• December 2025 Turning Challenge: Single Tree! (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Bob Henrickson, People's Choice in the November 2025 Turning Challenge (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Guillaume Fontaine for "Old Tea Pot" being selected as Turning of the Week for December 15, 2025 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

What’s on your lathe?

I want to say Thanks to Dave Wyke for saving my bacon.

Scrolling through the photo gallery, I saw the hearts you turned and I thought it'd make a great Christmas present for my daughter in law.
Course, I've never turned a heart before.
So I gave it a whirl, worst thing that could happen is I'd add one more apple pie to my baking chores tomorrow.

I think it came out OK for a 1st attempt.
She'll be happy with it.

Craig

1766439330651.jpeg
 
....decided to do a bead instead of my standard platter rim

Looks great. I love the bead that defines the inside of the rim. I think it attracts the eye and adds interest.
(and the figure and color of the piece is beautiful!)

I've used inside rim beads myself, long time ago!
(The wood on mine is a little plain though!)
I can't remember ever using an outside rim bead.

1766455373674.jpeg
 
Looks great. I love the bead that defines the inside of the rim. I think it attracts the eye and adds interest.
(and the figure and color of the piece is beautiful!)

I've used inside rim beads myself, long time ago!
(The wood on mine is a little plain though!)
I can't remember ever using an outside rim bead.

View attachment 83170
I saw Glen Lucas do a rim bead a couple years ago in one of his videos. I’ve done one on a walnut platter and decided to do one on this maple. I usually do rims like the ones you posted.
 
Beautiful day to work outside but finished the day turning this little 9-1/2 x 5” maple. I wanted to enclose the rim a little more but I can live with it as is. Now it’s time to wrap Christmas gifts for my granddaughter 😁

View attachment 83197

View attachment 83196
Lovely! I just finished hollowing some of that wood—just some neck work and the bottom to go.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0422.jpeg
    IMG_0422.jpeg
    957.2 KB · Views: 14
My honey is using more honey these days so I thought she could use a helper. Just burnished beeswax.

A friend said after it got a lathe (about 45 years ago) he made and sold zillions of honey dippers at craft fairs. He's a potter too so a nice ceramic honey jar probably upped the ante.

I like the pot/lid/dipper combo - most I've seen with lids had just a little cutout for the dipper.

JKJ
 
A purpleheart finial/icicle. I like a longer tenon to hold it better.
fin296.jpg

I like to cut the tenon off to make it lighter. I used to use the yellow "finial chucky" making the finial, but now I use it to center it when I remount it to cut off the excess tenon. I do move it back when I part it off.
fin297.jpg
 
A purpleheart finial/icicle. I like a longer tenon to hold it better.

I like to cut the tenon off to make it lighter. I used to use the yellow "finial chucky" making the finial, but now I use it to center it when I remount it to cut off the excess tenon. I do move it back when I part it off.

Very nice finial! I like turning purple heart - I once found some some purpleheart that simply refuses to turn brown. Wish I could find more!
If that one s going on an ornament it'd be nice to see the finished piece!

Hey, have you ever used a 2MT collet to hold finials and other small things? Turn a 1/2" tenon and tighten in the 1/2" collet. One nice thing: unlike typically with a chuck, if the piece is removed and remounted it's still perfectly registered.

If I want to move it out some to size and cut of the end I just make the tenon a bit longer (maybe 1-1/4") and it still registers nicely.

1766598174199.jpeg

A set of 2MT collets usually goes from 1/8" to 1/2" in 1/16" increments. Typically used for metalworking but work great with wood!

JKJ
 
A purpleheart finial/icicle. I like a longer tenon to hold it better.
View attachment 83224

I like to cut the tenon off to make it lighter. I used to use the yellow "finial chucky" making the finial, but now I use it to center it when I remount it to cut off the excess tenon. I do move it back when I part it off.
View attachment 83225
Always admired your finials! Beautiful! What method do you use now, since you don’t use the rubber chucky? Something like drozda does with her hand?
 
Hey, have you ever used a 2MT collet to hold finials and other small things? Turn a 1/2" tenon and tighten in the 1/2" collet. One nice thing: unlike typically with a chuck, if the piece is removed and remounted it's still perfectly registered.
John, I have used the er32 collets, but not any of the 2MT style. I would have to be more careful the way I make the globe to attach the finial. I drill all the way through the globe then hollow it. I also put a tapper on both the top and bottom, that occasionally changes the diameter of the hole. the tapper allows the parts to sit close to flat with thew globe.
I have posted the ornament this was made for now.
Always admired your finials! Beautiful! What method do you use now, since you don’t use the rubber chucky? Something like drozda does with her hand?
Thanks Ted! I have learned a lot from watching Cindy Drozda's videos and use a finger to support the end. I don't have the light touch she has and always use one of those little leather finger pads. You don't need as much pressure as you (I) think is needed, the more I do the less finger pressure I use.
 
Back
Top