# Honey Locust Form



## trc65 (May 15, 2021)

Don't know if this is classified as a bowl, a hollow form or just a round hunk of wood with the middle cut out.  

Rough turned several of this style form this winter to practice with hollowing tools. Rain all day today, so grabbed this one and finished turning it. 5.25" wide and 2.5" tall Just some walnut oil on it, will get several coats of tung oil to give it some luster.

Reactions: Like 9 | EyeCandy! 2 | Way Cool 4 | Informative 1


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## Arn213 (May 15, 2021)

Tim! I love how you choreographed and calculated the placement of the heartwood and sapwood- that looks tricky to me, but well executed with the balance and applied symmetry. Love the shape too and the grain formation. The rays are an added effect on top of everything else.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Tony (May 15, 2021)

Nice piece Tim!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Nature Man (May 15, 2021)

Pretty little bowl! Gotta love Honey Locust! Chuck

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## woodtickgreg (May 16, 2021)

That's a beautiful piece. It's also a form that I like to make, it has visual appeal and feels good in the hand too. Well done sir.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Steve in VA (May 16, 2021)

Great job Tim! Those shapes are hard for me to get right on the inside. Yours looks perfect!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## T. Ben (May 16, 2021)

Looks great tim. Nice work.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## barry richardson (May 16, 2021)

Nicely done Tim! Will it keep that yellow color?

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## trc65 (May 16, 2021)

barry richardson said:


> Nicely done Tim! Will it keep that yellow color?


I'm not really sure. This was roughed out the same day the tree was cut, and dried relatively quickly in a paper bag to keep the colors from bleeding. Other honey locust I've turned has maintained the yellow tones very well, but most of it is only about a year old so time will tell...

Reactions: Like 1


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## Barb (May 16, 2021)

Very nicely done! It looks warm and inviting. I always love that about the honey locust pieces you’ve made.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## trc65 (May 16, 2021)

Thanks everyone for your kind comments!

Quoting is working for me right now, so I'll just tag the people I was going to quote.

@Arn213 a lot of the trees I cut aren't the biggest or with exotic grain patterns, so I've learned to adjust blanks while turning to try and get good balance with heart and sapwood. It can really enhance the look of an ordinary piece of wood. Also, it really is pretty easy. Just start between centers, and move the piece a little at a time until you get the symetry you want. You do have to be prepared to change the size or even style of what you are turning, because I'll often loose an inch or more in depth or diameter while moving it around. I got lucky on this one, not many of the ones I've tried end up as balanced as this one.

@Steve in VA I still struggle with these, a finished piece doesn't reflect how long it actually took to turn. It takes me a long time to get the top half "hollowed" to a consistent thickness, just need more time practicing with the Jordan tools I guess. Nice thing is, once the top half is done, bottom goes quick with a bottom feeder gouge.

@Barb I have a love/hate relationship with honey locust. Love the colors in the trees I've cut, but really hate the thorns and dealing with them while processing. It's a good thing I

Reactions: Great Post 1


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## Steve in VA (May 16, 2021)

trc65 said:


> @Steve in VA I still struggle with these, a finished piece doesn't reflect how long it actually took to turn. It takes me a long time to get the top half "hollowed" to a consistent thickness, just need more time practicing with the Jordan tools I guess. Nice thing is, once the top half is done, bottom goes quick with a bottom feeder gouge.


What bottom feeder do you have, and how do you like it? I've been wanting one, or thought about regrinding another gouge to make getting through the inside corner a bit easier. Always something on the list!!!


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## trc65 (May 16, 2021)

I just re-ground a 1/2" Benjamin's Best that came with the set I started with. I think it's around 70°. Although I use it for nearly every bowl, doesn't need resharpening nearly as often as other gouges, and works well. I suppose some day I'll buy one with some better steel, but you can't beat it for the price. 

If you've got an extra gouge sitting around that you seldom use, just re grind it. You'll be amazed how well it works through the corner and across the bottom. Mine is ground to sort of a fingernail grind. Just a tiny bit of a wing, but not nearly as much as an Irish or Ellsworth grind. If you re-grind one don't need to change the whole profile, just grind enough so you've got a little bit of steep bevel to ride.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Strider (May 17, 2021)

Gorgeous and well exerted! Here in Croatia they call these an invasive species. Perhaps, but they are si useful and beautiful! Especially in the kitchen,as food! 3:D

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## trc65 (May 17, 2021)

They are definitely invasive here as well, at least in my area. Growing up, we spent a lot of time cutting them for firewood, and fixing tires that had been punctured by them. The pasture/woods we had was filled with them, and when I wasn't cutting them down, spent lots of time with a brush mower cutting smaller trees.

It didn't help that the cows liked to eat the pods, and provided perfect scarification for the seeds, which were then deposited with an ample amount of starter fertilizer right back on the ground.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Mike Hill (May 17, 2021)

Very nice bowl Tim. Love the shape and the symmetry! Can't say I've worked much locust, just never had any to work. Think I have a couple of small pieces now. Knew we have a good locust bloom, when I looked in my hives in the summer and It looked like the girls had put away water. Locust honey was the lightest colored honey we have around here.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Informative 1


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## trc65 (May 17, 2021)

@Steve in VA here's a picture of the grind on my bottom feeder.


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## William Tanner (May 17, 2021)

Nice work Tim. I’ve turned a fair amount honey locust. Last week the city arborist shared that he will be taking down one soon and it is mine if I want it. Easy access right next to a parking lot. I’ll turn it into a club project.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 1


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## Barb (May 17, 2021)

trc65 said:


> @Steve in VA here's a picture of the grind on my bottom feeder.
> 
> View attachment 208971


I just got a bottom feeder myself after watching how good they are in demos and I don't regret it one bit. I always had a hard time with the inside corner of bowls and now I don't. :)

Reactions: Like 1


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## trc65 (May 17, 2021)

William Tanner said:


> Nice work Tim. I’ve turned a fair amount honey locust. Last week the city arborist shared that he will be taking down one soon and it is mine if I want it. Easy access right next to a parking lot. I’ll turn it into a club project.


That's almost cheating Bill! Would love to get a hold of a couple thornless honey locust, all I have are the nasty "wild" ones.


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## barry richardson (May 17, 2021)

Strider said:


> Gorgeous and well exerted! Here in Croatia they call these an invasive species. Perhaps, but they are si useful and beautiful! Especially in the kitchen,as food! 3:D


What do you eat, the seeds?


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## Steve in VA (May 18, 2021)

Thanks for the pic of the bottom feeder Tim!

Reactions: Like 1


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