Platter/Bowl display stands

In the last couple years most of the bowls and platters I've been making have been embellished in one way or another and are meant to be more ornamental than functional. I was wondering if any of you have come up with a really nice looking wood display stand that doesn't take as much time and effort as the piece it's displaying. My intent is to include the stand with the bowl if someone were to buy the bowl. Photos would be nice.

 

Take a look at this from the June AAW mailing.
http://aaow.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0zMDA3NzU4JnA9MSZ1PTQwNDI5NDMyOSZsaT0yNDQ4Mzk4NA/index.html

 

Thats a beautiful stand

 

That has a lot of potential but for me steel rod turns me off so I guess I will have to turn those arcked pieces.

 

Replace them with contrasting wood

 

Hate to be the odd guy here, and I can understand the thinking behind the "everything must be handmade" frame of mind......but:

The cheap clear plastic stands do tend to display platters very nicely.....almost like they aren't there!

There must be some clear plastic stands that are premium quality......that would be an obvious improvement.

On the other hand......my thought about the black plastic stands, is they just look cheap!

It may be a tough call to make a completely handmade platter stand without drawing attention away from the platter itself. Some of us (including me) tend to overdo things sometimes......so......The key, here, may be to keep it simple, stupid!

-----odie-----

 

I have started to experiment with all wood methodes the first of which is the wooden replacement for the radiused base arks.
The photo shows a 3/4" arked piece with about a 3" radius, which started as a 4 sided mitered glue up out of 3/4" X 2" material. The next step was to make a jam chuck to hold the ring for finishing the back side, then cut the 1/4 sections apart at the glue joints. The quarter sections were then clamped with the ends facing up and drilled for 3/8" dowel, now I have to make the rear upright and the 2 plate supports.

 

The following pics show the first try at an all wood plate stand similar to the one using steel rods, The stand is made of 5 pieces of maple and the upright back support is made of Iron Wood (American Hornbeam). The platter is 16" diameter white oak burl.

 

Don, that's a great looking stand!

 

Great inspiration guys! Just finishing a cherry platter and was looking for some ideas to make a stand (haven't forgotten Bill Boehm's remark about my using a wire stand for a basket illusion I made last year). Following Odie's comment I also want something simple...

 

I also have Terry's article on my computer desktop. Could not figure out how to format it for posting here.

 

I had the same problem with the only platter I tried to photograph. I took a plastic OJ bottle filled with water (for weight) and propped the platter against it.

Recently I had another thought.....a while back I bought a RoboRest and my Wolverine platform jig was sitting idle. Cleaned it up - put some white packing foam on the platform with double-sided tape (so it doesn't mark my photo background paper) - put a short piece of foam pipe insulation over the end of the tube for protection of my bowl/platter (optional). The protected platform is placed down and the arm angle is adjustable. Haven't tried it yet but I see no reason why it shouldn't work.

 

I make my platter display stands out of 4-quarter hardwood scraps. I resaw the board, sand to about 320, and recut on the bandsaw. I have a hardboard pattern that I attach to the blanks with double-face tape, and route the final shape. The hinges and chain are inexpensive hardware that I get at Hobby Lobby. If someone buys one of my platters and wants a display sand, I tack on $20 to the purchase price ... about half buy the stand. Each stand is 9" tall and 5-1/2" deep.

 

I have finished 7 plate holders all wood without any metal rods. The upright on all of them is made of American hornbeam and is about 1/2" on top and 1/4" on the bottom. The 3 pictured together are 1 maple and 2 white oak and the 4 in the second picture are all walnut.

 

Those look great Don. I've made a few using an easier (for me) method. But they aren't as classy as yours. I just glued up some scraps, turned a disc, drilled a few holes for a back rest and some pegs to hold the front edge. It's hard to see but I cut a small depression behind the pegs with a round ball carving bit in a dremel that helps to keep the platter from rolling off to the side.

 

Jule-art.com has nice bowl easels, our club just ordered some for our cheese shop display, they sell our pieces donated by members, we get 70% they get 30%