July Newsletter

Reworking a finished form

Jul 18, 2025

Summertime. It’s been hot and rainy and humid in the northeast. I cleaned out the garage and reorganized my workspace out there. Still need to cut up some logs, rough out some bowls and then reorganize my wood stash in the basement. Then, I’m going to change out the air filter and then get back to work.

First try at an ikebana vase and mounted for reworking it.

It’s also time to revisit some of my less successful pieces and see if there is anything that I can do to “fix” them. I am not always satisfied with the outcomes of pieces that I make, and usually instead of throwing them away and starting fresh, I feel compelled to put them back on the lathe and give it another go.

Sample vial - perfect for short stem vases

Here’s the backstory on this walnut vase. I’m lucky to know someone who works at a pharma lab and when cleaning out the supply closet, they found a box of sample vials their company no longer has use for. These are a perfect size for me to make vases for short-stem flower arrangements.

With these in hand, I started exploring short and wide forms. Walnut was my first attempt, and I tried to go for a saucer shape, but it didn’t turn out well. My second attempt in maple was much better and sold pretty quick.

With the walnut saucer back on the lathe, I gave the sides a new profile. Then, I added a step detail and collar to the top. It’s now much closer to the maple design, which was a more successful form. I’m going to keep exploring forms that will support these vials, since I have about 100 of them to play with.