# **Contest** Best use of Bangle Center Blanks



## BangleGuy (Dec 19, 2020)

Hello All! I have successfully cleared out some shelf space in my shed and shipped over 1000 resin cast, and all-wood bangle centers that I collected over four years of making bangle blanks. Wow! that’s a lot of drill press work. At any rate, there is some fun discussion going on about what can be done with these blanks (which are generally 2”diameter x 3/4” to 1.5” tall with a 5/16” through hole). So, here’s the idea for some great collaboration and a contest!
The rules:
1) Build your favorite project using blanks with the dimensions listed above. You don’t have to have purchased any, feel free to make your own blanks.
2) Post a picture to this thread and any fun details about your project before February 1st, 2021.
3) The Woodbarter community will vote on your favorites and the votes will be tallied
4) First, second and third place win a prize!

Prizes;
+ First place has their choice of the two items shown below (or they can PM me if they want more bangle centers, Ha!)
+Second place gets the prize not selected by the first place winner
+Third place gets the cutting board supplied by Tony, picture posted further down.
Fine Print
Shipping of prizes included for winners located within the USA. Non USA winners will need to arrange for additional costs to ship to foreign locations.
Rules and prizes are subject to tweaks by the WB moderators @Tony





Resin cast Aussie resin vein Burl blocks (4 x 6.5 x 3/4”)




Brand new Gripper push block

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 5 | +Karma 1


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## Gdurfey (Dec 19, 2020)

I’m definitely in. Love the grppppprrrrrrrr

Reactions: Like 1


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## Tony (Dec 19, 2020)

Great idea Eric, it's very generous of you to offer such great prizes! I may have something for the third place vote getter....

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## NCWoodArt (Dec 19, 2020)

This is all I have ever made with the ones I got in the past they are quick and easy to knock out. I used 2 part epoxy to fill in the holes, usually just white but I been debating on doing them with black pigment added.

Reactions: Like 1 | EyeCandy! 3 | Way Cool 5


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## Gardnaaa (Dec 19, 2020)

I’ll kick it off I guess. Not perfect by any means and I’m sure y’all will smoke me lol. Shift knob I turned for my brothers Mazda out of the bangle resin rounds I got from Eric. It’s a little blurry because I snapped this pic from the video I took. But here goes nothing

Reactions: Like 1 | EyeCandy! 3 | Way Cool 5


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## ripjack13 (Dec 19, 2020)

Can we offer up idea suggestions?

Reactions: Like 1


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## BangleGuy (Dec 19, 2020)

ripjack13 said:


> Can we offer up idea suggestions?


Please do! All input is welcome.

Reactions: Like 2


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## ripjack13 (Dec 20, 2020)

BangleGuy said:


> Please do! All input is welcome.



Ok cool. Here's a few....

Glue them into a stack and use them for a peppermill.
Christmas ornaments.
Lidded turned boxes.
Lidded turned snowman boxes.
Yo-yos.
Pen display stands.
Weed pot container/vase/display.

I'm not in this contest, but this is a great idea Eric. Very generous of you. Thanks for this.

Reactions: Creative 3


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## Tony (Dec 20, 2020)

ripjack13 said:


> Ok cool. Here's a few....
> 
> Glue them into a stack and use them for a peppermill.
> Christmas ornaments.
> ...


Great ideas Marc! What do you mean by a snowman box?


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## ripjack13 (Dec 20, 2020)

Tony said:


> Great ideas Marc! What do you mean by a snowman box?


I need to get a pic of that....Michele has one on display right now.

Reactions: Like 1


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## ripjack13 (Dec 20, 2020)



Reactions: Like 2 | Creative 2


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## ripjack13 (Dec 20, 2020)

This ornament was made for me by Joe Palas (@Palaswood ) a few years ago.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 3


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## ripjack13 (Dec 20, 2020)

and lemme throw Damon "under the proverbial bus", and see if he has any good ideas, I know his mind is always churning out cool ideas...
@Woodworking Vet

Reactions: Agree 1 | +Karma 1


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## barry richardson (Dec 20, 2020)

I still have a bunch of these centers I traded you years ago Eric, for some DIW I think..... made a bunch of these ring holders once, this is one my wife kept. BTW the ring was made from one of your ring centers

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 5 | Creative 1


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## Woodworking Vet (Dec 20, 2020)

ripjack13 said:


> and lemme throw Damon "under the proverbial bus", and see if he has any good ideas, I know his mind is always churning out cool ideas...
> @Woodworking Vet


As soon as I crawl out from under the bus I'll ponder this for some ideas

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 2


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## Woodworking Vet (Dec 20, 2020)

Would someone post a picture or two of the bangle center blanks?


