cholla vase

[David E Keller]

Here's a fun little vase form made from some cholla that I got from Jerry Mercantel. It's interesting stuff to turn, and I like the finished product. It's about 10 inches tall and 3 inches in diameter and is finished with one coat of tung oil. The walls are about 3/8" to 1/2" thick.
cholla1.jpg cholla2.jpg

Comments and critiques always appreciated.

[Dennis Ford]

That looks very nice. It is very different than the other hollow forms in the background but fits in nicely.

[Paul Douglass]

That is a nice vase.

[Lionel Mercier]

Amazing, don't know this use of a cactus.
Is it realy a cactus ?
The wall is hard or like cardboard ?
What about the turning ?
Love the shape and the look. Congrats.
Lionel

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is a pretty piece. Is that like a cactus?

[John Keeton]

David, very nice look and I love the photo setup! Nice collared piece in the background, as well!

I need to get a piece of this stuff - some ideas have been floating around in my head!

[Frank Van Atta]

Definitely cactus - like these:

[Frank Van Atta]

I need to get a piece of this stuff - some ideas have been floating around in my head!

What kind/size of piece are you looking for?

[Jerry Marcantel]

David, you did good..... The shape is beautiful, plus the background does do it justice.It looks like this stuff does have good possibilities.. You do anthing with the other pieces I sent, or is this the first one??
I'm gonna go out to the forest and get some more, and be a lot more selective this time..... Last night it rained, and we got 4 1/2", so these dead cholla's should be easy to clean up on the spot. Nuttin like messing around with something that has a million little thorns ... Living on the edge!!!!!..... Jerry (in Tucson)

[David E Keller]

Amazing, don't know this use of a cactus.
Is it realy a cactus ?
The wall is hard or like cardboard ?
What about the turning ?
Love the shape and the look. Congrats.
Lionel

It's more like wood than cardboard, but it's pretty soft in places. I cut a small piece off another chunk of cholla and glued it into the bottom opening(these things are sort of hollow in the middle). I mounted the piece between centers and trued up the end that I filled. I used CA to glue a solid waste block to the flat end and then turned it like any other vase.

That is a pretty piece. Is that like a cactus?

Yep, it's a cactus

David, you did good..... The shape is beautiful, plus the background does do it justice.It looks like this stuff does have good possibilities.. You do anthing with the other pieces I sent, or is this the first one??
I'm gonna go out to the forest and get some more, and be a lot more selective this time..... Last night it rained, and we got 4 1/2", so these dead cholla's should be easy to clean up on the spot. Nuttin like messing around with something that has a million little thorns ... Living on the edge!!!!!..... Jerry (in Tucson)

This is the only piece I've finished. I've got a pen started, but I haven't gotten around to finishing it. I still have one large piece left, but I haven't figured out what I want to do with it yet. I have several smaller pieces left as well. Thanks again for allowing me to get some of this stuff.

Thanks to everyone for the kind comments.

[Allen Neighbors]

Here's a fun little vase form made from some cholla that I got from Jerry Mercantel. It's interesting stuff to turn, and I like the finished product. It's about 10 inches tall and 3 inches in diameter and is finished with one coat of tung oil. The walls are about 3/8" to 1/2" thick.
cholla1.jpg cholla2.jpg

Comments and critiques always appreciated.

David, you really turned a nice one from that Cholla! Very well done, the form really displays the wood well!!

[Baxter Smith]

Pretty neat looking vase!

[Steve Schlumpf]

David - I really like the textured aspect of the Cholla but find the form most appealing! That form would work well no matter what wood you used!

Pretty cool vase! Thanks for sharing!

[Mark Hubl]

David,

The cactus is quite nice looking rugged, yet elegant shape. Love the picture. Looks great with your other pieces, just the corner of that frame in the way. Sometimes it is really nice to see a piece in a more real world setting than the fade to black. Nice work, nice pic.

[Sean Hughto]

Wow, nice form. Looks like it would take a steady hand to avoid a catch in all those voids. I like the pieces in the background too.

General question about hollow forms: with an opening as small as those in the background, how do you achieve smooth (as opposed to ridged or ribbed) inside walls? You can't scrape, right? My hollowing tools ahave such thin noses (those glued in ones that are less than a 1/4" wide ) that I find it hard to avoid ridges. Move the tool to knock the ridge down works pretty well when you can see inside, but it must be hard when you can only feel.