Jim Ruocco is known for his elegantly turned bowls- and here are a few more. These bowls are the result of the Emerald Ash Borer which caused the demise of several of his ash trees. As you can see, these are large bowls, beautifully turned, and where two kept their bark.
Ron Durr treated us to several pieces, a couple of which-well you had to be there. And in the words of Forrest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that." But look at this magnificent spalted English Walnut box with a black lacquered top!
Ron then showed us a segmented bowl he learned to make using Bill Smith's book. Ron's bowl consists of Osage Orange, Yew, Cedar, Black Walnut, and Maple. He finished the bowl with 3 coats of Clear Coat. His next piece is Sassafras which he hollowed with a Laser-based tool he made. Check out the decoration on the top. Ron often sells his work and is always asked, "Can you put water in the vases?" Ron replies, "Yes, but only once!" To solve that problem Ron bought a glass insert (buy the glass first, Ron suggests) and created a mortise for it in this Apple vessel.
Andy DiPietro brought in his latest creation- Spalted Wave. This end grain Oak sculpture was turned wet and then carved. Look for it in the October edition of American Woodturner. To see more of Andy's work, go to his website. You will get the added bonus of a video!
Speaking of videos, here is a master of how-to videos regarding segmented turnings and the Accu-slice®, John Mauro. If it's been a month or two since you've visited his website, you've got to see all the videos this man has created, not to mention, perhaps more importantly, the new products he's offering for band saws! It's mind boggling! John's latest invention is a jig for making tapered segmented rings to make very unusual shaped vessels. Want to know how he does it, well, there is a video! Want to make one of the "dissy" vessels shown in the last photos? Well, there is a video for that, too! Amazing!
And segueing from amazing and "how'd he do that", we come to Linton Frank. We've heard about it, seen pictures, but for the first time, Linton brought us in the actual Wedding Vessel. Linton made it in the early '90s and gave it to his son as a gift. Apparently, his son had packed away this gift during a move and didn't discover it until years later. Once found, Linton borrowed it and brought it in to show us the real deal. This beauty, based on southwestern pottery forms, is turned on three axes and fitted with a custom carved handle. Linton also showed us photos of other forms he's worked with, including his Torso Bowl, complete with naval.
Ah, Mesquite from Tuscon. Here is another great piece of Phil Hauser's, a Mesquite burl, nicely turned to show off the natural edge and internal beauty. Phil also was inspired by Nick Agar's recent visit and made this Trumpet vessel from a piece of spalted Maple.
Tom Gall took the Nick Agar workshop, and took it seriously! Tom shows off a bowl he decorated with Agar Web-FX and Nick's various airbrushing techniques. Tom highly recommended the workshop, and his piece looks fantastic!
Bruce Quigley is rivaling Ron Durr in productivity! He brought in two boxes he made from spalted Tamarind. Bruce also took up the Library Challenge (pick a magazine or book from the Bucks Woodturners Library, or from your own bookshelf and make something you find interesting and challenging), and made this platter with milk paint and a silver wire inlay based on a photo he saw in a British turning magazine. Did he stop there? No, indeed not. His final piece is an Al Stirt inspired square-edged bowl that has been textured and airbrushed with a Nick Agar Sunset-style center bowl. What a great combo-two of our favorites in one! Wait, there is more, Bruce took Linford Sines Inside-Out HOW and made this ornament. Very impressive, Bruce!
Michael Kehs apparently decided to give his hands a rest after some hand surgery... and took up copper repoussé??!! Given the talent Michael is, are we surprised at how great these look? Michaelplans on using these as decoration on his horns, once his hands get better? All kidding aside, he reports he's doing great.
Bud Hohlfeld recently gave a much talked about demonstration at Michael Keh's Tuesday meeting. Bud demonstrated making a hollow vessel using two pieces to facilitate interest and manage the time constraints. Everyone was really impressed, and then doubly-so when they saw the two final pieces (maybe it's quadrupley-so). The lighter piece is spalted Fiddle-back Maple and the second is Ambrosia Maple with a Waterlox finish.
Steve Hillerman brought along two spheres he made while taking Bud Hohlfeld's HOW. While a challenge, Steve got the hang of it. He made the first, from box elder, during the class, and the second, from Osage Orange, at home, just to prove to himself he had it down. To keep these babies from rolling away, he made the stands from poplar and painted them with milk paint.
Here is another HOW turned piece. Bob Collins took Phil Hauser's HOW on natural edge bowls and turned this Sassafras bowl with a Bush Oil finish. Nicely done!
Ward Stevens (me) took up the Library Challenge and made this Grant Vaughan piece. By spending time making a piece you've admired for so long, you appreciate even more all the little things that make the original so successful. You've probably seen Grant's piece on the cover of 500 Bowls. You might notice the different spin directions- Grant probably made his in his native Australia.
Linford Sine made these two segmented turnings after taking Ward's Tangential Segmented Turning HOW. The forms and finish are all Linford's talent and skill. He's taken excellent advantage of the technique's exaggeration of curves.
Dennis Fuge had a bumper crop of Black Walnuts and he went nuts with them. By cutting them in different directions he discovered very different internal geometries emerged. Filled with pigmented resin, he's included them in jewelry and in this black walnut platter to great effect. All of his pieces were stunning.
Nancy Rourke was up last, but not least. She also took the President's Challenge and made three whistles based on an article by Stuart King in Woodturning magazine. Nancy likes turning whistles- they are easy to do, fun to decorate and some times they work! Nancy got everyone to wonder how a whistle works? Check out this website, Exploring Whistles- a facinating toy and fun project. Thanks Nancy!