Popular Post HandyDan Posted November 30, 2018 Popular Post Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 Every year I make an ornament as a give away to friends and family. This year I decided to make tree light bulbs. I used this as for sizing after an internet search. I used the C9 dimensions. I used some 1.25" birch dowel rods that I found at a local surplus store. They were three feet long and I cut them into 7" pieces and got two bulbs from each piece so each dowel yielded 10 bulbs. Somehow I cut a piece off one dowel this Summer and that one one only yielded 8 bulbs. 118 individual bulbs was the final total and I paired most of them together. I ordered 1/2" brass tubing from Grainger. Came in 12" lengths so I set the metal lathe up to cut 1/2" pieces for the thread ends. I sized the wood for a press fit. Goofed up a few and had to glue them on. I cut the thread end of the bulb first which accommodated sizing for the tubing. I have been trying different ways of coloring the wood and think I have found the answer. I used an acrylic ink I found at Pat Catan's. As I brushed it on it penetrated the wood like a dye would. It did raised the grain a bit so I put them back on the lathe after covering the brass with masking tape and lightly knocked it down with pieces of brown paper bag. Here is the ink bottles. I finished them with three back to back coats of shellac. I made and finished them in batches of 24. To keep from having to open the can many times over I have gone to filling a saved soy sauce bottle. I ground the end of a small funnel to fit in the tiny hole in the top. Pour a some into the bottom of a plastic shot glass from the dollar store as needed. Seems to keep the finish fresh a lot longer. The big plus is the convenience of use. I use needle nose pliers and one of the shot glasses to dip and pour the finish into the funnel. DuckSoup, Steve Krumanaker, Dadio and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dadio Posted November 30, 2018 Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 Great idea and good job, I like it, Dan, Your the Man. Herb Cal and HandyDan 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuckSoup Posted November 30, 2018 Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 Awesome looking pieces Dan. The dye finished them off nicely. HandyDan and Cal 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpadave52 Posted November 30, 2018 Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 Most excellent Dan. A very clever & unique idea. I had to look twice at your first picture before I realized those were the turned ornaments. You absolutely nailed it on the colors. Family is gonna' love these. Dadio, HandyDan, hawkeye10 and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post lew Posted November 30, 2018 Popular Post Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 Uber Cool! I, too, thought they were real bulbs when I first saw them!! Cal, HandyDan, Grandpadave52 and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick486 Posted November 30, 2018 Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 Impressive... Cal and HandyDan 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald Posted December 1, 2018 Report Share Posted December 1, 2018 Great job and very nice duplication job Cal and HandyDan 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Krumanaker Posted December 1, 2018 Report Share Posted December 1, 2018 They look like real bulbs and I agree with Gerald about the duplicating. Well done! Steve Cal, HandyDan and hawkeye10 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Posted December 1, 2018 Report Share Posted December 1, 2018 Those are superb Dan. Very realistic, but that group pic looks like so many Mexican peppers lined up together - especially when you threw the yellow ones into the mix! Do I understand that you simply dipped these into shellac? How did you do this without any runs or drips? HandyDan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkeye10 Posted December 1, 2018 Report Share Posted December 1, 2018 Nice job Dan. They really do look real. HandyDan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HandyDan Posted December 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2018 1 hour ago, Cal said: Those are superb Dan. Very realistic, but that group pic looks like so many Mexican peppers lined up together - especially when you threw the yellow ones into the mix! Do I understand that you simply dipped these into shellac? How did you do this without any runs or drips? I saw them as peppers too and a few others have mentioned it also. I did not dip the ornaments. They were given three coats of brushed on shellac. The shellac dries so quickly it can be laid on thick and brushed smooth while it is drying. When I feel the brush drag the slightest bit I know to stop and let it dry on its own from there. Shellac can run if it is too wet or have bad brush marks but it does have a sweet spot. It doesn't take long to learn to love it especially on small items like this. Dadio, Grandpadave52, Cal and 1 other 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim L Posted December 7, 2018 Report Share Posted December 7, 2018 beautiful work... so creative. HandyDan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Howe Posted December 7, 2018 Report Share Posted December 7, 2018 Those are awesome, Dan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallpatch Posted December 7, 2018 Report Share Posted December 7, 2018 Now smarty, tell me how you gonna check to see which one is burned out when the whole string goes dark... thats how the lights use to be then they got smart and now its just the one burned out and the rest stays on.... DuckSoup and Cal 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post HandyDan Posted December 7, 2018 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted December 7, 2018 1 hour ago, Smallpatch said: Now smarty, tell me how you gonna check to see which one is burned out when the whole string goes dark Seeing how a lot of ornaments on the tree are wood I keep the candles away so they don't catch fire let alone burn out. Cal, DuckSoup, Gerald and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HandyDan Posted December 7, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2018 Artie, Cal and Stick486 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuckSoup Posted December 8, 2018 Report Share Posted December 8, 2018 Dan, that's one awesome looking tree. HandyDan and Grandpadave52 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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