# Necklaces are contagious



## gketell

From Grant to Hans to me this is spreading faster than swine flu.

This one is 1-1/2" diameter, 3/16" thick and made from a slice off a Honduran Roserwood Burl bottle-stopper I had laying around.










Things I learned from this:
1) Your backing board should be should be balanced when turning the main shape.  I used a rectangular block with the pendant near the top and that hurt.  :redface::redface:

2) To me the cord hole should be closer to the center and bigger.  I drilled it at 1/2 the distance from center to edge adn so was limited in size.  Next time I will do it 1/3 the distance.

Thanks for looking.
GK


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## nava1uni

Greg,
 That is really beautiful.  I really like the contrast in the wood.


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## USAFVET98

Is there a tutorial on this? I want to get into it.


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## gketell

Here is the link Hans gave to me: http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/page.asp?p=594  It covers it pretty well.

The pendant is around page 31 or 32.  

GK


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## penhead

I had to read your sentence a couple of times before I understood, and then it hit me 

Seriously, that's a nice looking piece and great use of contrasting burl colors..!



gketell said:


> Things I learned from this:
> 1) Your backing board should be should be balanced when turning the main shape.  I used a rectangular block with the pendant near the top and that hurt.  :redface::redface:
> GK


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## CaptG

Nice work, sure hope wife and sisters do not see this post.


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## Woodlvr

I was looking through the pictures and noticed that pages 9 and 34 are the same, Me thinks there is a picture missing for the necklace. Thanks for the info about making necklaces.


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## USAFVET98

Damn! That means I need a center screww chuck?


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## mickr

very lovely


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## gad5264

Greg,
Sorry for starting something....HA


Can you tell me what kind of finish you used?


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## gketell

What do you have?  If you have anything other than a pen mandrel it is pretty easy to do.  If you only have a pen mandrel then you would have to work at it but it could be done.

If you have a 4-jaw chuck get a square piece of wood and drill a hole through the center then drive a #10 wood screw through that so it sticks out the other side.  That is now your screw chuck.  

If you only have a pen mandrel then you will need to make/buy one of those bolts that is machine-thread on one end and wood screw threads on the other side.  This is your screw chuck.

I used a collet chuck and a #10 wood screw with the head cut off as my screw chuck.

For all the screw chucks you will want to cut your screw off slightly shorter than your backing plate.

   Find piece of wood bigger than the biggest pendant you want to make.  This will be your backing plate.  (I used 3/4 ply.)  Drill one hole in the center and one hole off-set for your cord hole.  Thread this backing plate onto your screw chuck using the center hole.  Double-side tape your blank onto the backing plate and turn the outside of your pendant.  Sand it smooth.  Unscrew the backing plate and screw it back on using your cord hole.  Drill and turn that hole.  Sand it smooth.  (I went back and forth between holes until I was happy.)
   Remove the pendant from backing plate and sand the back edges so they aren't sharp.  Finish the pendant.

GK



USAFVET98 said:


> Damn! That means I need a center screww chuck?


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## hewunch

USAFVET98 said:


> Damn! That means I need a center screww chuck?



Not really. I used a collet chuck after I bent my screw. Just put a dowel in the center. You could use a face plate too


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## gketell

gad5264 said:


> Greg,
> Sorry for starting something....HA



Fibber.  But thank you anyway.  I'm having fun.




gad5264 said:


> Can you tell me what kind of finish you used?



Well, let's see.  For the first one I sanded to 0000 steel wool and then I wiped on some mineral oil.  That is what you see in the picture.   But I wasn't happy with that so after the pictures I took it out and buffed it with my red rouge buffing wheel.  Now I like it.

For the second one I sanded to 2000 sand paper (not MM) and then just applied a coat of wax and buffed it out.  It looks great.

For the third one I've applied a wipe on polyurethane and then wiped off the excess.  But I'm not real happy with that so I'll end up shooting it with a coat of semi-gloss.  I can't buff this one because of the design.

