Small Turnings

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jeff

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SMALL TURNINGS! Smallish lathe-turned things other than pens. Stoppers, keychains, bowls, lidded boxes, weed pots, shaving sets, ornaments, birdhouses, salt/pepper grinders, kitchenware -- the list is long. Many of us make them. Sometimes we start other turning after making pens for a while, or perhaps we started pens after turning other things. Regardless, there is a lot of overlap in techniques, methods, tooling, materials, and finishes. I've heard from numerous people who do craft and art shows that the other items sell as well as or sometimes even better than pens.

Let's start paying some attention to them, a little more than just filing them away in "Other Things We Make".

I have created a new category called SMALL TURNINGS. This category currently contains "Show Off Your Small Turnings" and "Small Turning Talk" Depending on how this goes, we might split those forums or add others, but those should get us started. Right now that category is above the Penturning category in the forum list. Not because it's more important than penturning, but to increase the visibility while it's new.

I hope you enjoy the new forums and let's see those small turnings!
 
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jrista

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Awesome! I am in the process of making a couple little salt and pepper grinders myself, will share once they are done.
 

jttheclockman

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I like it also. I started my craft career in scrollsawing and done that for well over 40 years now. I try to combine that with some turning also and hope to eventually do more of that.
 

jeff

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I'm going to enable "thread prefixes" in the show off forum so you can tag your post with what it is. Here's the list of small turnings I came up with.
  • Bowls
  • Plates
  • Lidded Boxes
  • Weed Pots
  • Bottle Stoppers
  • Candlesticks
  • Shaving Gear
  • Spinning Tops
  • Ornaments
  • Birdhouses
  • S&P Grinders
  • Kitchen/Bar Ware
  • Keychains
What am I missing?
 

jrista

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A nice catch-all category for anything else, might be "Trinkets", or maybe that and "Decorations." I've picked up a couple of small cubes of wood that I'm hoping to turn into spheres, which will sit on simple stands I also plan on turning. I'm not sure what else to call them other than just a simple decorative piece.

Some of the bandsaw projects I have planned probably also fall into those categories. Things like bandsaw animals and the like. I am also planning on exploring bandsaw boxes during the summer or fall.
 

sbwertz

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May 11, 2010
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Chuck, I often start my new blind turners on the antique peppermills that just bolt on top of a turned base because they are actually easier to turn than a pen is.
 

sbwertz

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Here are some of the non pen items my blind students have made...the mushrooms are bottle stoppers in a display made from a piece of log.

turnings.jpg.jpg
 
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