Turned Christmas Trees

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These were turned from various salvaged logs over the last couple of years.  I never really plan what I am going to do until after I get about halfway through shaping the piece.   I usually leave any defects like bark inclusions but I will often fill cracks with CA or dyed epoxy. I occasionally add colored pencils for decoration.  For that I randomly drill holes and glue in the whole pencil and use a flush cut saw to trim it off followed by some final turning to get a smooth finish.  When I add a finial, I usually paint it with gold paint.  The finish varies from friction finish to Tried and True Varnish oil to polished Minwax Sanding sealer used as a finish.  

--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.

11 Comments

Clever way to get the lights!
I like the size for table top or mantle, but leaving one on a chair would be eventful.
Indeed! I like the light idea, too.

The Other Steven

Good looking work.    Not long it will be time to use them,  Christmas be here before we know it.

Ron

Looks great!

Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".

Could also be a mute for your alp horn!

Great alternative to all my bowl blanks I've amassed over years that'll never make it into a bowl... now all I have to do is tame my BAH-HUMBUG attitude.

If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD

Thanks guys.  

LBD, I suppose that instead of a Xmas tree you could turn miniature wood Festivus poles.  It will facilitate the airing of grievances.  

--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.

Pretty clever.

"Duck and Bob would be out doin some farming with funny hats on." chrisstef

Those are.very cool and i just happen to have a few logs I didn't want to burn but didn't have a specific plan for either.  Now I do.
Pretty cool! I wondered what those colored circles were!@!

Cheers, Jim ........................ Variety is the spice of life...............Learn something new every day

BTW, for any of you who sell at craft fairs and such, these trees seem to sell pretty easily.  I don't do shows but I made  several trees of various sizes and designs last year and people who came to look at the vintage Christmas sale, where my wife sells stuff she has collected over the last year but doesn't want to keep, saw them and asked to buy them.  They paid between $45 to $55 dollars for the larger (>10 inches) or more ornate ones and $30-40 for smaller ones.  The pencil trees were particularly popular and might go for more.  Since they were basically made out of firewood and a big bunch of pencils I bought at a garage sale for $5, they only cost a couple of hours of my time.  Of course since she sold them, I had to make some more for her.  

--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.