The Woodshop Shed

THE TRANSFORMER PLATTER, 4 WAYS

Furnished content.
(from Lumberjocks.com)


I did this project for the WOOD TURNING CHALLENGE for April. The presentation picture was it in its simplest form, Then you can add another turning in the canter and it becomes two tiered.Or just a dish in the center if one was serving dips etc.Or you might want to use it for a romantic occasion with treats.A nice decoration can also be put in the center.I turned this from a 14 inch thick square pf birch. The design was to have the outer rim fold around and then lathe the bottom side till one lathed through the flat sides, easier said than done. for some reason.
laying out the projectstart of the bottom side, top was done last.continue lathing till you can see right though.The top rings where done in iridescent gold. I was thankful I didn't cut the sides when I was making the hand hold big enough right off. close though. I would have just given upThanks for looking, comments appreciated

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Horse Chestnut Box

Furnished content.
(from Lumberjocks.com)


I found this site by accident several years ago and it inspired me to try and learn how to make boxes for a hobby. You “box-maker” dudes really impress me. I've been practicing and hope to keep improving my skills until I'm as proud of my boxes as I am of my wood. I'm retired now so there “should” be enough time…This wood came from a 60 foot tall Horse Chestnut tree that I planted as a child of about five years old. My father was an amateur nurseryman and very talented wood turner and carver. He kept the tree root pruned and when my wife and I bought our first and only home, he drug the tree over and we replanted it together in our new yard.40-plus years went by and the tree had to come down. My brother in law has a bandsaw mill and he cut the tree into 2-inch slabs about three years ago. I hope to make some furniture at some point, but right now I'm learning skills with boxes.This one is about 11×6 x 5-1/2 inches tall. The sides are 3/8 inches thick as is the lid which was glued to the sides and then cut off. The edges of the lid were trimmed with some scraps of unknown wood that my Dad had salvaged from a scrap bin at a local guitar shop many years ago. (Somewhere there is a matching electric guitar). The handle was also made from some of the guitar scraps. The bottom is 1/4 inch chestnut that matches the sides. I rattle-canned several coats of shellac, then rattle-canned several more coats of lacquer which I wet-sanded with 1000 grit and buffed with paste wax.The pictures show all of the mistakes that I had to figure out how best to hide. I'll sure be glad if I can finish one someday without so many mistakes. But I think I am getting better at hiding them…Give me an honest opinion and critique. And if anyone can tell me how they put a glass finish on a box that has handles and legs attached that isn't as freaking tedious as wet sanding with a very small block and 1000 grit, PLEASE let me know the secret.Thanks for looking.

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The Flight of Fright

Furnished content.
(from Lumberjocks.com)


Kodansu – Flight of FrightContinuing with my Japanese 'period' of woodwork, this small chest was inspired by the kodansu - small table cabinets of the 19th century. They were originally used to store items related to the Kd ceremony. Kd is the art of appreciating Japanese incense, and involves using incense within a structure of codified conduct. Kd includes all aspects of the incense process, from the tools, to activities such the incense-comparing games. Kd is counted as one of the three classical Japanese arts of refinement, along with kad for flower arrangement, and chad for tea and the tea ceremony. Kodansu were small, highly valued, and highly decorated with the finest lacquer techniques.Mine is less than an 100mm/4inch cube..It is made of veneered plywood with solid maple drawers. The veneers are burl walnut and birds-eye maple. The decoration includes a gold sprinkled interior to the chest, the drawers and door, and inlays on the exterior.The drawers have a sprinkled burl walnut inlay on the front to match the exterior of the chest. The drawer pulls are black zirconia stud earrings.The shell stringing on the outer sides forms frames for shell inlays. A crouching tiger appears on a gold and silver sprinkled landscape on the top.The sides have shell feather inlays, with gold sprinkled feathers on the back.The front door has two makie lacquer cranes in flight.The shell inlays come from vietnam check them out here https://luthiersupply.com/wildlife.html The range is amazing and while they may appear expensive, I think they are amazing value compared to buying your own shell and the time taken to cut the pieces out yourself.These makie cranes are real gold makie stickers purchased on my last trip to Japan, they are usually used for personalising mobile phones. I have just ordered a load of others for another two kodansu. You can check them out here https://kinpakuya.jp/?mode=cate&csid=0&cbid=1563636 They are highly detailed and relativly easy to apply.This following picture shows the makie stickers in their 'raw' state, before they were applied to the door. In the background is the gold and silver dust in the petri dishes, and the sprinkling 'pipe' with the green end in the middle of the picture.As with my other Japanese boxes it is presented in Japanese Tsutsumi - gift-wrapped style, with a Tomobako case, (not shown) and a Furoshiki black fabric cover, embossed with gold feathers.I've called this Kodansu the 'Flight of fright' - as the cranes on the front have been frightening away by the tiger.Thanks for looking.Hope you enjoyed it.Martin

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