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## Wildthings (Dec 20, 2020)

Woodworking Vet said:


> Would someone post a picture or two of the bangle center blanks?

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## BangleGuy (Dec 20, 2020)

barry richardson said:


> I still have a bunch of these centers I traded you years ago Eric, for some DIW I think..... made a bunch of these ring holders once, this is one my wife kept. BTW the ring was made from one of your ring centersView attachment 198410


@barry richardson I showed my wife your ring stand and now I am on the hook to make one (or three). She really liked the idea! It looks like a fun project too! Great idea

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1 | Way Cool 1 | +Karma 1


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## Tony (Dec 20, 2020)

BangleGuy said:


> @barry richardson I showed my wife your ring stand and now I am on the hook to make one (or three). She really liked the idea! It looks like a fun project too! Great idea


Mine said the same thing!

Reactions: Funny 1 | +Karma 1


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## Woodworking Vet (Dec 21, 2020)

Sorry I missed out on those, they would have been fun for me and some of the vets I mentor to play with.

Some ideas (and some may be repeated from above) are;

Yoyos for sure.
Pen stands in a dome shape using these type of inserts
Sliced thinner I think these can be turned into pendants, fill the hole with a stone or button or?
Use two similar pieces, sliced in half and you'll have wheels for a psychedelic wood toy car, gotta paint the car to go with the wheels of course.
With a hardwood dowel insert the could be turned into spinning tops
stack three and turn into a snowman
can the thicker pieces be used for kalidascopes?
I like the ring holders above
cut in half so its like a half circle, then shaped into a drawer pull?
Open the hole, slightly flatten a spot on the side and put in a 1" or 2" clock insert

I'll keep pondering.....

Reactions: Great Post 1 | Creative 2


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## Wildthings (Dec 21, 2020)

Woodworking Vet said:


> Sorry I missed out on those, they would have been fun for me and some of the vets I mentor to play with.
> 
> Some ideas (and some may be repeated from above) are;
> 
> ...


All are great but really got me to say hmmmmmm on the last two

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Woodworking Vet (Dec 21, 2020)

Phone stand, there's already a hole for a charging cable.
Or a cordless type charger?
I myself would attempt a hollow form if it were at least three or four inches tall.

What's the diameter of the hole and total outside diameter?

Reactions: Creative 1


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## Tony (Dec 21, 2020)

Woodworking Vet said:


> Phone stand, there's already a hole for a charging cable.
> Or a cordless type charger?
> I myself would attempt a hollow form if it were at least three or four inches tall.
> 
> What's the diameter of the hole and total outside diameter?


Hole is about 1/4" (from memory) and 2" diameter.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Gdurfey (Dec 21, 2020)

5/16

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 2


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## BangleGuy (Dec 29, 2020)

Wanted to give this thread a bump. If you’re home over the holidays, take a little time to enter this contest! Hopefully we can get a few more folks to post their creations and have fun with the idea. Cheers! Eric


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## T. Ben (Dec 29, 2020)

I'm still anxiously waiting for mine to showup.


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## Tony (Dec 29, 2020)

I've got some ideas, been working on a few things.


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## Barb (Dec 31, 2020)

I've got a couple of items I plan to submit once I get them done.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Tony (Jan 1, 2021)

Just to sweeten the pot a bit, here is a prize for the 3rd place vote getter. I'll send this cutting board along with whatever wood I an fit in with it to the winner. I know it's not much but it's better than a sharp stick in the eye! Get creative people!

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 3


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## El Guapo (Jan 1, 2021)

We got a very unusual heavy New Years snow over night... 4-6” around the metro. We couldn’t figure out what to use for the eyes, so I grabbed a couple of cocobolo blanks! Spalted buttons.

Reactions: Funny 5 | Way Cool 5


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## El Guapo (Jan 1, 2021)

That’s not a contest entry... just a creative solution for no coal!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Barb (Jan 1, 2021)

El Guapo said:


> We got a very unusual heavy New Years snow over night... 4-6” around the metro. We couldn’t figure out what to use for the eyes, so I grabbed a couple of cocobolo blanks! Spalted buttons.
> View attachment 199071


LOL! Right on!

