Looking for suggestions on escape from wedding planning project

[Cwalker935]

View in Gallery


View in Gallery


View in Gallery


View in Gallery

So I have been escaping from being snowbound with my crazed wedding planning wife by working on a cherry burl project. I will put another coat of wipe on poly on it today and part it off and clean up the bottom tomorrow. I am very happy with the outside profile and am trying to decide on the best wood for a top and finial. I thinking a darker wood for the top with some sort of contrasting finial. I would leave as is if my hollowing skills were better it's a little too rough inside to leave open. I need to find a mentor to improve my hollowing technique. I do pretty good in the top 2-3 inches but lack control as I get deeper. Suggestions of woods for top and finial would be greatly welcomed.

 

[Cwalker935]

This piece will be 7 1/4 " tall and 7 inches in diameter (widest part) after I part it off.

 

[stonepecker]

Dark Mahogany lid with a maple or Cherry finial?

 

[GaryMGg]

A black wood like ebony would look good.

 

[Ted iin Michigan]

Yeah, I was thinking ebony, too.

 

[Cwalker935]

Anyone else have a suggestion? Also thought about bloodwood but not fond of that idea.

 

[Charlie_W]

Looking very nice!
How large of an opening do you have?
Some of our turners will turn a collar which can be threaded, attached to the vessel and then turn and thread the lid.

Can you post a pic of your hollowing tool/s?

Agree with the Ebony or Blackwood. Do you have any of this cherry Burl left that could make a finial?

 

[Cwalker935]

Looking very nice!
How large of an opening do you have?
Some of our turners will turn a collar which can be threaded, attached to the vessel and then turn and thread the lid.

Can you post a pic of your hollowing tool/s?

Agree with the Ebony or Blackwood. Do you have any of this cherry Burl left that could make a finial?

My opening is 4", I do not have any of this particular cherry left, I tried to use all of it that I could in this piece. I might have some other figured cherry, not sure tho.

This is my hollowing tool, it's designed for the inside lip not the deeper area:
Buy Sorby Hollow Master, Mid-Sized at Woodcraft.com

The EWT Hollower # 1 looks like something that would help me:
Buy Mid-Size easy Hollower No. 1 at Woodcraft.com

A bit pricey.

Ebony seems the consensus recommendation for the top.

 

[GaryMGg]

The cherry will darken over time such that a very black wood or a very white wood will most likely look best over the long run.

 

[maxwell_smart007]

very dark wood - ebony, or a rosewood with lots of color...

 

[Charlie_W]

Looking very nice!
How large of an opening do you have?
Some of our turners will turn a collar which can be threaded, attached to the vessel and then turn and thread the lid.

Can you post a pic of your hollowing tool/s?

Agree with the Ebony or Blackwood. Do you have any of this cherry Burl left that could make a finial?

My opening is 4", I do not have any of this particular cherry left, I tried to use all of it that I could in this piece. I might have some other figured cherry, not sure tho.

This is my hollowing tool, it's designed for the inside lip not the deeper area:
Buy Sorby Hollow Master, Mid-Sized at Woodcraft.com

The EWT Hollower # 1 looks like something that would help me:
Buy Mid-Size easy Hollower No. 1 at Woodcraft.com

A bit pricey.

Ebony seems the consensus recommendation for the top.

I bought the EWT set of three and they seem to work well.
Your cutter is small and makes it hard to get a smooth finish inside a vessel. Some hollowers will have a wider cutter which will cover more area and give a smoother finish. These can be used for final clean up.
Still, you used what you had! Way to go!