Thread: Pruned ash challenge

It started with an idea.
There's an upcoming event for French and Swiss wet shavers during which there will be something like a giveaway/give one take one thingy.

Why not turn a few handles, at least some of them could find a new home and I could hone my skills...

Then there was a first attempt, discussed above


And then it went "ok, it came from a branch I pruned 2 years ago from the ash at the back, let's turn the whole thing into handles".
Sadly, some sections had been riddled with holes by worms, so I was left with less than I hopped (eyeing the second pruned branch)

The process is, for now, mostly the same.
First I cut my section, and I put it between points on the lathe, get it down to a cylinder without major defects.
If I cut true enough on the head stock, my spear drive (the "fork" that digs into the wood to make it turn) is all the support I need for the next step.
Otherwise I make a little tenon on one side, and I put it into my chuck.

Then it's drilling with a Forstner bit into a drill chuck, to the size of the knot.

I turn the piece around and then I put the chuck into the hole. (phrasing !).
At that point only do I start to put in shape, as it guarantees I will have no axis deviation.

There is a very good video by Lewis around here from which I've learnt a lot, if you want more information.

But then on each new piece I add a little "extra exercise".

On the first one above, it was the soshugiban, which means burning the wood with a blow torch.

Then there is this one

Which was stressful as hell. And not my first try
Constraint : turning it, from start to finish, using only the skew chisel. Because I am a bad guy and I hate myself.
Also, admittedly, because one of the French brushmakers, a true pro this one unlike yours truly, told me that the skew was treated in some circles with the same snob attitude as are straight razors.



Off with n⁰ 3.

I failed the challenge this time (more on it if I ever achieve it, it's a fun one). But I love the result. He's cute. I'll call him Alvin.

On the last ones the knot is the high mountain white one I mentioned in another thread. 1"


Hey... I think bit by bit I'm actually getting somewhere !