Potpourri bowls

These bowls are a basic exercise for the first time bowl turners in year nine. They are able to create any design that would suit the size of their wood. The pewter lids are supplied and they have to ensure that they fit correctly.

 

Monday's extra INTAD, developing great skills and beautiful work.

Many students make use of the Monday afternoons to do some extra work, learn new skills and try something different. One student had brought in a selection of wood from trees that had been cut down. On deciding to make a clock he sorted through the timber and cut some short planks out of a half log section. After converting the logs to useable pieces,he laminated two pieces together and turned this clock.

Fun with brazing

Many students have tried to be more creative when doing their brazing designs. They, in turn, have influenced others to try things outside the square. Here are a few of their wacky designs.

Geometric balance

A fishy hook for keys

Washer flutter-by

A Nutty worm


The sluggy slug

Working with the wood

This lovely bowl was turned from a piece of mango where the branches split off with each other. The change in direction of the grain and the burl that is created where the two branches grow together makes for a very beautiful bowl. The bowl was turned by a girl in my year 10

The bottom

class.

The beauty of burl

One of my students spent a whole day cutting off a piece of burl off the side of a tree with a handsaw. When he brought it to school we decided to turn it while wet. He decided to turn a bowl wth the bark forming the outer edge. The wood was kept damp in a black bag for the whole time that he was working on it to prevent distortion as it dried. The finish is Danish oil.

Brazing exercise... the colourful cat

Brazing metals together is easy and fun. I allow my students to come up with simple designs so that they can learn to set up and use the oxyacetylene correctly and safely braze materials together with brass brazing rods

It's wonderful having girls doing INTAD as they love different ideas and enjoy thinking outside the square. One of my students saw a design on the internet and modified it for her brazing project. It is around 130 mm tall and use to hold notes etc. I like the colour job she did on it!!!

Mango wood bowl

Year 10 Wooden Bowls

The cheese slicer is the year ten project the builds on the skills developed in year nine when the students make a steak turner.

These cheese slicer's are beautiful for slicing through cheese.

 In the previous year, the students worked with aluminum only. For this, they have to turn a small brass screw part for the top that is used to tension the wire. It involves turning using the cross slide and knurling a small part. Brass is an easy medium to work with and the students choose to work with it in year eleven as a suitable material for their one project.

Year nine girls get to be creative using the jigsaw

Trying something different for the jigsaw project ... we decided to add a clock to the design with wonderful results.

Reflecting on some jigsaw work.

As part of the year nine work, students design and cut out a project using the Jigsaw. This lovely piece of work was neatly cut and finished off with a mirror backing