#1 redone




#2




#3




GK


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## USAFVET98

Ok,I think I got it, but I am confused about the second hole?
Sorry to be a pain.



gketell said:


> What do you have? If you have anything other than a pen mandrel it is pretty easy to do. If you only have a pen mandrel then you would have to work at it but it could be done.
> 
> If you have a 4-jaw chuck get a square piece of wood and drill a hole through the center then drive a #10 wood screw through that so it sticks out the other side. That is now your screw chuck.
> 
> If you only have a pen mandrel then you will need to make/buy one of those bolts that is machine-thread on one end and wood screw threads on the other side. This is your screw chuck.
> 
> I used a collet chuck and a #10 wood screw with the head cut off as my screw chuck.
> 
> For all the screw chucks you will want to cut your screw off slightly shorter than your backing plate.
> 
> Find piece of wood bigger than the biggest pendant you want to make. This will be your backing plate. (I used 3/4 ply.) Drill one hole in the center and one hole off-set for your cord hole. Thread this backing plate onto your screw chuck using the center hole. Double-side tape your blank onto the backing plate and turn the outside of your pendant. Sand it smooth. Unscrew the backing plate and screw it back on using your cord hole. Drill and turn that hole. Sand it smooth. (I went back and forth between holes until I was happy.)
> Remove the pendant from backing plate and sand the back edges so they aren't sharp. Finish the pendant.
> 
> GK


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## gad5264

Here is the picture showing the two holes in his backer board. One is on center and one is 3/8" off center.


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## gketell

The second hole is to drill/turn the hole for the cord.


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## RAdams

that is too cool! i think i am gonna try a couple of these things.


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## el_d

So the front is the only side thats domed? The back is flat? 

What do you use to mount the piece to the backer board?


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## mokol

very nice work. i would like to know what you use to hang the pendant? and what type of clasp you use. thanks mokol


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## JohnU

Greg, these are awesome.  You really got it down.  Nice work.  My wife, her sisters and my daughter are already planning on me making them some of these.  I think I need to retire early so I have more time!


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## hewunch

el_d said:


> So the front is the only side thats domed? The back is flat?
> 
> What do you use to mount the piece to the backer board?


The back is flat. I have radiused the edge of the back now.

I use turners tape to hold it to the backer


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## gketell

For mine the gift recipient is very much into "natural" and recycled materials (very earth friendly person) so I used a hemp-based string with no clasp.  Tied the pendant in the middle of the string then tied each end in a simple overhand knot around the other end.  Makes the length of the necklace adjustable.

GK



mokol said:


> very nice work. i would like to know what you use to hang the pendant? and what type of clasp you use. thanks mokol


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## Kalai

Hi Greg, great job, it makes me want to go and make some now, but I don't have time right now, I got a order for 2500 pairs of chopsticks. 
Let me know if you need some Hawaiian wood to make some more pendants, keep up the good work, aloha.

Chris
Kalai


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## gketell

MMMMMM Hala pendants!!  What have you got in bottle stopper sized blanks of Hala?

GK


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## wb7whi

I used a threaded bottlestopper mandril to hold a glue block. The glueblock is made of a scrap of hardwood. Drilled the two holes in the the back then threaded the block on the mandril.
I then glued a block of purpleheart on to the glue block and a thin piece of cocobollo to that. After sanding, mounting the glueblock to the second hole and cutting the cord hole I moved back to the center hole and sanded everything smooth. Removed the jacobs chuck from the lathe then put the buffing wheels on and finished the piece. Then replaced the jacobs chuck and parted off the cocobollo with a bit of purpleheart for the back.
Cleaned up the face of the purpleheart and glued on a thin piece of redheart and made another one. There is still enough purpleheart left for a third one.
Used a lether shoelace for the cord.
Sorry, no pictures...girl friend scafed them up before I could get any.

Thinking of dropping some thin ca into the holes on the back of the glue block to keep the threads tight.

Could drill a couple of other offset holes into the block for different placement of the cord hole.

Neat stuff guys thanks for the idea


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