Inlace<\/a>, a colored infill product that I have seen used to great effect with both natural voids and intentionally created grooves. According to reports on its use, after the fill is applied, it can be turned, sanded, and finished as if it were natural wood. I seriously thought about this approach but I decided, in the end, not to use any sort of fill material. The deep and significant checking is what makes the piece what it is; imperfect and yet that imperfection is its perfection.<\/p>\nI am well aware that there are many wood-turners and other woodworkers who would think me a fool for wasting so much time with such an incredibly imperfect piece of material, free material at that. It wasn’t as if I was trying to salvage some rare and incredibly expensive piece of wood. I am certain that in many woodshops the piece of Hollywood Juniper I turned would have ended up in a fire pile or just in the trash. I like to think that if those of us who like the unique and imperfect turn enough of these pieces, write about them, and display our photos of them, that the tide will someday turn and more and more wood-turners and other woodworkers will discover the unique perfection in the imperfect.<\/p>\n
It was clear that I could not use a rubbed or lathe-applied finish to this piece because of the natural edge and the check voids. Anything remotely pasty or think would have gummed up and accumulated in the voids. I think I might just have gotten away with a shellac finish that I could have wiped on to the natural edge since that part is small and relatively smooth, but I was worried that liquid shellac would drip into the checks, or otherwise be uneven, and I have enough trouble getting a smooth shellac finish with perfect material.<\/p>\n
I have used Deft spray lacquer in the past with the natural edges of burl pieces and it has always worked well. I had my husband hold the piece, outside, while I sprayed it, being very careful to apply light coatings to avoid drips. After 30 minutes, we reversed the piece, again outside since my shop doesn’t have ventilation adequate for the task of finishing with spray lacquer, and finished the bottom. I didn’t give it the recommended three applications because the piece is strictly decorative; I don’t expect it to be subjected to extensive use such that a strong and durable finish would be required.<\/p>\n
Once again I am pleased with the results of using a piece of material that would have been on the trash heap in most shops. I greatly enjoy the challenge of working with the imperfect and in finding the unique and hidden beauty that can appear from a most unlikely piece of material. I truly wish I had photographed the starting material, for it was absolutely just about the most unpromising starting piece I have ever bothered to work with. I think there is a lesson here for all wood-turners and other woodworkers: work with that you initially think to reject for there may well be hidden treasure within.<\/p>\n
As always, I wish all my readers a great experience in whatever their wood working interests happen to be and to those who like working with lathes especially, do a good turn today!<\/p>\n
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Hollywood Juniper has a delightful odor unlike any other wood I have ever cut or turned, and at this point, I have cut and turned a fair number of different woods, exotic import and domestic included. In fact, I was not sure what the wood was that I was working with until the first cut and then I knew without doubt that it was Hollywood Juniper from smell alone (I have since had further evidence of identification based on grain pattern and coloration). Hollywood Juniper, even when dried for decades, smells distinctly of butter cream frosting or fresh cake batter when cut. Once smelled, you will never forget it and will be able to readily identify a piece of Hollywood Juniper for years to come once you have smelled it when cut. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":175,"featured_media":1095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[128,138,139,130],"tags":[171,176,181,183,190,191,200,204,210,212,225,239,240],"yoast_head":"\n
Hollywood Juniper Bowl - Redux - Wood Turning Pens ..<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n