Experimenting with handle shapes / knots test fitted

/Edit: more handle shapes in post #11

/Edit: Knots test fitted in post #15

Just seeing what shaving brush handles I can find inside Norwegian spruce wood. I'm sure I'll find even more and different ones inside my other blanks.

All are pleasing, Hans. However this one catches my eye
upside down.

Hans, very interesting to see.  Admittedly, when I read the phrase, "Norwegian spruce wood" my first natural inclination on a cold rainy day here is to have a sauna and listen to the Beatles.  

That said, it's always fascinating to see someone's creations.  Many great and approachable ones in the shaving world.  One comment and a few questions:

- I particularly like the one on the far left for that concave shape is great to look at and easy to hold.  I am also a big fan of wood.

- Did you turn these on your own lathe?  What drew you to these shapes?

- Do you have a design process, or is it more spontaneous?  How would you describe it?

- Why the spruce, if for any reason other than it was immediately available?  

- Have you been able to finish any of these?  What do you have planned?

Thank you for sharing.

Matt

Very nice Hans!

I have a suggestion:  put circular shallow grooves along the middle(where the fingers grip) to help the grip when they get wet

Those are awesome Hans, thanks.

What are you using?  Looks like a variable speet Jet mini (or midi)?  I'm just about ready to get the midi at our local Woodcraft shop to replace my current lathe.

Is Norwegian spruce a soft wood?  Spruce, at least the spruce we have in Colorado, is soft and rather light in weight (but great fun to turn!).   I've only turned one wood handle so far - made from becote, a rather hard and heavy wood - I kind of like the weight in my handles.  All my other handles have been acrylic, but want to experiment more with more woods.  My next handle will be from black walnut.

How do you finish them?

Anyway, looks like a lot of fun.  Thanks for sharing.

Thank you all for your comments and kind words Gents

The lathe I'm using is a Jet 1015VS -10" swing, 15" bed, Variable Speed - that I bought as a birthday present for myself this summer. Tools used are some EWT carbide tools and a few inexpensive gouges I still haven't learn to set up properly, sandpaper and old kitchen towels to apply oil with. Finish so far on these have been mineral oil and thin CA glue, which gives a water resistant surface. I've also finished a few bowls with beeswax, which gives the spruce a nice lustre.

Norwegian spruce is technically a softwood, but I find that it hardens a bit with age, and the heartwood can be very hard indeed. Not only do I have quite a bit of it in my shed already, but I can get more for a very reasonable price down at the local lumberyard... they even gave me some 4X4 cut offs for free last time I was there, since I told them I was going to use it to learn turning. That... and I like spruce. Makes my whole shed smell nice when I'm turning

These have not as much been designed as "found" inside the wood... I start with a general idea and just go at it. Same thing I do with bowls, I try to find a line that looks good and smooth it from there. In that regard I consider all of these to be successful; they all sits well in the hand

That looks really fun Hans! Thanks for posting your work.

They look great Hans.

Agree with everyone so far that they look good.

It's been two weeks since I posted the first photo,  and despite the last few weeks being busy, I've now used up the rest of my prepared blanks. It helps that turning a handle, sanding and finishing it with mineral oil and CA-glue only takes half an hour or so when working from a prepared blank.. and that includes time to sip coffee, thinking about the shapes, touching up the edge of my cutters and petting the friendly neighbourhood cat.


The previously shown handles in the back, new one in front. 


A bit of a closeup - open the image to make 'em bigger, as usual.


Even something as pedestrian as Norwegian spruce construction lumber can give rise to some pretty interesting patterns around knots in the wood.


I also think the symmetry on this one turned out pretty good.

I still need to finish of the bases of these - I need to change the face plates of the chuck so I can mount the handles the other way - as well as a few bits and bobs... but what are your thoughts ladies and gents?

Very nice additions Hans. I like the middle two the best. It would be fun to see them with a knot!

Hans, I can already see your skill growing.

Hans these are all pretty nice and I'm keen on the persian handle the most. Your skills shine through as the knots show more with a coating to bring them out.

This morning I testfitted a knot in them - the same knot as I use in my "Brush, Experimental, version Alpha" - and they do look quite different with a head of hair on top.
These are presented in the order I turned them. I find it hard to pick favourites - they all sit quite nice in my hand - so I'm unsure which one will be officially dubbed the "Bravo", if any of these.

Any thoughts, Ladies and Gents?