# A real nut job...



## Steve Busey (Oct 30, 2011)

The lathe's been busted for about a week & a half, and I caught a cold in the interim, so didn't feel like creating too much sawdust after getting the lathe back together.

So I took some old pen blank cutoffs, rounded them off, gave them a spit shine, and glued them into acorn shells. A little dusty, but you get the gist...


----------



## Dan26 (Oct 30, 2011)

Cool idea Steve. Glad your lathe is working and hope you are feeling better.


----------



## Carrick (Oct 30, 2011)

Steve,

That's a nifty idea! I like them. Very creative.


----------



## DMGill (Oct 30, 2011)

That's a great idea! Think I'll be lookin' around under the oak tree tomorrow!


----------



## bensoelberg (Oct 30, 2011)

That's the shiniest spit I've ever seen.


----------



## firewhatfire (Oct 30, 2011)

I think you may need to have a fever more often.  That is one the more creative ways I have seen for using cut-offs


----------



## Smitty37 (Oct 30, 2011)

*Hmmmm*



bensoelberg said:


> That's the shiniest spit I've ever seen.


 Guess you've never seen Marine or Navy dress shoes.


----------



## gingerwood (Oct 30, 2011)

I love them.  Bet they'd make really nice Christmas ornaments if you could attach a loop to the top.


----------



## CSue (Oct 31, 2011)

I think necklaces - on like leather strips? They are really beautiful!  Can you give me some perspective of the size?  I've seen acorns vary greatly in size from species


----------



## jaywood1207 (Oct 31, 2011)

They look great.  I did these last year and put a tiny eye hook in the top and put gold string through them and put them in my show.  Sold out in a hurry and wish I had done more.  I only used wood for mine because they were larger than most of my acrylic cutoffs.


----------



## Steve Busey (Oct 31, 2011)

CSue said:


> I think necklaces - on like leather strips? They are really beautiful!  Can you give me some perspective of the size?  I've seen acorns vary greatly in size from species



I picked up shells from 3 different trees, with three different sizes. These "nuts" only fit the biggest shells, maybe 3/4" diameter. I either need to get some more big shells, or turn some smaller nuts.


----------



## Steve Busey (Oct 31, 2011)

jaywood1207 said:


> I did these last year and put a tiny eye hook in the top and put gold string through them and put them in my show.  Sold out in a hurry and wish I had done more.



Thanks, might try the necklace idea. I'm curious tho, what price did you use to "sell out in a hurry"?


----------



## Steve Busey (Oct 31, 2011)

bensoelberg said:


> That's the shiniest spit I've ever seen.



Remember, I have a cold. 'Nuf said.


----------



## jaywood1207 (Oct 31, 2011)

Steve Busey said:


> jaywood1207 said:
> 
> 
> > I did these last year and put a tiny eye hook in the top and put gold string through them and put them in my show.  Sold out in a hurry and wish I had done more.
> ...



They were actually for hanging on Christmas trees and not as a necklace.  Sorry I didn't specify that.  I did $3 each or 4 for $10 and only went in with about 50 because I had no idea how well they would do.  It was a 2 day show and there were only about 10 left for the second day.  Not a huge money maker but enough to cover most of the booth.  I chucked up the wood which was slightly larger than a pen blank (about 1" square 6" long) and would get about 5 out of each blank.  Used purpleheart, paduak, cherry, walnut, and maple.  Each one has to be turned to fit a particular acorn cap then I CA the cap on.  Put the eye hooks in, hang them on a dowel with Christmas tree hooks and shoot them with poly.  Once dried took the hooks off and put the string on them.


----------



## kludge77 (Oct 31, 2011)

Dude!!! These are Great!


----------



## Timbo (Oct 31, 2011)

I did a bunch of these a few years back.  I just gave them all out to family.  Cocobolo, cross cut Zebrawood and Padauk were the biggest hits.  We have plenty of Oak trees around here but they didn't have decent sized caps...Ebay to the rescue.  Yes...people sell acorns on eBay!


----------



## Dai Sensei (Oct 31, 2011)

Hey what a great idea with fantastic result .  Add a little eye screw and you have brilliant Xmas decorations


----------



## Justturnin (Oct 31, 2011)

Freakin AWESOME!!!!!  Very creative.


----------



## Drstrangefart (Oct 31, 2011)

Those are AWESOME. I think I might be able to make one or two of these for our Christmas tree.


----------



## BKelley (Oct 31, 2011)

Great looking acorns.  My buddy Scampy would love them.  I'll post a pic of Scampy in a day or two.

Ben


----------



## 76winger (Oct 31, 2011)

Those are just crazy cool. I love them!


----------



## nava1uni (Nov 1, 2011)

They are very cool.  I love using the little left over pieces to make things.  I might have to try this.  I use the end to make bookmarks and little bowls, vases and hollow forms.  I make the tools to do them out of concrete nails.


----------



## rizaydog (Nov 1, 2011)

Awesome.  Great idea.


----------



## Steve Busey (Nov 1, 2011)

nava1uni said:


> I use the end to make bookmarks and little bowls, vases and hollow forms.  I make the tools to do them out of concrete nails.



Now THAT sounds cool! Got any pictures?


----------



## SDB777 (Nov 28, 2011)

This is a great idea, now I need to go to the woods and find some acorn 'tops'....better then just building a bucket full of cut-offs and burning them!




Scott (thanks for something else to do) B


----------



## papaturner (Nov 28, 2011)

Awesome, Steve. That looks like the makings of a great demo at one of our mtgs.


----------

