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What would you do

Isaac Litster

Isaac Litster

Joined
Jan 28, 2024
Messages
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Location
Petersburg, AK
I told myself I wouldn’t cut any crabapple, but someone else cleared this by a fishing hole and it was going to rot, so here we are.
There is a lot of length of trunks, 1.5-3” diameter. I have lots of ideas, but I am wondering what more experienced turners would make with these trunks.

Also here is a thin warping cup I made out of one piece already this morning.
 

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Try a goblet or two
Use a blank with the pith off center
Turn a tenon between centers, Mount in a chuck, hollow the cup, turn the outside of cup use a light for thickness
Turn the stem leaving it thick at the headstock. When the stem is longer than about 6” you’ll need to support the cup with the tailstock. Turn the base and its edge. Part it off keeping the base thin. I usually do this at an angle
This is an oak one.
IMG_1498.jpeg. Pith off center -> IMG_1501.jpeg

Just saw @Jim Reynolds Rudy is a distant neighbor. He does a terrific demo.
Try a shorter stemmed one for the first few so you don’t have to fiddle with the tailstock.

@Don Wattenhofer has thread with a pdf

Green Goblet Turning

This is a technique that I was initially introduced to at a Demo by Del Stubs in about 1990 and I am guessing that I have turned well over 1000 goblet forms ranging in size from about 2" tall by 1 1/2" diameter to 18" tall by 10" diameter. The goblets are turned from the full round of a tree...
www.aawforum.org www.aawforum.org
 
Last edited:
hockenbery said:
Try a goblet or two

Try a shorter stemmed on for the first few so you don’t have to fiddle with the tailstock.
Click to expand...
hockenbery said:
Try a goblet or two
Use a blank with the pith off center
Turn a tenon between centers, Mount in a chuck, hollow the cup, turn the outside of cup use a light for thickness
Turn the stem leaving it thick at the headstock. When the stem is longer than about 6” you’ll need to support the cup with the tailstock. Turn the base and its edge. Part it off keeping the base thin. I usually do this at an angle
This is an oak one.
View attachment 65229. Pith off center -> View attachment 65230

Just saw @Jim Reynolds Rudy is a distant neighbor. He does a terrific demo.
Try a shorter stemmed on for the first few so you don’t have to fiddle with the tailstock.

@Don Wattenhofer has thread with a pdf

Green Goblet Turning

This is a technique that I was initially introduced to at a Demo by Del Stubs in about 1990 and I am guessing that I have turned well over 1000 goblet forms ranging in size from about 2" tall by 1 1/2" diameter to 18" tall by 10" diameter. The goblets are turned from the full round of a tree...
www.aawforum.org www.aawforum.org
Click to expand...
Green crabapple is almost as nice to turn as green mountain ash/rowan, but still very nice. I have a lot, so this will be added to the list. After doing the "cup" I showed, and the size of log, something similar to a champagne flute piqued my interest. Although, crabapple grows in shapes that are not round, oval, or fluted, so a live edge is a very good idea. I have made a few goblets before, with reasonably thin stems, the length I am interested in will be a challenge I think. Maybe some support for hollowing...
 
The crab apple that I posted about I tried a goblet today but the pith was completely rotten so I drilled it out and made a piece of rose wood to fit into it but it didn't come out very good. Hockenbery referred to my PDF file so that should give a detailed explanation of the process. I have some smaller branches that I will try doing goblets from and they should come out better.
crabapple1.jpgcrabapple2.jpgcrabapple3.jpg
 
You might make some 'banana' bowls. Take a 6 inch or so branch section, and turn a banana shaped bowl along the length of the branch. Think I did a video about that one once. You turn down through the pith, use a tenon on the bottom.

robo hippy
 
robo hippy said:
You might make some 'banana' bowls. Take a 6 inch or so branch section, and turn a banana shaped bowl along the length of the branch. Think I did a video about that one once. You turn down through the pith, use a tenon on the bottom.

robo hippy
Click to expand...
I've seen the video, thanks for reminding me, I haven't done one at this scale though. We'll see!
 
I tried some more goblets from smaller branches around 3" diameter and also a small urn.
The first pic is preparing the blank, #2 under cutting the base (necessary to allow it to distort rather then have a radial check). #3 second cup being turned on the outside and #4 the 2 finished goblets with their tenon stub, note the OOPS on the base of the 2nd one.
GobApple1.jpgGobApple3.jpgGobApple5.jpgGobApple7.jpg
 
The small urn: #1 turning the outside ( mounted with a 1" tenon), #2 boring it out with a 3/4" carbide bit (followed by a goose neck hollowing tool and a ring tool) and #3 ready for the paper bag for a controlled drying.

KUApple1.jpgKUApple2.jpgKUApple3.jpg
 
Bravo on your goblets. I hope you're proud of your work on these, even with the OOPS. Maybe a thinner stem on your next one(s). I can't imagine these ever being functional, so they might as well be a testament to your turning skill. The goblet lends itself to the captured ring technique, as I'm sure you know. Good luck!
 

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