My Other Designs

  
         
  In this section you will find a complete mix of bits and pieces I have made over the previous years. Some items have been one-offs, other pieces have been popular repeats (such as apples and pears) but in themselves, they have not warranted a dedicated web page.

Ideas for pieces come from all sorts of places. It is NEVER the case that I decide "next I will make....".

Recently, I was in a shop and happened to see one of my local neighbours. A simple comment at the time resulted in an email a couple of days later saying "you know you said ...., well could you make one".

On another occasion, I was at a wood club meeting and the demonstrator did something. Immediately another idea (which I had thought of some years ago and not pursued) came to mind, and now that is on my "to do" list. I am not going to say here what it is, just in case I never get round to it. 		 
         
 



MUSTARD POTS

A very simple design with a lid and spoon, and a glass liner which also has a screw-on lid. The wooden lid will happily fit over the inner screw-on lid.

This piece, made of Cherry and African Blackwood, is functional, attractive, and sells well at craft fairs.

 
 



Another simple design with a lid and spoon. Internally, this pot contains a small glass dish to hold the mustard.

Made of Spalted Beech and African Blackwood, this was made for a friend at Christmas.

The grain alignment between lid and pot turned out to be quite stunning.

 
         
   


BANKSIA NUTS

These seed pods are from the huge Australian Banksia tree.

They are solid nuts with a furry exterior, and have oval shaped seed pods radiating from the centre.

To mount them in the lathe you need to cut a flat on each end and mount between centres, then you create a small spigot to mount in a chuck.

This is one of the most popular 'odd things' that turners turn. Lamps, bud vases, bottles, boxes are just a few of the possibilities. They turn easily and finish well. 		 
 


BOTTLE GLASS and TRAY

A natural derivative of the bottle and glass idea which is shown on the jewellery page as a pair of earrings.

A casual comment from Mary was "all you need now is a tray".

The idea spawned for a few hours, then I came up with the tray (Spalted Beech), with a bottle of wine (Oak, 50mm tall) and a goblet (Yew). This picture also shows a 50 pence piece to show the real size.

A simple but elegant present for Helen and Alex.

 
 



FRUIT

Fruit is always a popular choice. It has been made by many people, in many ways, so it can be difficult to come up with a new twist.

In this series I hope I have managed to show something new, having combined it with segmentation as shown here.

The segmented pieces are hollow and have a plastic plug in the bottom. You can insert your choice of pot-pourri, or a spot of scented oil dripped into cotton wool.

 
         
 




MUSHROOMS

Yet another popular choice at craft fairs.

Mushrooms are quick and easy to make, they offer a wealth of choice regarding size, shape and colour, and can be made with or without a natural edge.

These examples are made of Oak on the left, and Yew on the right.

 
         
 


OWLS

These owls were born out of an idea picked up at a club demonstration. The work of Paul Howard inspired me to try something a little different for a change.

Although I like Paul's work, I wanted to simplify his design a little, hence, the "Modern Art" look.

These were produced to find out what colours people would prefer, my preference is Red and Black.

They are made in various colours as here, or if you prefer, a polished wood "fully nude" finish.

 
         
 


SEWING and LACE BOBBINS

Here I am trying to cater for those who prefer the many and various applications of needle and thread to sustain their interest.

For me, lace bobins have a simple, plain design which is easy to replicate.

The cotton reels are made as singles and doubles, and the thimbles can be made to "fit your finger".

 
         
 


BOTTLE STOPPERS and LIGHT PULLS

I enjoy selling light pulls, it is interesting to see peoples faces when they are asked "does the switch hang on the left or the right".

Also fun to discuss, is whether or not bottle stoppers are realy needed, as more often than not, the bottle is either full or empty.

 
         
 




BUD VASES

It sounds a bit repetative, but these are available in many sizes, shapes and designs.

Normally they contain either a glass or a plastic liner to hold a little water.

They are often called "weed pots", and add focus to a simple flower display.



The pair are made from Oak, with Walnut, Purple Heart and Beech inserts.

The trio are Spalted Beech, Elm and Oak. My wife gave them to ex-work colleagues upon her retirement.

 
         
 


DOOR WEDGES

As is often the case, a new idea comes from a simple comment made by someone.

In this case, a customer asked if I had any door stops. "No" was my reply, but after some discussion I found that it was a door wedge being sought, not a door stop.

These are made of Ash, but any hard wood is suitable.

 
         
         
 

LETTER OPENER

Yet another popular line at craft fairs, letter openers.

To many these will be an old fashioned thing, but that doesn't stop them being an attractive item on a desk.

This pair are made of Yew and Ash.