Reactions: Like 1


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## BangleGuy (Jan 13, 2021)

El Guapo said:


> That’s not a contest entry... just a creative solution for no coal!


That’s so funny! Not what I had in mind but it is creative! LOL


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## Barb (Jan 13, 2021)

If this finish on my piece ever dries I do plan on submitting one entry tomorrow and then another before the deadline. :)

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 1


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## Barb (Jan 14, 2021)

Ok, here's my first entry. This is why I wanted the centers in the first place and then I saw all the ideas for everything else. So I have something different coming soon. I didn't put a maker's mark on the bottom because I'm keeping this.

Reactions: Like 1 | EyeCandy! 6 | Way Cool 6 | Creative 3


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## Tony (Jan 14, 2021)

Very nice Barb!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## trc65 (Jan 14, 2021)

Great idea! Love the shape and the visual effect!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Wildthings (Jan 14, 2021)

Way Way Cool!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## BangleGuy (Jan 14, 2021)

@Barb what a fun use of these blanks! I love this concept and it really shows off the different woods in such a unique way. Great job and thanks for taking part in the challenge! There is also a little part of me in here since I hand cut everyone of these on a drill press! This is great.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## Barb (Jan 14, 2021)

BangleGuy said:


> @Barb what a fun use of these blanks! I love this concept and it really shows off the different woods in such a unique way. Great job and thanks for taking part in the challenge! There is also a little part of me in here since I hand cut everyone of these on a drill press! This is great.


Well, if it wasn't for you, a good many of us wouldn't even have these centers so thank you very much!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Maverick (Jan 15, 2021)

Very cool Barb.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## Gdurfey (Jan 17, 2021)

Okay, to going to make many of these out of my bangle centers, but this was my first thought. Just need to find an expert to tell me if it sounds like a duck......

Reactions: Like 1 | EyeCandy! 3 | Way Cool 4


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## Barb (Jan 17, 2021)

Gdurfey said:


> Okay, to going to make many of these out of my bangle centers, but this was my first thought. Just need to find an expert to tell me if it sounds like a duck......
> 
> View attachment 200509
> 
> View attachment 200510


That’s gorgeous! Is that one or two pieces? If it’s two I can’t even tell where the seam is. Great job!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Arn213 (Jan 17, 2021)

Barb that is such a creative and beautiful application! I was going to walk towards it with a glass of cold milk and grab some of those striped or oatmeal cookies  off that bowl........or a cinnamon raisin mini bagel. Damn, these could fool some kids if you had these on top of the kitchen table.......

Reactions: Like 3 | Thank You! 1 | Informative 1


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## Gdurfey (Jan 17, 2021)

Barb said:


> That’s gorgeous! Is that one or two pieces? If it’s two I can’t even tell where the seam is. Great job!


Actually 3. Thank you.


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## Barb (Jan 17, 2021)

Gdurfey said:


> Actually 3. Thank you.


Ahhh...I should've known because of the wood. Still, it looks intentionally seamless. :)


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## Gdurfey (Jan 17, 2021)

Barb said:


> Ahhh...I should've known because of the wood. Still, it looks intentionally seamless. :)


I thought I had three pieces of buckeye burl, and thought I read the markings correctly. But once I got to turning realized that piece wasn’t. So, I designed it so I would lose the most from that end.

Reactions: Like 1


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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 19, 2021)

here's a knife and handle made in the likes of the bangle center knife handle
he even uses a hole saw to cut out the disks at 2:30

Reactions: Like 2


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## Tony (Jan 24, 2021)

Just a tip guys. If you have the Ruth Niles stopper mandrel these blanks will thread onto it to turn.

Reactions: Like 2 | Useful 1


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## Ken Martin (Jan 28, 2021)

Ive been reading about these bangle centers for months now and these are some very creative ideas for their use. But one item I have yet to see is the original intent.

Show Us Some of Your Bangles!

Reactions: Like 1


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## BangleGuy (Jan 28, 2021)

Ken Martin said:


> Ive been reading about these bangle centers for months now and these are some very creative ideas for their use. But one item I have yet to see is the original intent.
> 
> Show Us Some of Your Bangles!


Oh, too funny Ken! As you have seen, I spent five years cutting loads of wood into small circles. Here’s a sample of bangles, but probably not the best ones.



