WWA Info Exchange

Which (if any) do you prefer? What can I do to improve design?

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Harold,
The Left Handed Widget Maker

Honestly, for me, the banding detracts from the overall shape.

I like the far left one the best, for a couple of reasons.
The beads at the bottom are the right size in relation to the overall size of the piece; B is too fat, D is too narrow.
The overall size seem "proper"; not too tall, nor too small.

You could burn in the valleys between the lower beads for decoration.

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~Dan.

Hey Harold,

I agree with Dan, the left one has the best proportions. I too think that you could do without the banding. It's interesting, but doesn't contribute to the design and distracts the eye from the shape of the mill.

Nice work! Tell us about the wood that you used, the finish, etc.

Cheers,
Tom

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"There is no path to peace, peace is the path."
Mohandas K. Ghandi

A is the best looking.
Do not care for the banding.

Duan

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Duan Packard
Kerrville, Texas

dum vivimus, vivamus

HKSTROUD: I'm number four on the wagon for the left mill. I also second the thought that if you really need the embellishment, burning in the grooves between beads would be good. Only a thought but burning in a detail on the twist top might also be in order. From a thread from a while back the KISS priciple usually works best.

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Everything was new once.
newtooth 311
Rochester, MN

OK, I'm the oddball. I like the look of the banding on B.

I like A its nicely done and doesn't take from the beauty of the wood

Thanks everyone. Your comments are very helpful. I certainly realize that my beads are not the greatest and I am working on that. However, I may have to get a beading tool. My photography is worse than my woodworking. The pepper mills are taller than they appear in the photo. They are 2 1/2" at the base and about 12" tall. Just maple and the Celtic knots (banding) are walnut. The maple is just some rounds I snitched off my neighbors wood pile. A small maple I cut for her several years ago.
I think I share the feelings about the Celtic knots. In some way it adds but also detracts. Especially the second one with the knot so close to the beads. I may try one with a knot further up in the neck of the mill. After all it is just fire wood.
Will also try burning the grooves of the beads. I suppose I would do that with some wire.

Finish is 7 to 8 coats of lacquer, some times more.

The wife has already ask for B, (the second one). Wants it for a wedding gift for the bride of a little boy she baby sat for 20 years ago. Boy am I (we) are getting old. I'm not sure if she wants it because she likes it or because she is to cheap to buy a wedding gift.
I do have one "customer" who has purchased 4 for wedding gifts. Most were Southern live oak. Of course it may be the little tag I made up about what a Southern Live Oak tree is. Makes it sound special.

Surprisingly the live oak does look quite nice. At about 15" tall it is quite heavy and the bride can always use it as a club to keep hubby inline.

If it doesn't bore everyone too much, later I will post a spalted poplar and a couple of spalted gums I am working on.

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Harold,
The Left Handed Widget Maker

I laughed so hard at this statement!
I'm not a very good turner, and have similar issues myself.
But I honestly never suspected that the size of your beads wasn't intentional.



I look forward to seeing those!

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~Dan.

I like the Celtic rings. I lean towards B, but would wonder how it would look if the rings were even higher, perhaps all the way to the narrow point on the neck. I don't like them on the cap, as in D, though.

It isn't the size that bothers me its getting them round and proportional. Sometimes I'll measure for size, sometimes I just do it like it feels right. I guess I was feeling small on D.

The cap on D is just an oak cap I made to see what it would look like. I don't like it either.

That is what I intend to try.

Please keep the comments coming.
Here is a better photo of B. Reflects its actual size and proportions better.

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Harold,
The Left Handed Widget Maker

I must be the only one with a dirty mind. The shape resembles a ...

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Ken #2
--
“Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?” ― Edgar Bergen

Really?

Something for you to dream about.

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Harold,
The Left Handed Widget Maker

I would take the cap from D and use it on C and some burning in valleys top and bottom.

I tink the inlays/banding interrupts the shapes of any of those that have it. Thus I would opt for A without it. Frankly all the others, without the inlay, have, to my eye, rather pleasing proportions and shapes.

I applaud your beads. Working on the same goals myself.

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Nullum Gratuitum Prandium

Cheers - Dennis

Here are the spalted pepper mills. On the left is spalted poplar. Two on the right are spalted gum. Why am I messing around with gum?
Last summer I visited my sister who lives by the lake. She had an irrigation pump for pumping water out of the lake to water her lawn. The pump was defective and need to be replace. The pump was under the edge of the dock. There was the stump of a small gun the kept getting in my way until I got out my saw and cut it down.
As I was leaving I decided to bring it back with me even though the center was rotted out.
The dark area of the mill on the right is not just spalting. It is more like rot. The stump needed to be a little bit larger. Gave me a hard time finishing. She will just have to take it as the best I can do. Of course she can always use it a fire wood.

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Harold,
The Left Handed Widget Maker

Some more spalted poplar I found on the wood pile.

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Harold,
The Left Handed Widget Maker

Love that spalted work!

It is always an interesting pattern.

The Gum looks very cool with that darker background and spalt running through it.

Thanks for sharing!

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~Dan.