# Certainly, not water tight...!



## robutacion (Jun 20, 2013)

Hi peoples,

You may remember those large Olive roots that I started processing last year, some pen blanks have already pen put to use on my recently ended "question game/challenge" and other larger pieces are starting to make me itchy to turn and or do something with...!

I had a fairly sized block that I cut square and that I didn't touch with any sealer's, wax or anything, put it in such place that I kept staring at it all the time, well sort of...!

Last Summer was very hot so, my woods got a got drying period with some showing signs of almost ready or ready, in fact.  In one of my turning mood days, I grabbed that blank and got turning, I already had a shape and use in mind and that had all to do with the way the wood looked when I cut it from one of the root slabs and how is behaved as it dried, something that was not only expected and wanted and that is, all those natural aged cracks (those with the black edge) and the new stress drying cracks, typical of certain parts of the Olive root when it gets "disturbed"/ chopped into pieces...!

I did not wanted to put anything artificial on this piece, such as resins or fillings of any nature, this is how high figured Olive root should look, I was disappointed that the large openings/cracks shown on the blank before I started working on it, were cut away and the ones inside where not as large as one of my intentions was to put some light inside it so that it would reflect through all those crevasses.

That didn't work as well as I wanted so, I was happy to have still plenty of the grain, burl eyes, colours and all its natural characteristics, by the time I had it turned/shaped as I wanted.  I don't call these "bowls" I call them "vessels":wink:

The wood was @ 19%MC when worked on, that for this type of wood is quite good and normal, natural oils will not allow the MC% to get too low, ever so, I will expect some movement for the next few years but nothing too serious or damaging.  

To assist the wood to stabilise and to minimise any further stress cracking after the piece was turned, I soaked it twice a day with Fungishield (wood preservative) for a whole 7 days, so much so that the outer surface was starting showing some shine from the saturation of the wood with the dry Fungishield, a quick rub with steel wood, resolved that issue, to which I followed with several coats of natural timber oils called Arganoil (nice smelly stuff)

Natural timber oils, is a much more suitable finish than any hard coats such as varnishes and the like so, ,the wood can move, without showing any cracks on the finish...! 

Another disappointment was that, I had specific ideas of how I wanted the pics to look but, for some reason, none of the times/days I tried, gave me even close to what I visualised.  I trued during the day in the shade, the very same location where I take most of my pen blanks samples, I tried at night with accessory light and without, I tried during a sunny day with direct sun exposure and in the shade but nothing turned out the way I wanted.

I just could not find a way to get an accurate colour in any of the pics, some aren't too bad but, this piece gave me the $#!ts , after so many pics taken, in a period of a few days so, I cut my losses and stop wasting more time.

This piece will be a gift to the person that allowed me to have the roots so, I hope he likes it...!:wink::biggrin:

Which pics you like the most...???

Cheers
George


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## Russknan (Jun 20, 2013)

Very, very beautiful, George! Congratulations, and thanks for sharing. Russ


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## Haynie (Jun 20, 2013)

You done good.


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## Hendu3270 (Jun 20, 2013)

Great piece George! I really like the satin finish on this one.

Personally I like photo 18 and 28 the best. They show those cracks well and nice figuring as well. The colors seem to come through nicely in those two well (but since I haven't seen the piece in person I could be wrong).


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## lyonsacc (Jun 20, 2013)

George,

That is a great looking vessel.

Have had some photo problems myself lately - taken 2 sets of pen pics this week that aren't working out. Will try again today.

I was trying to remember who I shipped that olive root to  . . . I'll PM you my addy

Dave


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## robutacion (Jun 20, 2013)

Thanks guys...!

Looking at the pics posted, if I would try to define how the natural colour of this piece is, I would say that, the second last pic (close up) has the closest colour.  A you can see from the few pics shown, almost every pics shows a different wood colour and while the pics tend to get the red and orange "shades" the natural colour is more a light brown and the best pic I can find with that shade is that second last one...!

Interesting, I made dozens and dozens of Olive wood turnings/pieces, all finished in different ways, some in the exact same way as this one however, I believe the shape is what is creating some problems, I wouldn't say all problems but some.  I'm no photographer and unless the automatic settings of my camera are capable to capture accurate images, I'm useless after that with a camera...!

Cheers
George


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## walshjp17 (Jun 20, 2013)

I really like your vessel.  Keep in mind, those cracks add character.  As Microsoft and other IT-themed organizations like to point out, many abnormalities are not flaws ... they are features.:biggrin:


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## PaulDoug (Jun 20, 2013)

You really come up with lots of beautiful wood.  Nicely done.


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## Fishinbo (Jun 20, 2013)

Fantastic vessel! Like the shape and the wild and interesting patterns on the olive root, the holes and the cracks add some character to it. Great turning!


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## thewishman (Jun 20, 2013)

Gorgeous!


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## jyreene (Jun 20, 2013)

Man that looks great!


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## Marc (Jun 20, 2013)

I like the 1st, 3rd and 6th photos the best.  Olive wood is quite persnicity and just wants to crack and keep on cracking.  The turned product is outstanding, thanks for sharing.


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## jchoponis (Jun 20, 2013)

Very nice!


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## USNR'03 (Jun 21, 2013)

Oh my GOD those are outstanding!!


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## TellicoTurning (Jun 21, 2013)

George,
Love your thought process on the bowls... beautiful form/shape and the colors in the woods are awesome.
Good on you.


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## michael j flett (Jul 5, 2013)

Fantastic


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## peterborough66 (Jul 5, 2013)

George, that is a gorgeous piece of work


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## OKLAHOMAN (Jul 5, 2013)

Dee loves it, so I had to give her the news that I'm not that talented.


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## tim self (Jul 5, 2013)

That's some beautiful wood. Nice work too.


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## mikespenturningz (Jul 5, 2013)

Wow those are beautiful, I am not sure if I would compare them to Microsoft though. Microsoft as much morecharacter but is not nearly as beautiful as those vessels.:biggrin:


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## Deadhead (Jul 5, 2013)

WOW!!


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## robutacion (Jul 5, 2013)

Thanks everyone, most appreciated...!

And while this wood is something else, it is quite easy to work with, very smooth to the tools...!

Many pens require a higher level of skill than these things, they are a lot easier to make than it may look and I would be more happy to guide anyone through the making process, not problem...!

You may be able to find suitable wood if not I have plenty, unfortunately, a heavy wood for shipping...!

Mike,
I can understand why you though that were more than one vessel on those pics, there are certainly a "few" of them but only because, as I explained before, I just didn't seem to be able to capture the real colouration of this wood as is so, I tried various settings at various days and lights...!:wink::wink::biggrin

Cheers
George


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