Club Meeting: 4 December 2024
Report by: Roger Pye
If ever there was a member of the SAWG who loves turning wood, it certainly has to be Jonathan. He is by day, a professional surgeon, who works at Middlemore Hospital and then, after hours he has become a “Wood Surgeon”.
Somehow there must be a connection between carving flesh by day and then wood after hours. After all, he has such a happy smile standing behind his lathe and cracking jokes this must be his outlet following a day of serious and detailed concentration involving hospital surgery.
Johnathan spotted an interesting figurine made with wooden components on his European travels. This “little man” is made entirely of wooden components, all of which can be turned on conventional woodturning equipment. At a cost of €26.00 Johnathan purchased his sample from which he soon sorted out how to make and assemble the exact same thing. So tonight, at the SAWG, Johnathan is passing on his methodology.
Basic materials are wooden blocks of Macrocarpa or anything similar, even Oak.
Dimensions:-
- 45mm x 45mm – 125mm long
- 20mm x 20mm – 125mm long
- 10mm x 10mm – 125mm long
Each of the above are used for various body parts.
- Main body with two parts; his bottom which will become what he actually sits on, then his torso which is shaped like the top and narrow part of an egg. (Refer to photographs herewith.)
- Hands and nose.
- Head and hat.
- A tray of Christmas presents in various shapes and sizes is not part of this demo, but as illustrated can be added.
Components are made with a “fingernail” spindle gouge and two chucks, one 50mm and the other with jaws for the smaller parts. Hands are spherical at 10mm diameter and drilled for a 2.5mm mounting dowel. The nose is a tiny cone.
From the 20mm rod turn a head (another sphere). To show a beard use a Japanese draw saw to cut a carefully placed 45º cut from the forehead to the chin. Cut it off at right angles then sand with a circular sander mounted on the lathe spindle. This will provide a recess for the face inside the head. (see photo) The cap, made from the same diameter wood will be concaved to fit over the head and shaped as in pixie shape and fitted later with a pompom.
Painting is another exercise requiring a spraying gun (alternatives are possible). Paint the body green and the base black. Use acrylic tubes to paint the head white and the nose red the face left plain is “touched up” when finished. The final assembly is rather fun if you choose various statures for the finished man.
So, it was a fun demo, and a good look into miniature woodturning, certainly a good way to use up a few scraps.