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Bob describes the grind he prefers.
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The components of the ornament are reviewed.
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Mounting what will become the ball.
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Bob shapes the body of the ornament. Bob prefers the shape more oval than perfectly round.
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The top of the ball is prepared for drilling.
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BOB ROSAND June 14th, 2001
Christmas Tree ornament, by Lee Buck
Bob is well known
for his Christmas tree ornaments. He turns them from two pieces; a globe is turned from a blank of burl
and the icicle and finial from another wood. A 2 1/2 " globe attached to a glue block is turned with
a small gouge with a fingernail grind. Bob turns the blank to a rough globe, not ball, shape about 2
1/4" across. He leaves some mass at the glue block end. He wets the blank with sanding sealer and turpentine
mixed 50-50. The gouge is sharpened before finish turning. Bob uses a light cut to final shape leaving
mass at glue block. He sets calipers to 11/16" and scratches a mark for the opening and uses the long
point of the skew to make a dimple at center. He drills with a 3/8" bit through the globe and uses a
square nosed scraper pushed straight in to enlarge the opening. Bob opens the inside with a small round
nosed scraper and hollows with various bent round nose scrapers. He manipulates the tools with a circular
motion, aiming for a 1/8" thickness, and uses a 4" hourglass caliper and Ellsworth style wire caliper
to check thickness. Bob reduces the outside to close to the final shape at the glue block end with a
spindle gouge or skew. He reduces the lathe speed and sands starting with 120 or 150 grit paper, applying
more sanding sealer. After checking for scratches he parts the piece off.
To make the icicle
and finial Bob changes to spigot jaws and mounts a blank spindle orientation. The blank is rounded with
a roughing gouge and the first point is shaped at the end of the blank with the gouge then a planing
cut is made with a skew. The cut is refined with the long point of the skew. A peeling cut is made
toward the next segment and the shaped section is sanded with 320 or 400 grit. Bob repeats the process
for each segment; roughing gouge, planing cut with skew, refine with long point, peel back toward next
segment and sand. Each segment should be larger than the previous one. Bob cuts a v groove at the end
of the final segment. A cove and other decorative elements are cut at the globe end of the finial.
He sands and seals the finial and uses a caliper to measure the opening in the globe. He uses a parting
tool to cut a tenon on the finial to fit the opening in the globe and uses a specially ground parting
tool to undercut the finial above the tenon. Bob parts off the finial and glues it to the globe with
thick CA glue.
Bob cuts a tenon in the remainder of the blank to fit the 3/8" hole in the globe
and undercuts the blank above the tenon. He shapes discs or other decorative elements of the top finial
and sands and seals as each element is completed. He parts off the piece with the long point of a skew
and reverses the piece in the chuck. He makes an indentation at the center, drills a small hole with
a pin vise, installs a hanger, removes the finial from the chuck and assembles the piece with CA glue.
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Bob describes the hollowing process. The object is to get the ball as light as possible with little
concern for interior smoothness.
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A caliper is used to size the hole.
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