I won a block of cottonwood at our last club meeting; this is what I did with it. The base is sycamore, finial is holly while the body is cottonwood. Dyed with Belen "Solar-Lux" dyes and sprayed with lacquer (today, not buffed out yet). Size is 7-1/2" diameter by 12" high (to top of finial). The finial is attaches with three lugs, a twist to the right tightens it up.
Comments and critiques welcome (I am thinking the lower part of finial may be too fat).