B.Light Design

Recently, I got my hands on some logs that have been at the bottom of a lake for about 100 years. I turned a simple bowl, just to see what the wood would give me. I’m very happy with how it turned out. The imperfections give it so much character.

The wood was pretty stinky, I had to put the microwave outside while I dried it out. Thankfully the smell went away once it dried.

I’m not sure what species of wood it is, it might be maple. I believe the gray color is due to the fact that it has been absorbing dirt and silt for a couple decades.

After truing up the bottom of the bowl, I found it wasn’t exactly flat. The bottom comes to a point that allows the bowl to spin. It’s a bowl and a top. This was totally on purpose by the way.

My family has the Christmas tradition of making our presents. This year I made turned candle sticks for one of my sisters. I was inspired by some candle sticks I had seen in a design blog somewhere.

An oak side table (or stool, can’t decide) for another sister. Kind of an homage to the Eames Walnut Stools

And a patterned t-shirt using discharge paste (maybe the worst named product ever). Remember the S.E.A. Monkey?

Thomas Forsyth created these great Drawing Tops.

Thomas Forsyth - Drawing Tops from Thomas Forsyth on Vimeo.

In his own words:

A spinning-top, that uses a pen as the spindle. Simply through indulging in the enjoyable process of spinning the top a bi-product is created. Where the pen marks the surface, a beautiful map of the experience and events that have occurred is produced. I am able to draw, but I am not particularly talented at it and yet found that, through the interaction with these objects, I have created drawings that I am more proud of than any I have done before.

Via notcot.org

I was in the Poconos a couple of weeks ago and turned two lamp blanks: one birch (the tall one), one maple (the fat one). Both turned green and allowed to crack. Need to dry them out completely (nuke them) before I can add the finish.

Two oak spheres turned while wood was green and allowed to dry and crack naturally. One is 6 inches in diameter, the other is about 5. The oak tree fell naturally at my parent’s place in the Poconos. Finished with walnut oil and furniture wax.

They are now for sale.

Finished up a new lamp. An oak tree fell naturally at parent’s place in the Poconos. I took one of the logs and turned a small base.

I finished it with stain and tung oil. It was my first time using tung oil, I really liked the results. Lamp hardware is from Grand Brass.

I turned birch for the first time a few weeks ago. I didn’t have high hopes for it, never heard of anyone really turning it before. Long story short, birch is great. It has a really interesting grain and can be turned very thin when it’s green (so thin that it will crack if you drop it). And I’m pretty happy with how these small lamp shades turned out.

Oak cracks, no two ways about it.

I knew the base would crack, hoped it wouldn’t, and now I’m telling myself that the cracks add character.

This lamp base has a shape similar to Jess’s Lamp. I’m thinking I’ll pair it with the stained glass lamp shade I’m still working on.

Hi, I’m Ben, and I’m a lathe lover. Hi Ben.

My lathe is a dinky little guy, but I love what it can do. I love that you can actually make something in a few hours. I love that you can sand and finish a piece in minutes. I love that you can turn a log into a lamp. A log.

I took a wooden bowl turning class at the YWCA years ago, it was taught by Michael Brolly. I’ve been hooked ever since. I highly recommend you getting yourself a lathe or taking a turning class. Or you could always just learn from the man himself.