# Christmas Ornaments



## trc65 (Nov 14, 2022)

Anybody working on some? I've started trying to figure out what type I'm making this year and have started a few prototype designs. Started with some complicated "basket weave" designs, but quickly realized I'd go insane trying to make 17 of them before Christmas. Settled on the much simpler spiral design. Also playing with different woods and finishes to see what looks best. 

Really like the white of the cottonwood that stays white with lacquer, but it's a real pain trying to get clean beads cut. I'd like to stick with hard maple, but lacquer darkens it too much for my taste. Anybody ever use Polycrylic on turned maple?

Still have some experimenting to do.

If you've started making some feel free to post them here, figured if nothing else, it might generate some ideas for those thinking about it.

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 9 | Creative 1


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## Gdurfey (Nov 14, 2022)

My first thought was some type of balloon ornament. I guess I was still thinking of our recent trip. Very cool looking…..but maybe too much for 17…..

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Tony (Nov 14, 2022)

Tim, have you tried Holly?

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## GlynnC (Nov 14, 2022)

Very impressive with the level of detail. At first glance I thought this was intricate segment work, and I thought to myself my experiments with segmented bowls and vases was time consuming but nothing compared to this - then on closer inspection it looks like turned spindle work with very detailed coloring of the wood. Every time I see work from the artists on this site I realize there is so much to learn. So glad I found WB!!

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 2


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## Jonkou (Nov 14, 2022)

Consider a simple natural finish on hard maple for clean cuts, bleach it white, burnish with the maple shavings to remove raised grain, decorate as desired, apply microcrystalline wax and burnish again with soft cotton cloth.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Useful 1


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## barry richardson (Nov 14, 2022)

I thought balloons too! seems like that would be something clever and different, doesn't seem too hard to fashion the tenon into a basket... Love the spiral design, you could do some with vertical segments too, like a lot of balloons are patterned. I have used water based poly on maple, it does darken the wood less. Personally I would avoid a wax only finish, it doesn't stand up over the years of handling, starts looking dull like a pen finished with wax only..

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Jason Goodrich (Nov 14, 2022)

I have had good success using white diamond buffing compound applied directly to the piece while it is spinning and then buffing at high speed with blue paper towel. It keeps the wood lighter and gives a decent finish.
I have been doing a bunch of ornaments recently. Mostly finials.

Reactions: Like 5 | Way Cool 3 | Creative 1


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## trc65 (Nov 14, 2022)

Thanks everybody for your comments and suggestions!

I wasn't even considering that they looked like balloons, I just use a little tenon on a collet chuck to make these. Given me some ideas how to complete the look of the ornaments. Hadn't given a lot of thought yet on top/bottom finials. Made these just to work on patterns/coloring. 

Tony, I haven't tried Holly, but will definitely try some in the future.

John, thanks for the suggestion of bleaching the wood, that's a great idea and would solve several problems. Going to pick some up and give it a try. 

Barry, credit goes to you for showing the use of a beam compass/trammel points to draw the curves. I have a set from Lee Valley I haven't used in years, they're now going to stay with the lathe.

Jason, very nice work, I made urchin ornaments a couple years ago and really like the delicate finials you've made. Finials alone as ornaments have always been popular among my relatives. 

@GlynnC Thank you. As intricate as they may look, it's really just several relatively simple steps. 1. Turn shape and sand. 2. Use bead cutter to cut the rows. 3. Use wood burning tip to burn vertical lines. 4. Use Copic ink marking pens to color. The process is time consuming, but not difficult. Mostly need good light and magnifiers (at least I do).

Reactions: Like 5 | Useful 1


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## GlynnC (Nov 14, 2022)

Tim - a big thanks for the feedback and sharing how you do it (I have so much to learn). I can relate to the need for magnifiers. I keep thinking my reading glasses are just going bad - certainly couldn't be my eyes (LOL)!


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## trc65 (Nov 14, 2022)

GlynnC said:


> Tim - a big thanks for the feedback and sharing how you do it (I have so much to learn). I can relate to the need for magnifiers. I keep thinking my reading glasses are just going bad - certainly couldn't be my eyes (LOL)!


Glynn, here is a thread I started when I attempted my first basket weave project. It shows all the details of the process if you are interested.





__





Basket Illusion Process


This is the next rabbit hole I've chosen to dive into, and I thought I'd post progress of the "build" so others could follow along and maybe we can learn a little from each other. There are many different styles of basket illusion, but generally fall into two categories. The first was made...



woodbarter.com

Reactions: Informative 1


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## William Tanner (Nov 14, 2022)

This is still on the bench with more work to do, which is mainly gluing finials and more coats of lacquer. The globe is BLM burl from @Mike1950 and the finials are spalted silver maple. Globe blank started at 2“X1 1/8”. Drilled a 8MM hole and inserted tube to fit pen mandrel. Out of BLM now.

