Our November meeting started out with a discussion of Decembers events.  Professional turner Alan Lacer will be our demonstrator.  This will be a Friday evening meeting with a Saturday hands on event.  Contact Cliff Storsved to sign up.  Also, the club approved Phil Holtan's demonstration at Acme Tool Crib of the North as a club sponsored event.  Phil will be there Friday thru Sunday, November 19th thru the 21st. 

Hollow Globe Christmas Ornaments
by Jim McTavish

Turning Christmas ornaments is a fun way to decorate for the holidays using your skills at the lathe.  Hollow globe ornaments allow you to make a large ornament that will not bend the branches of your tree. 

The globe is turned first.  You will need a piece of stock about 2 1/4" square and about 6" long.  Round the stock into a cylinder about 2 inches in diameter.  I like a globe about 1 1/4" tall, it will look like a ball that is "squashed" down a bit.  Turn the globe leaving a flat on the bottom side.  This will help with attaching the icicle later.  Turn the top of the globe, but leave a "neck" about 1" thick.  This is where it will be parted off later.  Once your globe is shaped and sanded, place a drill chuck in your tailstock with a 3/8" drill bit.  Drill thru the ball and about 1/2" farther.  Now enlarge the opening in the bottom of the ball with a straight hollowing tool.  Work on hollowing with the straight tool, and switch to the angled hollowing tool as needed.  You will have to stop often to remove the shavings from inside the globe.  If you don't have an air compressor, use a straw to blow the shavings out.  Continue hollowing until you have a wall thickness that you are comfortable with.  I like to aim for 1/8".  Once the globe is hollow, finish shaping and sanding the outside of the ball, and part it off. 

The "icicle" is turned next.  The icicle is the part of the ornament that hangs below the globe.  Start with a piece of stock about 2" round, and about 9" long, straight grained stock works best.  Place one end in your chuck, and bring the tailstock up to the other end.  Turn to a cylinder about 1" in diameter.  Now turn the end 3" of this piece to about 1/2" in diameter.  This is where you will begin turning the details of the icicle.  I like to turn teardrop shapes, you can turn beads, coves, balls, captive rings, whatever you like.  Remove the tailstock, and using a 3/8" spindle (or detail) gouge, start to shape your bottom teardrop.  Once the teardrop is shaped, move up and turn the next teardrop.  Make the length of this one a bit longer than the bottom teardrop.  Be daring, turn the area between teardrops as thin as you can!  I turn a total of 3 teardrops before I turn the transistion section that will mount against the globe.  After the transistion piece is turned, measure the bottom opening in your globe (approximately 3/4") and turn a tenon as you are parting the icicle off.  This will align the icicle to the ball as you assemble it later.

Now the finial for the top of the globe is turned.  This is done on the same piece of stock that the icicle was turned from.   I like to do a ball shape, 3/8 to 5/16" in diameter. Once this ball is turned, I turn the transistion section that will mate to the globe.  This transition is turn the same as the one on the icicle.  After this is turned, the finial is ready to be parted off.  But first, measure the drilled opening in the top of the globe, it should be 3/8".  As you part off the finial, leave a tenon that is 3/8".  Once the finial is parted off, I go to the drill press and drill a small hole thru the finial for whatever you decide to use for a hanger (mini screw eye, twisted wire, etc.).

Now glue the pieces together and finish as desired!

Here is a web page that has detailed photos on this process...

I'd like to thank Duane Tougas for taking photos as I did this demonstration!