Dyed Oak HF's

[Kathy Marshall]

That's a beautiful grouping Baxter! They all look great to me but I'm with Dr David, #3 is my favorite then #1 then #5. I don't have any technical explanation, I guess I just like round!

[Rick Markham]

I like them all Baxter! Tall green one is my favorite in form and proportions, short blue one is next, with the bigger blue one bringing up third. The roundish ones just don't quite have the same effect to my eye as the others, they are all super nice, and I really like the finish/treatment of all of them. The small red one is stunning in texture and color and probably my favorite in the color/texture department of the bunch. Regardless, they are all beautiful and well executed

[Ken Hill]

No comment on the techy artsy side of things, I just like them as they are...great work!

[John Keeton]

Just to clarify your thoughts John. The third was the green/blue combo and the fourth just blue. Because you mentioned the shoulder, you were referring to the 4th as your preference?

Yes, the 4th. One of my many deficits is being extremely color blind - seriously! It gets real interesting when I start playing with dye! Were it not for Ms. Keeton, some of the outcomes would be far worse.

[Joe Landon]

Great looking hollow forms. I try to use the Fibonacci formula for a killer form. On a side note, rubbing a wax tinted with a complimentary color into the open grain of your colored oak is a great look.

[Michelle Rich]

I'm just a country gal..but I know what looks good to my eye and these look good..not a clunker in the group.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Baxter those are all well done. I really like the form on all and each one with it's form is pleasing to my eye.

[Bill Bolen]

I'm afraid I'm not much of an artist but like Michelle I know what I like. Not a klunker in the bunch! I do admit to Preferring those with the larger radius shoulder though.

[Joe Cunningham]

I know so little about turning that I don't even know what I don't know (if that makes any sense), but I find the tall green and tall blue HFs to be the most pleasing. I like the dyes as well on all of them, and normally I don't like dyed wood.

[Baxter Smith]

Thanks for the responses! In my initial post, I left my perception of what constitutes a "sweet curve from head to toe" very openended. I hoped to get some idea of what that meant to others.

When I started with these oak forms, it suddenly dawned on me what one turners forms all seemed to have in common (to me at least). That commonality seems to run through all different shapes and styles. The size of the opening isn't especially noticed. The shoulder isn't especially noticed. The size of the foot isn't especially noticed. What I notice is a "sweet curve from head to toe".If you go here and scroll down, you will see some pictures that are better than any description I could write. Whenever I put one of these pieces of oak on the lathe, I never went back and looked, but that perception was what I had in mind. One can dream can't they?

I am still withholding my critiques, but I do have some. Thanks again for any thoughts you have!

[Alan Trout]

Baxter,

They are all wonderful. My favorite for shape it the first blue, The green and red rounder ones also catch my eye. My least favorite is second blue one. However with that being said I would be proud to display any of them on my shelf.

Alan

[Baxter Smith]

After reading and thinking about all of the great responses, there were a few random thoughts (the only kind I have)I wanted to share.
It was interesting that someones selection of their favorite and least favorite form might be in exact opposition to someone elses. Yet both are great judges of form(in my estimation at least)! Not surprisingly perhaps, I sometimes seemed to see a connection between the shapes that someone preferred and the shapes of things they usually post.

Attachment 215806

In the first pic of the grouping of five, IMO the second tall green vase comes the closest (but I think the shoulder is too high),

I am in agreement on both counts John. It was the shoulder part that led me to pick the green as the first wirebrush guinea pig.

No. 3 is appealing until I get to the base. It's too narrow for my taste causing it as a whole to appear too bulbous.

Bill, my thoughts exactly on the base. I was so focused on the curve, I didn't quite now how to end it at the bottom(and I had already drilled a center hole in it that was a bit too deep!)

..... I like the large blue form best. I like these full figured shapes as I think they show off the wood very well. I also like relatively small bottoms as I think it allows the eye to follow the curve through the foot and up the other side of the form. Even on this piece, I feel like the tightness of the curve near the very bottom should rapidly increase... That gives the form as sense of floating which I really like. ........

It is my favorite as well David in that I was trying to make the shoulder somewhat dissappear into the curve. Your solution for the base was something I was unable to accomplish and should have considered earlier.

......The small red one is stunning in texture and color and probably my favorite in the color/texture department of the bunch.

Rick, I am not a fan of the color red, but it is surprisingly my favorite in the color department for these. Perhaps its because of its comparitive boldness.

Great looking hollow forms. I try to use the Fibonacci formula for a killer form. On a side note, rubbing a wax tinted with a complimentary color into the open grain of your colored oak is
a great look.

Thanks Joe, I have some liming wax but have yet to use it. Is there a special wax you can add transtint to?

Thanks again for taking the time to give me some interesting things to think about(and try to remember). It is appreciated!

[Primvs Aebvtivs]

I like the blue one 7 x 5.5, don't know why, possibly because it has the smoothest transfer of curves...?

[John Keeton]

Is there a special wax you can add transtint to?

Baxter, the JoeWoodworker site states: "TransTint Dyes can be added to a wide variety of finishing products like waxes and glues." I would try Johnson's Paste Wax - it is fairly clear and cheap enough to experiment with. Be sure and post any results. It would be interesting if it would mix with Ren wax, but that stuff is too expensive to play with!

[Baxter Smith]

Baxter, the JoeWoodworker site states: "TransTint Dyes can be added to a wide variety of finishing products like waxes and glues." I would try Johnson's Paste Wax - it is fairly clear and cheap enough to experiment with. Be sure and post any results. It would be interesting if it would mix with Ren wax, but that stuff is too expensive to play with!

Thanks John, don't remember reading about wax in the small amount of transtint literature I have. I have plenty of the Wax but no oak hollowforms left. I think the liming wax needs to have some type of lacquer applied over it so it doesn't dry and fall out. I wonder if dyed Johnsons wax wouldn't be the same.