Yesterday turned the large bowl. Also, last week completed a set of 14 Sea Urchin Christmas Ornaments. Lots of repetive work

I just finished three new boxes made on my lathe.  They are a little larger then normal.  I made them from a neighbors fallen tree.  I had to put new tops on them because the trees natural wood cracked and they were unacceptable to make good lids.  Linda selected the colors and design features of the tops.  Gary Bingahm

I made these two boxes for our next door neighbor.  She had a tree cut down in June and offered it to me.  I immediatley roughed out five boxes.  None of the blanks turned out well because of significant cracking in the lids.  I went ahead and made two boxes from the wooden blanks and there are inperfections in the lids which I do not like.  I filled the cracks with wood dust and coffee.  I gave her these two and threw away the remaining three blanks.  A lot of work for imperfections. 

Just finished five new bowl (three elm and two liquid amber wood).  Linda wanted them all decorated and each one has a feature cut into it. 

Two More Sea Urchin Christmas Ornaments and a 8 1/2 by 2 1/4 inch bowl
Recently completed a  new bowl and two more Sea Urchin Ornaments.  The Sea Urchin Ornaments are time consuming to fashion.  The wood is made of Maple, bamboo skewers hold the pieces together, wall filler sprayed inside.

This is my first attempt at making a Sea Urchin Christmas Ornament.  I read a number of articles, bought a DVD, had a class at my Wood Turning group.  I ended up taking a little bit from each source and invented some techniques to do it.  Linda and I have bought a box of these Sea Urchins so there are more to come.  I hope I am as successful with the rest of them as this one.  Gary

Tipuana vase.  Had to use scrappers to make it.  Wood is the hardest I have ever worked with  Almost impossible.  It is a shade tree from South America and its sap is a blood red resin.  Considered an invasive weed.  11 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches.