The best laid plans...

Have you ever started out to do something, only to have it go completely awry? How about when you moved on to the next project, and it blew up in your face as well? That happened to me today, twice.

The first project I worked on was supposed to be a hollow vessel made from Alligator Juniper. It is a very soft wood. Almost too soft to easily turn. It comes off in a powder. However, the grain is so beautiful it is worth the effort. This piece started out to be a really nice piece, but vibrations caused some micro cracks to become large splits. I tried some repairs with sawdust, CA glue, and some powdered brass, but it is not right for this peice. I will put a coat of finish on it just to see how it looks, but it is probably destined for the fireplace.

The second piece I turned, however, came out completely different. I knew this piece of cherry was rough when I started it. It started out as a very nice cherry burl, but it had very had rough edges and a lot of bark inclusions. The original plan was to turn a platter with a natural bark edge and some bark inclusions. A little bit into the turning, a very large piece came off and flew across the shop. OK, change in plans. It is now off center, and is going to be a shallow bowl/platter. It is also very punky wood. That is to say, there is a lot of decay and rotting areas. By all rights, this one should be headed for the fireplace also. However, I have bigger plans for this one. If I can keep it together, it is going to be enhanced with another clay dove my grandmother made, similar to the hollow form I did a few months ago. It means it will be a decorative piece instead of a natural edge functional one, but that is alright. If my plan comes together, it will be a nice tribute to my grandmother, and a special gift for someone.