[Mike Schwing]

Hi guys. I had just started to become a "regl'r" here when I got called away to work for FEMA in the hurricane disaster zones. I've been back a couple of weeks and am now just starting to remember that I'm a woodcarver/turner, and not some guy who wears blue shirts with 4 yellow letters emblazoned on them.

Needless to say, I don't have much work to show from recent efforts, but I did manage to finish a fancy spalted maple ladle. It is pictured below, and is about 15" tall. I have to admit to using what feels like a "cheating" technique with it though - after roughing out the shape on the bandsaw, I mounted a "Microplane" drum in my lathe using a drill chuck and shaped it thusly. While its not real "carving", it is unbelievably quick, reducing my shaping time probably by up to 70% compared with rotary tools. Additionally, the microplane drum is safe to touch with bare skin while rotating, but it cuts wood like a razor sharp chisel! I don't think I'd like it as much vertically mounted in a drill press, but horizontally on a lathe is great.

After the microplane drum, I resort to standard Foredom type rotary tools, then a drum sander, then hand sanding. Finish is only beeswax. Comments welcome and I hope to be able to contribute here once again.

Here the microplane website - http://www.microplane.com/html/tools/drill.html

[squbrigg]

Welcome home mike. That is a beautiful ladle, great work, no matter what tools you used or how many short-cuts!!! Tis the results that count. Good to have you back with us.

Bob

[Kenny_S]

Welcome back and the ladle looks great.

[AlArchie]

That sure is a pretty piece of wood! And a nice piece of work, too! The flowing lines really add to the pleasing patterns of the wood. Welcome back, and learn to relax again after some very stressfull times.

Bob, you SHOULD like this......looks like the prow of a Viking long boat!

Al

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

That looks great....the small image of just the bowl looks like a viking ship! " smilieid="1" class="inlineimg" /> Geez Al...one brain again! ha ha, somewhere between typing and posting this, you beat me and said the same thing!

[squbrigg]

You're right Al! Maybe that's why I liked it so much! Must be the ladle from the "skuttlebutt"!!! (thats a barrel of water kept on deck for the hands to get a drink of water from, also the place for shipboard gossip between sips, thus the term for fresh gossip!)

Bob

[Callynne]

Hi Mike, Welcome back!! Wow, that is one beautiful ladle, I love it!! Thanks for sharing it with us! Deborah

[Lindy]

Hi Mike, welcome back! That ladle is absolutely lovely.