Its not quite finished but nearly.  Adding on the stain at the moment.  I managed to turn a chunk of 4x4 down into something extremely nice.  Fits the 12 inch length from the Wood River pepper mill kits perfectly.  I managed to get lucky with that.  On the underside where the working mechanism is I'm planning on leaving it just a bit rough just to get the sense of the 4x4 it used to be.  How ever I will say this cheap wood cleans up quite nicely.

 

I don't think I need to show a picture of what a 4x4 bought from home depot looks like... But it went from square or rather semi square 4x4 to...

 

 

And finally to this with the first coating of stain on the exterior.

 

2 hours ago, AndrewB said:

I don't think I need to show a picture of what a 4x4 bought from home depot looks like...

 

 ...I'll have to see if I've still got that couple of 8' that I got at Menards, they've got a 90° twist to them. 

hack off as much as you can after you marked out your center with your bandsaw before you start turning it.  A huge pain to turn it from a straight 4x4.

Nice grain patterns!

Yea it turned out alright for the most part.

This morning it will be high time to put this pepper mill together got all the pieces ready to go just got to make a store run first.

 

 

 

Looks good Andrew, be sure to post up a pic when it's assembled

How long have you had the 4x4?  Most of the one's available to me from BORG are pretty wet and either crack as they dry out, or end up twisted like Larry's.  Or did you microwave your blank before starting?

7 minutes ago, Cal said:

end up twisted like Larry's.

 

 ... So I'm not the only one that gets wood screws. 

No but I've learned NOT to use them and just use an epoxy instead.  SO annoying.

Had a really nice grain pattern but I failed again with the parts so I'm giving it another go made a new one today still finishing it off how ever I put a different type of shape and different topper piece to it this time.  I pre sanded the outside before starting to drill out and hollow everything.  I started off hollowing from the top of the mill and working my way down with the smaller of the two forstner bits.  Still have more hollowing to do.  But I even left the drill holes in the 4x4 piece to show that it was a re claimed piece of S C R A P.  It will probably take me a few tries to get everything right on this like it was with the pens and the bowls.

 

 

 

I like the grain change of the top of the first one.  That was cool.  So sorry that it didn't work for you.  You are growing and it is great to see your growth.