Some type of a Malaysian Mango burl 



A really cool punky BEB w black resin and cholla w pink mica resin



Desert Ironwood with crushed Sleeping Beauty turquoise inlay over copper. I think I might have made this one into a YouTube series... Don’t quite recall

Reactions: EyeCandy! 5 | Way Cool 1


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## Ken Martin (Jan 28, 2021)

Them’s purty!


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## Barb (Jan 29, 2021)

Here's my last entry that I just got done. It's a cigar case with a cutter/punch top. I had no idea what a pain this would be. I had to make 2 sets of bushings for it. One to shape it and the other for putting the finish on. I used ca as the finish. All in all it was worth it since it's a gift for a family member but I won't be making anymore unless I can find bushings for it lol.

Edit: This didn‘t come with instructions and after looking at Craft Supplies site, I realized I installed the middle section backwards. Oh well lol.

Reactions: Like 1 | EyeCandy! 2 | Way Cool 5


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## trc65 (Jan 29, 2021)

Great looking cigar case!

Is that kit from Craft Supplies? I made one a couple of years ago that I think was from Craft Supplies, and I'm pretty sure I've got bushings for it too.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Barb (Jan 29, 2021)

trc65 said:


> Great looking cigar case!
> 
> Is that kit from Craft Supplies? I made one a couple of years ago that I think was from Craft Supplies, and I'm pretty sure I've got bushings for it too.


Dang it! No this was from Turner's Warehouse but I wish I had looked there. It would've saved a ton of time.

Reactions: Like 1


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## BangleGuy (Jan 30, 2021)

Barb said:


> Here's my last entry that I just got done. It's a cigar case with a cutter/punch top. I had no idea what a pain this would be. I had to make 2 sets of bushings for it. One to shape it and the other for putting the finish on. I used ca as the finish. All in all it was worth it since it's a gift for a family member but I won't be making anymore unless I can find bushings for it lol.
> 
> View attachment 201458View attachment 201459View attachment 201460


This turned out great Barb! Another unique use for those blanks and it looks fantastic. I suspect a prize will be heading your way soon! You have entered some nice pieces for the contest! Thanks for joining in the fun

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## T. Ben (Jan 30, 2021)

Great idea and fantastic work.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Jan 30, 2021)

Very fine work there Barb.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## BangleGuy (Jan 30, 2021)

Fellow Woodbar-tarians!!! Only a few more days until the contest closes. This is the last weekend for the contest, and there are prizes! If you have ideas, and a few hours to spend in the shop, make something fun out of small round donuts! The only condition for this contest is that you use wood blanks that are about 2” in diameter by about 1 to 2” tall that have a 5/16” hole in the middle. You can make your own blanks, join the contest and have a chance for a prize. Thanks all!

Reactions: Like 3


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## Tony (Feb 1, 2021)

I will post some pics tonight, I was thinking today was the 31st, sorry Eric!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Arn213 (Feb 1, 2021)

Barb- that “looks mahvelous, absolutely mahvelous”.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Tony (Feb 1, 2021)

Here are my entries. I have other ideas but ran out of time. I had a dang good time with this, I plan on trying some more ideas as well. I liked doing the pendants, filling them hasn't worked as well as I would like but I'm pretty happy with how these look. The ornament has pen blank cutoffs for the top and finial. The sake bowls were a blast to turn! Thanks for the blanks and for doing this Eric!

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 2 | Way Cool 6


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## trc65 (Feb 1, 2021)

Great stuff Tony! Love those sake bowls, that's a great idea. Pretty cool looking ornament too.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Arn213 (Feb 1, 2021)

@Tony- those pendants are gorgeous! Several of them look - all jokes aside, some of them really resembles mini bagels and several look like cookies!

That 4th and 5th photo reminds me of glazed Japanese earthenware. I am digging those “sake” shot cups! Sake bomb time

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Feb 1, 2021)

Nice job Tony. Love the bowls

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Barb (Feb 1, 2021)

Awesome work Tony! I love the pendants and the sake bowls the most. The ornament is cool as well but the others are more unique to me. If you don't mind me asking, how were you able to turn the pendants so thin? I know a few people who would love those as gifts.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Tony (Feb 1, 2021)

Barb said:


> Awesome work Tony! I love the pendants and the sake bowls the most. The ornament is cool as well but the others are more unique to me. If you don't mind me asking, how were you able to turn the pendants so thin? I know a few people who would love those as gifts.


