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Kitchen ArticleGary Kitchen- Finial Wedding Box“I’m sure that Gary will tell us what a Finial Wedding Box is.” declared Ked Shepherd in his introduction of our January demonstrator. With a slight smile and a glint in his eye, Gary leaned on tool rest of the ONE WAY Lathe and told us the story.
“I was turning … a while back and there was a couple ,in the audience who were engaged, who took quite a liking to my box with a finial on it. I got to thinking about it, so after I finished it I brought it over to them and gave it to them. ‘ I want you to have this and after you get married I want you take all the good times you’ve had, write’em on a piece of paper and put them in the box. And then when you’re having a bad time OPEN THE BOX. It’ll take you back to the good times.’ That’s what a WEDDING BOX is.” Placing a 3”x3’x12” block of straight grained maple between centers Gary roughed it to round. He partitioned the block into sections for the top and bottom. He created a tenon on both ends an started to part the block. He stopped and took out a handmade bow saw to finish the parting because his experience has been that when parting on the lathe something will go flying.
Next Gary chucked the top, squared off the end with a bowl gouge, established the lip of the lid and hallowed out concave recess ending about 1”. Shaping the outside of the top and creating the finial meant working without the tailstock and working towards the headstock. The result looked like a goblet with a shallow cup. At this point Gary would sand and finish the inside of the top before making the finial before its’ unchucked.
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He passed the top around and started chucking up the bottom. He squared the exposed end and took his time establishing the lip for the top. To add a bit of safety, he taped the junction with painters tape before moving on to cutting the finial. Always starting the finial from the outside working to the headstock while using a bowl gouge, Gary makes fine and light cuts to make a pleasing and acceptable form. Kitchen removed the tape and shaped the outside of the bottom to conform with the size of the top. He shared that he leaves the top on to maintain the shape of the entire box and finishes the outside all together. Coring the inside of the bottom took no time after drilling a depth hole and using his trusty half round scraper. To finish and clean the sides and smooth off the rough ridges Gary used a reground scraper about half the size of the half round scraper. Parting off the bottom and then jam chucking it into a scrape, Gary finished the bottom quickly and added a nice grooving detail. A little sanding and applied finish results in a completed WEDDING BOX with finial. Gary mentioned that several enhancements he has used are birthstones, walnut fillings into grooves and burning wire grooves. Gary thanked the group for their support and helping him learn the craft and to the “Woodturning School” staff for teaching him how to turn. From the cheap seats where I sit, Gary can be proud and pleased that he can do so much for many people through his craft and art. Whether making pens or bowls or handles or platters Gary has inspired many of us to be better turners with his story of the WEDDING BOX with finial. Back to the shaving shop, Chuck |
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