Walnut Basket -Basket Illusion

trc65

trc65

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Tim
Finished this one tonight, all though it is still "naked" with no finish.

Curt Fuller, a turner on a couple other sites, posted a couple walnut Basket illusion pieces last fall which really looked fantastic. Never thought of using walnut, but happy I saw his pieces and tried some.

This is the first hollow form I've made into an illusion, and I will be doing more, both with walnut and as hollow forms.

This one is 6" diameter and 2.75" tall. No finish on it right now, but I've got a test piece to work on the next couple nights to see how a finish might look. It's a fine line with the walnut and colors.

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trc65 said:
Finished this one tonight, all though it is still "naked" with no finish.

Curt Fuller, a turner on a couple other sites, posted a couple walnut Basket illusion pieces last fall which really looked fantastic. Never thought of using walnut, but happy I saw his pieces and tried some.

This is the first hollow form I've made into an illusion, and I will be doing more, both with walnut and as hollow forms.

This one is 6" diameter and 2.75" tall. No finish on it right now, but I've got a test piece to work on the next couple nights to see how a finish might look. It's a fine line with the walnut and colors.

View attachment 283233

View attachment 283234

View attachment 283235
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Your baskets always amaze me! Are all those little black vertical lines from the grain or do you draw those in too?
 
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  • #4
djg said:
Your baskets always amaze me! Are all those little black vertical lines from the grain or do you draw those in too?
Click to expand...
Those are all burned in to simulate the look of a woven basket.

The finest weavers would have between 30-40 "stitches" per inch. Pretty amazing when you consider they were using all natural materials - grasses, sedges, bark, etc.

My density is in the 32-35/inch range. It takes forever to burn those, but one advantage is that you can create a design with a higher "resolution" and much more detail.
 
I love seeing your basket illusions, Tim. This is another winner :good2:

Just one question - how are you going to do the inside? :lol2:
 
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  • #9
duncsuss said:
I love seeing your basket illusions, Tim. This is another winner :good2:

Just one question - how are you going to do the inside? :lol2:
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Some would say I'm a little obsessive for doing these, but I do know if at least one other that makes hollow form basket illusions and does do the inside. Cuts the form in half and fits it like a box. Beads the inside and out then glued them back together.

If I were ever to do that, it would have to be a very lucrative commission that was paid in full in advance. Since I don't sell anything, the likelihood of that is pretty near zero. Never say never, but, .....

I'll see if I can find a picture.
 
That looks great Tim! I think doing some test finishes is a wise move, that walnut will darken dramatically, and there could be little contrast between it and the design, looking forward to seeing how it turns out...
 
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  • #13
barry richardson said:
That looks great Tim! I think doing some test finishes is a wise move, that walnut will darken dramatically, and there could be little contrast between it and the design, looking forward to seeing how it turns out...
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Thanks Barry.

If I do anything it will probably be Krylon Matte finish. Sprayed a little yesterday on a rough turned bowl and darkening wasn't too bad, but sometimes it muddles the colors. Going to ink and burn a test sample tonight and see what happens.
 
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  • #15
I have used Krylon Matte 1311 on other basket illusion pieces, but not used it since I've started going with the high stitch count.

This is my little test piece. You can easily see where I've used tape to mask.

PXL_20260115_055208708.webp

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The lines aren't as fine on the test piece as they are on the hollow form, but you can see how much it muddles the fine details and darkens everything. No finish for this piece either.

Now that is not to say you should never use a finish on these type of pieces. I intentionally use a high stitch count (~32-34/inch) to get fine details in the graphics. On some pieces where the pattern is larger, a coat or two of a matte finish could serve to "age" the bowl and really add to the appearance. This one will just have to age naturally....
 
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  • #19
DLJeffs said:
What about clear rattle can shellac? Might not darken the walnut quite as much.
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Haven't tried that, but the last can I tried had horrible spray tip. Lots of wood scraps though so I'll try some. I have the feeling that any finish is going to darken the underlying wood just enough to muddle the details.
 
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