I got an order this week to do some commisioned turnings. I was given a sample apple that came from a set. I was told it was the next to the largest in the set and that there are four apples in the set and they get progressively smaller. I was given an order to make five sets.

 

I wasn't sure that I could turn an apple since I had not until now, so I went out this evening when I got in from work and found a pieve of Osage Orange, but me a blank and chucked it up in the lsthe.

 

I don't know about you, but I think I did pretty good to get my apple pretty close to the sample.

 

These are going to a U.S. Representative from Alabama. I guess I had better do my best work on these.

 

So what do you think??

 

Mine is the one on the right, their's is on the left.

 

 

Another view of mine.

 

 

 

I even put a small stem on mine.

darn John! That is nice work man! Excellent turning. And, that is a very impressive recipient of the apples. Congratulations on the commission and here's to a job well done. I love that apple, sweet!

Whoa Hoppened??? To the lathe? Why is out of commission?

Joshua D. Rollins said:

No kidding, on the first picture I figured the one on the right was the one you were going by because it was the better looking one. Not that I didn't think you could do a better job, just a gut reaction. Now I know what I'm going to try when my lathe is back in service. very nice work!

Josh, Thanks for that compliment. I just have to get busy and get all 20 of them turned now. I had a friend drop off 8 logs about 12" in diameter and about 30" long of Osage yesterday afternoon. I hope to get my blanks cut this weekend and get busy turning the rest of them so I can get them delivered.

I have also got to decide on how much step down each apple has. They only sent me one, but each one in a set is a different size. I really don't have anything to go on so I am just going to wing it.

Hope you get you lathe back soon. I know you will be ready to let the chips fly once it is back in it's home.

Joshua D. Rollins said:

No kidding, on the first picture I figured the one on the right was the one you were going by because it was the better looking one. Not that I didn't think you could do a better job, just a gut reaction. Now I know what I'm going to try when my lathe is back in service. very nice work!

Well let's go to the good news first.

Congratulations on picking up the new addition. That is absolutly fantastic!! I can only imagine how excited you all are. This will be a big change in life, but one that will be great. Best of luck with this one and we will continue pulling for the second one.

Now about the lathe.

Glad you are getting it back so soon, and I hate it when they want to give you the bill. lol

You are correct in that is not a bad investment in the tool that you have.

When you get it back home and set back up, let's see some turnings

Joshua D. Rollins said:

Good news! My lathe is ready, the bad news is that the bill is ready too. It's about to cost me $200 to get it back, but on the up side it was free to begin with and since I'm sure it's the first work done on a probably at least 40 year old machine I think it's worth the investment. Oh, and other good news, we got the call the other day to go ahead and pick up the youngest little boy Monday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats Josh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a cigar my man! So it's a boy!!! Man what a wonderful time in life it is pal, way to go and my best to the new mom and dad and the lucky child. Your guys are a Godsend.

Joshua D. Rollins said:

Good news! My lathe is ready, the bad news is that the bill is ready too. It's about to cost me $200 to get it back, but on the up side it was free to begin with and since I'm sure it's the first work done on a probably at least 40 year old machine I think it's worth the investment. Oh, and other good news, we got the call the other day to go ahead and pick up the youngest little boy Monday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I am finally turning on the apples. I had a few problems working out the perspective on them. There are four apples in a set and they sent me the next to the largest on as a sample. I don't know how big the largest one is or how small the smallest. Tried to just adjust the size while I was turning this weekend, but that didn't work. My large apple was so big that if I scaled down with it the smallest would be so small I don't think I could have turned it. lol.

So I sat down and drew them out as I should have before I started and got the scale I think will work. Sorry I didn't have the camera in the shop this weekend but I will post pictures later. I did get three of the smallest ones turned and I am now on a roll.

I hope to finish them later this week if possible.

This Friday is 1st Friday where I will have a booth setup with some of my stuff in Florence. Then on Saturday, I will have a booth in Lawerenceburg, TN for their 1st Saturday event.

This week will be busy getting pieces finished to put out on the tables.

John

So here are some more pictures of the apples.

This one is missing the next to the smallest apple.

I turned the large on in this picture then realized it would be too big.

So as you see they are coming along.

I have three of the small ones complete, one of the next to the largest, and largest for one set.

I just need to get 15 more turned and that job will be complete and ready for collection.

John

Looking good.

Have you participated in craft shows often? If so, have you found it to be worth your investment of time? I wish to do so myself down the road. My wife and some of the family have been urging me to do so, but I don't feel as if I have enough time to make the stuff I want for myself and to give away to try my hand at selling anything.

Jason,

I got into this because a friend of mine that makes Cedar Chest wanted to. They have a thing in here called First Fridays Florence.

http://www.firstfridaysflorence.com/

You must submit your items to them and then they decide if you can display and sell your wares. We did and after the first one, my friend decided he didn't want to anymore. I had already committed to the spot for the year so I have kept it going. It takes a lot of my time in getting ready each month. You need a certain amount of inventory in order to set up and do any good. If you sell anything then you are busy the next month replacing what you sold. So far I have done okay and I will fulfill my obligation for this year, but I am unsure if I will continue it next year.

