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Thread: Ornament How-To (my way!)

  1. #1
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    Ornament How-To (my way!)

    This place is great because I get inspired to do all kinds of different projects, but those Christmas ornament posts started something out of control. I had quite the learning curve at first but now have developed a method that worked great for me and I think that others might be able to benefit by using my technique, so.....

    To start out I take a 1 1/4" diameter light wood and cut it in roughly a 3" diameter. Dead center is a 3/4" hole. I was lucky to find this knule post at a local hardware shop and got it for $25. It will be turned into a ton of ornaments. The dark wood (mine is walnut) is roughly 9 1/2" long and 1" square. I use a nail punch to indent one end at its center for the tail stock.





    Last edited by Scott Hackler; 01-04-2010 at 11:59 PM.

  2. #2
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    Ok, so next I clamp the square stock in the middle of my SuperNova2 chuck (loosely) and center with the tail stock hole. Clamping the chuck down hard, I turn it round. At this point I use a little gauge I made with the height of the topper marked on it. With a parting tool I turn down 5 widths of the tool (1/8" each") a little at a time until my gauge slips over the future tenon.





    Then I part the two apart with a slight chamfered edge.

    Last edited by Scott Hackler; 01-04-2010 at 11:41 PM.

  3. #3
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    After parting I clean up the cut, to flush and add CA all the way around the headstock end. Press on the light wood blank and then the pendant piece. I use the tail stock to "press clamp" the whole assembly and leave the tail stock in place during most of the time.





    Next I shape the "bulb" portion and carefully cut right down to the dark wood. Sometimes I really pay attension to not show the lighter wood as a tenon on top of the pendant, but I think the joints are so tight that either way looks pretty darn good.

    Last edited by Scott Hackler; 01-04-2010 at 11:46 PM.

  4. #4
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    I will turn the pendant kinda backwards from normal finial turning. Meaning I start at the big end and finish at the small end. I do, occationally, get some vibrations before done but light cuts generally help to finish. Before cutting the small end loose (or the final really small turning) I sand everything turned so far, up to 400 grit.





    Next comes the topper (or what ever you call it). Now I realize that the closeness to the chuck is kinda frightning, but Im used to it. The length of the dark wood would allow you to start a little further away from the chuck. I just wanted the longest ornament possible with the blanks I cut.

    Last edited by Scott Hackler; 01-05-2010 at 3:38 PM.

  5. #5
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    Slap on the Boiled Linseed Oil and watch the grain come alive. Man do I love using BLO. A quick spin with a dry paper towel and bring on the poly or laquer.







    I hope that this will help anyone who would like to try making Christmas ornaments. Now get to it, you have less than 12 months to get them all done!
    Last edited by Scott Hackler; 01-04-2010 at 11:55 PM.

  6. #6
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    Here is a pic of the ornament collection so far and the latest one that I did a little hollowing, piercing and woodburning!




  7. #7
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    Scott those are some good looking ornaments. I take it the globe is not hollowed? How heavy are they? Just curious. I do like that pierced one.
    Bernie

    Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.

    To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.



  8. #8
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    No Bernie, they are not hollowed except for the 3/4" hole all the way through the blank. I really dont think that they are heavy at all. We have some glass ornaments that are placed on our tree every year that are 2-3 times the weight of my new wood ones. I spent a lot more time on the pierced one, just trying something different, but found it kinda hard to hollow something that small. I dont have any tools for small hollowing. It was just an experiment that turned out decent.

  9. #9
    Hey Scott, can you spell A-D-D-I-C-T-I-O-N????

    Neat little tutorial! I really got into doing ornaments this year, too, but the addiction didn't carry over after Christmas. Were I smart, like you, I would get back at it as I know I will do more this next time.

  10. #10
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    Scott - thanks for taking the time to put together this tutorial! It's always great to see how folks do things and I am sure this will help a lot of folks give ornaments a try! Nice work!
    Steve

    “You never know what you got til it's gone!”
    Please don’t let that happen!
    Become a financial Contributor today!

  11. #11
    Great tutorial...The idea of ornaments has always been a little intimidating to me but I might have to give your method a try now that I've seen it demonstrated. Thanks!

  12. #12
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    Thanks Scott. I was just curious as to the weight. The extra time on the pierced one sure paid off as it is a beauty. I like it. You are like me I have to start now so I will be done by next Christmas. Thanks for sharing a nice tutorial.
    Bernie

    Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.

    To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.



  13. #13
    Great tutorial. I've been wanting to make ornaments for several years and your easy approach just might get me going for next year.
    * * * * * * * *
    Mark Patoka
    Stafford, VA
    * * * * * * * *

  14. #14
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    Beautiful ornaments Scott!!!
    Thanks for taking the time to post the tutorial!!
    It amazes me how you can turn a piece of wood so thin and long!!!
    Michael
    Take care!
    Michael

    Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.-- Leo Buscaglia

  15. #15
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    Very cool. Thanks for taking the time to take and post all of those photos. I love to see the different techniques that people use for any given project. Nice ornaments, too.

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