"Inside Out" Christmas Ornament
November 30th

Click image for enlargement.
Ok so this is called "Inside Out Turning" because you do part of the turning in a block of wood that is made up of glued (temporarily glued) parts, then break them apart, turn them around, re glue the block and turn the now outside.
This is in the re glued state but it has been on the lathe and had what is now the inside scooped out.

(01:12:2018)
This is the starting point. Glue up 4 blocks of wood, cut and milled to be the same size. This unit is glued only in the last 1/2 inch in each end, and is slightly over size lengthwise so I can cut the ends off to free them.
Remember - Never too many clamps.

(01:12:2018)
After glue up, this is the starting point. From here to the lathe.

(01:12:2018)
After squaring two sides on the jointer, then planing the other two sides on the thickness planner, the block is mounted on the lathe and taped with glass shipping tape so it is less likely to fly apart then being turned. The planing makes the block exactly square and the same size diameter.

(15:12:2018)
Starting to turn the inside. Some where along the line it was decided to make a pair of matched candle holders so there are two being cut from the one block.

(24:12:2018)
These are the two units at the start of sanding. starting with 60 grit and working up to 2500 grit.

(24:12:2018)
Finished sanded, finished with cryoceranuate glue.

(24:12:2018)
The four parts split apart and rotated into pairs for re glueing.

(24:12:2018)
The pairs re glued, and prepped to re glue the halves.

(24:12:2018)
The clamped halves placed together.

(24:12:2018)
And clamped for drying. This end with the big "C" clamp was slightly misaligned and this clamp will pull it together.
There are 10 clamps - you can never have too many clamps!

(24:12:2018)

Back on the lathe, between centres ready to turn again.

(01:12:2018)
Partly turned, with a tenon on the left side so it can be put in a jaw chuck and have the right hand end open to work on.

(01:12:2018)

Right hand end (top) is cleaned up and square to the rest of the turning.

(02:12:2018)

Finial turned.

(02:12:2018)

Setting top up on the lathe still mounted in the chuck.
From here I picked it up with right hand to check the tenon on finial to fit the mortis in the top of the ornament. At which point I felt my right rotator cuff tear. Damn! The jaw chuck is about 3 pounds but I was reaching out to the side.

(02:12:2018)

So here we are now! Two of the three parts roughed out. The base is the block of ebony it is currently sitting on, but turning is on medical hold for now.

(02:12:2018)

Well medical hold was bypassed! Drilling a 3 inch hole in the bottom side of the base (maybe to hold batteries for a light) to reduce overall weight. Ebony is very heavy wood.

(03:12:2018)

The block was flattened then drilled. Next step is to turn it around and cut a mortis for the ornament to sit in.

(03:12:2018)

The mortis is cut in the base, and edges rounded ready for shaping. As the edges were cut off a minor crack appeared which is being filled.

(04:12:2018)

The result! Finished with sanding to 2400 grit, no varnish or stain. All kinds of defects, but hey it's a first attempt at this sort of thing.

(10:12:2018)
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