Woodworker's Journal 2004-28-6, страница 15

INNOVATION THROUGH & THROUGH

PORTER

+CHBLE

REDEFINING PERFORMANCE

(Circle No. 92 on PRODUCT INFORMATION form)

Can You Top This?

OK ... now to this year's project. I keep the fun in the project each year by trying to come up with something unique and a bit more challenging. Here's the idea.

I decided to flip things over this season and work from the top. Instead of an icicle pointing down, I am making a spire to point to the heavens. Start by making your standard ellipse or ball and hollow it out as you choose. I am throwing a little curve here with my own design by joining two hollow forms together with a turned collar of contrasting wood. I have the smaller one on top, graduating down to the larger. Next, turn a somewhat

We have no doutit many of you can "top" Steve's Ideas for ornaments, and we'd love to see what our readers produce In the way of lathe-turned holiday ornaments. Send us pictures of your efforts, and we will select the best | ones for display in an upcoming issue!

PORTER-CABLE® continues to prove its cutting-edge innovation and design with these latest tools.

FINf** fcAPUft/BHAD MAIlE* COMPRESSOR C0MBC KIT Have everything on hand with this special edition two-nailer combo kit complete with both Brad and Finisher Nailers and 2 peak HR .8 HP running 6-gaHbn pancake compressor. Also includes an adjustable depth-of-tirive, jam-release mechanism and non-marring nose tip.

For more cutting-edge innovations from PORTER-CABLE^, visit porter-caWe.com.

Some turners create a baii form as a two-piece turning, fit together like a box. This may be easier than blind hollowing for some foiks.

(I know some turners who do this ball form as a two-piece turning and fit them together like a box ... this may be easier than blind hollowing for some folks.)

I then sand this ball down to 400 grit or so and apply a coat of French polish (shellac) as a sealer right on the lathe. Part it off to the bore you made, and you now have a hollow ball or ellipse with holes top and bottom. Next step? Turn a 4 - 5" icicle with a tenon on top to fit one bore, and a small cap to fit the top hole to hold your hanging hardware. I use harder exotic woods for these pieces and try to get very fine diameters and details to contrast the ellipse form. Glue the pieces in place with CA adhesive and lacquer as desired.

larger scale icicle, perhaps with a spiral or even an open carved spiral section. "ITiis will be the spire. Finally, bore out a nicely turned cylinder and fit a tenon on the smaller end to the bottom of the larger hollow form. Be sure to make this piece large enough to accommodate your tree's top branch and bore it deeply enough to keep the top stable once it is in place. I am sticking to exotic woods here (ebony on this one) to be sure I have strength as well as form. And, best of all, you won't have to look very long to find tills one on the tree!

... 1 Iappy Holidays!_

Steve Blenk is a Washington state woodturner who also knotvs a couple of things about catching salmon.

7-1/4* MAG-SAW"" KIT Change blades without changing gears. Tfiis award-winning, first-ever Quik-Cfmnge' circular saw provides a fast and hassle-free system for changing blades making you more productive on the job site.

Available in Made-left and blade-right models v.itli cr without a brake

VARIABLE-SPEED DUAL ACTION TIGER SAW* KIT A revolutionary rotating back handle puts an end to turning your body to get more leverage. Plus an extra-heavy-duty 11.5 AMP motor for maximum power for all cutting capacities and blade clamp QuibOwvoe for keyless blade change in seconds.

When turning a giobe styie ornament, you must holiow the baii to reduce weight. An offset scraper is the tool of choice for this task.