Thanks Barb! I cut them on the bandsaw to about 1/4" thin, then attach them to a block of wood on my Ruth Niles pendant jig to turn them. I'll trade you a few for your stingray box!

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 3 | Useful 1


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## Gdurfey (Feb 1, 2021)

Tony, love the pendants!!! I mean, everyt is great, just the pendants really caught my eye.

Where did you get the Ruth Niles Pendant Jig??


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## Barb (Feb 1, 2021)

Tony said:


> Thanks Barb! I cut them on the bandsaw to about 1/4" thin, then attach them to a block of wood on my Ruth Niles pendant jig to turn them. I'll trade you a few for your stingray box!


Right on! Thank you for the info. I think I'll be holding onto the box though, just to remind myself not make another anytime soon. :)

Reactions: Funny 2 | +Karma 1


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## Tony (Feb 1, 2021)

Gdurfey said:


> Tony, love the pendants!!! I mean, everyt is great, just the pendants really caught my eye.
> 
> Where did you get the Ruth Niles Pendant Jig??











Joyner Off Center Jig Kit - Niles Bottle Stoppers


Jig to create off-set turnings; pendants, box lids, bottle stoppers, goblets. Great for woodturners, decorate box lids.




nilesbottlestoppers.com

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Gdurfey (Feb 1, 2021)

Tony said:


> Joyner Off Center Jig Kit - Niles Bottle Stoppers
> 
> 
> Jig to create off-set turnings; pendants, box lids, bottle stoppers, goblets. Great for woodturners, decorate box lids.
> ...


Found it. Being lazy tonight and should have just looked. But thanks Tony. Going to watch some videos.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Tony (Feb 1, 2021)

Gdurfey said:


> Found it. Being lazy tonight and should have just looked. But thanks Tony. Going to watch some videos.


It's a really cool system, I've had fun with it.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 3


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## Gdurfey (Feb 1, 2021)

Tony said:


> It's a really cool system, I've had fun with it.
> View attachment 201836View attachment 201838



I remember an older post also from someone. Well, there went that $120 but pendants out of the bangle centers is just too easy, relatively speaking.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Tony (Feb 2, 2021)

Gdurfey said:


> I remember an older post also from someone. Well, there went that $120 but pendants out of the bangle centers is just too easy, relatively speaking.


You'll have a good time with it! Be sure to make a draw bar for it, they will come out without one. Don't ask how I know this....

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Mike Hill (Feb 2, 2021)

Great job Tony! Those look fabulous!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## barry richardson (Feb 2, 2021)

Very cool stuff Tony, all very creative!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## BangleGuy (Feb 6, 2021)

From my reckoning, here are the entries to the contest. @Tony can you set up a poll for this post? Thanks everyone!

#1 @NCWoodArt - Bill




#2 @Gardnaaa - Zack





#3 @barry richardson - Barry




#4 @Barb 




#5 @Gdurfey - Gary



#6 @Barb 



#7 @Tony 



#8 @Tony 



#9 @Tony

Reactions: Way Cool 3


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## Tony (Feb 6, 2021)

Okay everyone, go here and vote for your fave!




__





♫ εηdεd ♫ VOTING: Bangle Core Usage Contest


1. MCWoodArt 2. Gardaaa 3. Barry Richardson 4. Barb Bowl 5. Gdurfey 6. Barb Cigar Case 7. Tony Pendants 8. Tony Saki Cup 9. Tony Ornament



woodbarter.com


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## Barb (Feb 14, 2021)

Tony said:


> Here are my entries. I have other ideas but ran out of time. I had a dang good time with this, I plan on trying some more ideas as well. I liked doing the pendants, filling them hasn't worked as well as I would like but I'm pretty happy with how these look. The ornament has pen blank cutoffs for the top and finial. The sake bowls were a blast to turn! Thanks for the blanks and for doing this Eric!
> View attachment 201824View attachment 201825View attachment 201826View attachment 201827View attachment 201828View attachment 201829


Thank you for sending me down another rabbit hole lol. I ordered one of those offcenter thingamajigs because of your pendants. :)

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 1


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## Tony (Feb 14, 2021)

Barb said:


> Thank you for sending me down another rabbit hole lol. I ordered one of those offcenter thingamajigs because of your pendants. :)


That's really cool! If you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out!

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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