Here are a couple of pictures of my setup.

This was the setup in Lawrenceburg, TN last month.

I really like building furniture and keeping the inventory up for the shows has taken a lot of my time in the shop. It has produced several commissioned pieces though so it is not totally bad.

I have pens, cutting boards, duck and deer calls, hand mirrors and the bottle stoppers. I also have a few bowls I have turned. I usually take a couple of my tables and set them up just to show that I can do other things. Most people aren't going to spend the money for the tables at a show like this.

So is it worth it? Well I have a good time meeting people and I have made some good friends from those I have met at the show. It has made me enough money to buy a few pieces for the shop so it is not bad.

I will be doing one this Friday night and Saturday evening and that is about as much of it as I want to do.

Jason Wilkerson said:

Looking good.

Have you participated in craft shows often? If so, have you found it to be worth your investment of time? I wish to do so myself down the road. My wife and some of the family have been urging me to do so, but I don't feel as if I have enough time to make the stuff I want for myself and to give away to try my hand at selling anything.

Cool, thanks for the insight. You've featured some great looking work in those photos!

I work 60+ hrs a week, so I definitely don't want to turn my hobby/passion of woodworking into more pressure than relaxation, but I would like to dabble in selling my creations down the road.

Please don't let me discourage you from doing it. It can be great fun!

I have tried to have a small varity of items just so I don't have to keep so much inventory. If there are any of these type events close to you, you should give it a try at least. If I were retired, I would probably do more of this (maybe).

John

Okay, finally all of the apples are turned. I turned 5 last night to finish this order up. They should be picked up Saturday along with 5 cutting boards that I finished early.

It was a little rough starting them out since the band saw was down and I didn't have time to run somewhere else to cut the corners off. So I just started slow and worked them down.

Once I got it round, I cut in the size of the apple.

Removed the waste on each end so I could hollow out each end.

Started shaping the outside.

Romoved some of the top for the stem.

Sanded starting at 80 grit up through 320 grit.

Applied several coats of blo and then Hut Crystal Coat. They will all get buffed later.

Cut it loose from the lathe and sand out the nub on the bottom with the dremel tool.

And then add it to the set.

Awesome John!!! Those folks will be very happy, thanks for the instructive photos, excellent pics and a wonderful addition to our website. It's content like this that keeps them coming back. All you guys submitting pics of your work, keep it up, and don't forget to enter the pics in your project albums too with descriptions if you can.

So that was a big order John, how do you feel getting it done?

I am so glad to be finished with this. Turning the apples took way more time than I thought it would. I have no idea what a set of four apples like these will cost. I plan on asking $50.00/set, but I know I am not really coming out on this. He didn't ask for a price before I started and hasn't talk about it yet. I am just afraid to over price things.

The cutting boards he is getting are $40.00/each so it is a pretty nice order.

I picked up another order the other night for a chess board. Haven't priced it out either, but the ones I looked at online in the 2" square line were about 50.00.

It is not big money, but he helps to feed the kitty for wood working stuff. LOL (couldn't add a smiley)

John

The American Woodworker said:

Awesome John!!! Those folks will be very happy, thanks for the instructive photos, excellent pics and a wonderful addition to our website. It's content like this that keeps them coming back. All you guys submitting pics of your work, keep it up, and don't forget to enter the pics in your project albums too with descriptions if you can.

So that was a big order John, how do you feel getting it done?

Great job!!

I failed to see the setup in front of the shop John, that is very nice, nice town too, it all kind of works. Thanks for the pics. You do beautiful work pal, I love those tables. So just how much do you ask for those tables?

And, I like the southern touch hanging in the window of the shop, the good ol Stars and Bars. You know your in the south don't ya!

The table are 180.00/each. I get told at each showing that they are priced too cheap, but they don't buy them. I had one that is shown on my web site that was maple and purpleheart. It sold for $220.00.

John

The American Woodworker said:

I failed to see the setup in front of the shop John, that is very nice, nice town too, it all kind of works. Thanks for the pics. You do beautiful work pal, I love those tables. So just how much do you ask for those tables?

And, I like the southern touch hanging in the window of the shop, the good ol Stars and Bars. You know your in the south don't ya!

It will be Thursday when the order is picked up. The congressman is coming to the house/shop to pick them up.

Thought it would be Saturday, but he wasn't in town so it will be Thursday.

So here is a picture of the full order. Five cutting boards and the five sets of four apples.

Ditto, do I see a blog with photos on how to make a cutting board the right way? John? Blog? Hint hint.

Joshua D. Rollins said:

Very nice work John, I like the cutting boards, you'll have to show a step by step of them some time.