turned flowers?

[curtis rosche]

i have been asked to make some flowers as christmas ornaments, nothing fancy, doesnt have to be carved or anything. but i have no clue where to start or how to do it, or if it can be done. any help?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Sounds like a cool project! Any particular flower you want to turn?

[curtis rosche]

i was asked for a yellow rose. doesnt matter wheather its painted or dyed or uses yellow wood.

[Steve Schlumpf]

OK... just an idea for you to work with here......... turn a small shallow bowl, then another one slightly smaller, and another one. Cut or carve the individual pedals into the walls of the bowls. Stack the bowls one inside of the other, arrange the pedals so no 2 line up and you have a cheap flower. Make sense?

[Mark Burge]

Curtis, a while back I saw some turned flowers on another turning forum (WC to be exact - I hope that doesn't violate any SMC rules.) They were turned from small branches and were natural edge with two small bell shapes placed one inside the other. A search might turn up the archive. I saved a picture but I don't know where right now. If you don't find them, send me a PM and I'll locate it and send it to you.

[curtis rosche]

Steve, that would be an easy way to do it, but im looking for real size, where the head of the flower is between baseball and shot glass size.

Mark, your idea sounds good.

I heard from a turning friend that there is a famouse turner who turn wet wood really thin, and then cuts petals into it with scissors and they it warps and looks natural when it drys. but i havent been able to find it.

[Pete Jordan]

Curtis,
How about this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWWw5HHzvFw

[Mark Burge]

I couldn't find the picture I was looking for, but I did find this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWWw5HHzvFw

[Mark Burge]

Wow Pete, Great minds, huh?

[curtis rosche]

is there another tool that could be used for that? im not that good with a skew. thanks for the links though

[Gary Conklin]

Curtis, I would suggest turning a thin stemed goblet like this one in end grain then "cutting/carving" leaves if done with a wood with thin prominent growth rings it should look very much like petals.

[Norm Zax]

Havent seen the videos recommended above but seems that a rose would be almost possible if you made three or four really thin bowls and then slice them up to create petals. You could bend some by immersing in water. Otherwise, a rose is not "turnable". See Lacer's video for small fluffy flowers.

[Steve Busey]

Originally Posted by curtis rosche

I heard from a turning friend that there is a famous turner who turn wet wood really thin, and then cuts petals into it with scissors and they it warps and looks natural when it drys

This is not mine, and I don't remember where I first saw it, but I copied this picture into my "Someday..." file - this is a similar technique to what you describe, but this guy did not cut the petals. I believe the creator called these "Sea flowers".

seaflower.JPG

[curtis rosche]

those sea flowers are on the VB36 site. i will try the flowers that are shown in the video

[John Beaver]

Curtis,
Take a look at Alain Mailland's site for some ideas.

http://www.mailland.fr/html/gallery2.html