some Silmar from him since he buys it in gallon cans. Which lasts a long time, sine you need about an ounce or two per blank.

i will post pictures and a commentary next time I make some more blanks.

 

[Hmerkle]

Hank,

It it isn't very difficult. You use silmar41 which is mixed with a catalyst. You use a powdered colorant to color the acrylic. Once the mixture starts to thicken, you pour it into silicone molds. You can buy then online.

i did these at a friend who's been doing them for awhile. I will be buying some Silmar from him since he buys it in gallon cans. Which lasts a long time, sine you need about an ounce or two per blank.

i will post pictures and a commentary next time I make some more blanks.

Cool!
Sounds like a Great NCWW article?!

 

[golfdad]

Phil both turned out great. Did not know you did so much hand work on the chest I've seen so many times. Also was there much spring back on the tobagon runners?

 

[Berta]

Yes! Article PLEASE!

 

[Phil S]

Thanks Dirk. The tobaggon runners were wrapped around a 4.5 radius form and left to cool for about an hour. They were then held with duct tape for about one week as I wanted the oak to dry out some more. When I removed the tape the runners expanded to about a 5" radius, which is about a 10% spring back.

Phil both turned out great. Did not know you did so much hand work on the chest I've seen so many times. Also was there much spring back on the tobagon runners?

 

[BeachBoy]

Here is a gift I will be giving to my wife. She already knows what it is. In fact, I had made a pair of these intarsia irises for my daughter earlier this year. My wife saw them and decided that she wanted a pair too. They are each 24 inches tall and 9 inches wide. I usually don't use stains or dyes unless I have to, preferring to achieve color effects with wood selection instead. For this project, I used purpleheart, poplar, and walnut with a tiny bit of lacewood and catalpa. It was finished with clear satin poly.

 

[ehpoole]

BeachBoy,

That is some beautiful handiwork there. I can see why your wife decided she needed a pair for herself as well! :icon_thum