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The recent AAW journal had a picture of a Christams ornament with a lower stem that is turned yet curved in several directions. Does anyone know this technique?
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How do you turn a Christmas ornament
- Thread starter davidcaskey
- Start date
corkscrew icicle
What you refer to as the lower stem is commonly called an "icicle" on a turned ornament. The icicle on the ornament you're asking about was hand carved after it was turned. That is to say it wasn't turned into the corkscrew shape but rather carved that way from a thicker turning.
David,davidcaskey said:
What you refer to as the lower stem is commonly called an "icicle" on a turned ornament. The icicle on the ornament you're asking about was hand carved after it was turned. That is to say it wasn't turned into the corkscrew shape but rather carved that way from a thicker turning.
The "icicle" design, which involves a wood carving process, is actually not as complicated as it might appear. A good woodcarving knife, a few small files and perhaps a mini-rasp is really all you need to make it happen. You could probably do the work without the knife, but I think starting with the knife and finishing with the file(s) reduces the time necessary to complete the task. It's a great project for a rainy day.
Last edited:
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
David This is a little more complicated icicle because I hollowed the end but it is done the same way. I turned the bottom part into a sort of trumpet bell shape. I used several different drill bits to roughly hollow the bell and then used a 1/4" gouge to finish hollowing. When I was done I took it offf the lathe and carved away what I didn't want.
