Welcome to Michael Rigby's gallery. Michael has offered a number of items which illustrate a whole range of techniques.
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We'll start the proceedings with a high-chair made from oak. Not only does this require a keen eye for design but also a professional execution of spindle-turning techniques, together with the ability to copy-turn successfully. Isn't it annoying when you need to turn several identical items and you just can't get one or more of them right? Well, you won't find any of that here. Michael's work is absolutely spot-on.
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And now for a few bowls . . .
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First up is a walnut bowl. This one has a rim which was textured by means of an Arbortech rotary cutting tool. The textured area was then ebonised with steel wool soaked in vinegar.
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. . . another from damson - turned while the wood was still wet or "green".
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Here's one turned from elm. Actually that's only partly true. Here Michael has used a technique whereby the original bowl is cut in half and the two edges which were originally the outer rim are glued together. This produces an oval bowl - vaguely similar to one half of a coconut shell.
The trouble with this is that you have to get the positioning of the two halves dead-on or else the effect is lost. Needless to say, this one is dead-on!
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Now here's another slightly unusual offering - not that the idea of a winged bowl is that unusual. Nor the fact that it's made from pine. However the timber started out life as a church pew and it's been transformed into something equally useful. Makes you wonder how many people (indeed, how many generations) may have sat on this piece of pew.
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Here's another wet-turned bowl (you can see the slight distortion in the rim which gives it it's unique character). This was turned from a piece of holly. The picture was taken from a position which emphasises the contrasting colours in the wood.
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You want contrasting colours? Well try this for size (Above and left). No, it's not spalted beech or even hornbeam but crab-apple.
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Here's a natural-edged bowl for you. This time it's hawthorn. Michael certainly likes to experiment with different types of timber!
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This one was turned from a piece of burr oak salvaged from an old house built in 1650. At least it's well-seasoned - and what a fantastic example of recycling old material. Michael finished this one with Danish Oil and glossed it up with some Burnishing Cream.
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Now for a lidded box. This one is particularly worthy of note because the grooves on the inside and the outside were turned on different centre-points. In other words, the inside was turned "on centre" so the grooves are concentric with their centre at the centre-point of the lid. Michael then turned the outside grooves, mounting the lid slightly off-centre. No expensive chucking methods were used here - just wooden pegs on a scrap wooden faceplate. A simple concept but incredibly effective. The second of the two pictures illustrates the inside of the lid so you can see more clearly how the technique works.
. . . and now a couple of goblets. First a long-stemmed variety - the sort which makes you wonder how he managed it without snapping the stem in half. Secondly a shorter version where the stem has been treated to a little more of the "off-centre" technique.
Right, now you want different? Well, here's different! It's a pomander turned from Robinia pseudoacacia or "false Acacia". Click here
to find out more about this attractive timber.
And finally a table lamp (after all, you need a source of light to read your woodturning books by before you drop off to sleep). Well, this little lamp should fit the bill. It's made from elm and the decorative band was subjected to the Arbortech treatment as detailed above, followed by the "steel wool soaked in vinegar" ebonising process.