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 3


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## trc65 (Nov 14, 2022)

Great looking ornament Bill, that will really pop when you get some more lacquer on it!

Reactions: Like 1


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## GlynnC (Nov 14, 2022)

trc65 said:


> Glynn, here is a thread I started when I attempted my first basket weave project. It shows all the details of the process if you are interested.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks Tim - very helpful info. Looks like I'll be asking  for D-Way beading tools and teardrop.

Reactions: +Karma 1


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## trc65 (Nov 14, 2022)

GlynnC said:


> Thanks Tim - very helpful info. Looks like I'll be asking  for D-Way beading tools and teardrop.


They are very handy tools to have around!


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## Tony (Nov 15, 2022)

Jason Goodrich said:


> I have had good success using white diamond buffing compound applied directly to the piece while it is spinning and then buffing at high speed with blue paper towel. It keeps the wood lighter and gives a decent finish.
> I have been doing a bunch of ornaments recently. Mostly finials.
> 
> View attachment 233714
> ...


Jason, could you post a more complete picture of your display piece? I like that a lot, might have to make me one.


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## Jason Goodrich (Nov 15, 2022)

It is made of twigs from the craft store that I trimmed, drilled holes in the biggest one, then hot glued the others in as branches.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1 | Way Cool 3 | Creative 2


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## SENC (Nov 15, 2022)

Tony said:


> Jason, could you post a more complete picture of your display piece? I like that a lot, might have to make me one.

Reactions: Funny 4


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## DLJeffs (Nov 15, 2022)

William Tanner said:


> This is still on the bench with more work to do, which is mainly gluing finials and more coats of lacquer. The globe is BLM burl from @Mike1950 and the finials are spalted silver maple. Globe blank started at 2“X1 1/8”. Drilled a 8MM hole and inserted tube to fit pen mandrel. Out of BLM now.
> 
> View attachment 233728
> 
> View attachment 233729


If you ask nice, pretty sure Mike (@Mike1950 ) has more ...

Reactions: Agree 1


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## William Tanner (Nov 15, 2022)

DLJeffs said:


> If you ask nice, pretty sure Mike (@Mike1950 ) has more ...


I’ll send him a message.


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## trc65 (Nov 30, 2022)

Progress picture- here are three that are finished, without a finish. These are all around 1.75" diameter.





Played around with bleaching, but decided it wasn't worth the extra time and didn't really fit into my work flow. Now that I've tried it though will definitely be experimenting with it on future projects.

Got 14 of them done so far and will make 6 or 7 more. I need just 17 of them, but some designs aren't as appealing to me, so will make a couple extras and decide later which to gift.

I played around with different colors, but nothing says Christmas like red and green, or maybe I should say ’cadmium red and 'moss'.

I'll post some final pics when I get them all done.

Reactions: Great Post 1 | Way Cool 6 | Creative 2


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## Peter White (Nov 30, 2022)

They look very good, do you roll your own beads or use a beading tool.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## William Tanner (Nov 30, 2022)

trc65 said:


> Progress picture- here are three that are finished, without a finish. These are all around 1.75" diameter.
> 
> View attachment 234321
> 
> ...


ALL nice shapes, especially center and right. They scream Christmas.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Gdurfey (Nov 30, 2022)

Tim keeps setting standards to reach for.........

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 2


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## Mike Hill (Nov 30, 2022)

I gots the Bah Humbug Bug! Not planning on turning any this year (disclaimer - well don't think I have ever) but do enjoy looking upon the pretties!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## trc65 (Nov 30, 2022)

Peter White said:


> They look very good, do you roll your own beads or use a beading tool.


No, I can't turn beads by hand to save my life... I use the D-Way bead cutters, these are 1/8". The burner I use is made specifically for this bead cutter by PJL Enterprises ( http://www.carvertools.com/).

Reactions: Informative 2


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## Gdurfey (Dec 16, 2022)

Didn’t want to start a new thread so I hijacked this one. Just watched Carl Jacobson on YouTube do a basket illusion ornament on his channel, 



, and he had a trick for burning the beads on the steeper curved surface as well as a platform jig for the lathe to help with burning the horizontal lines. Thought they might help others wanting to get into this art like I am.

Reactions: Like 2 | Thank You! 1 | Way Cool 1


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## trc65 (Dec 16, 2022)

Thanks for the vid! No time to watch it now, but will when I get a little more time. 

Also want to start a discussion on the different methods/philosophies on beading/basket weave/basket illusion so those that are interested in starting this understand the different methods used for different results. No time now, but maybe after Christmas I'll start a thread to discuss how and what tools I use, and @Steve in VA and others can share their methods. Lots of different ways to do these things all with slightly different results.

Reactions: Like 3


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