I made mine about 1\2 smaller than yours for Christmas presents in 2020. I made one for my wife (my wife shared a picture of hers), AND then made some for my three daughters, two daughters-in-law and some friends at work! They all loved them. I purchased my "fur" in different colors from a local fabric store for a nice price. Thanks for the reminder. Good job.
I sold a bunch of these at a neighborhood parking lot Christmas show back in early December. Mine were a bit smaller so light enough to go on a tree. I did a video as well. Turning is easier than gluing the beard I discovered.
Hi Mike! Thanks for the comment, sir. Yep, the learning curve was all about the beard :) Thanks for the tip about your video. I'll definitely check that out. Happy holidays, sir. Cheers, Paul
Great to know, Gerald. Thanks for the tip. Also good to know that they sold well. Based on the response they got here at home I’d think that they would be a hot seller. Merry Christmas to you as well!
I've been knocking a few of those out lately. Hot glue and I don't get along too well. Loctite makes a superglue called "Ultragel Control" that is easier (for me) to apply where I want it without making a mess.
You said this is your 2nd time making one but you made it so flawlessly! When I turn i struggle.... Any chance you know anywhere I can look at for drying wood/preventing cracking after making a bowl or cup? Appreciate it!
Thanks for your kind words and for your question. This project, and most of the spindle work that I do, involves turning wood that is already dry. When I turn bowls, on the other hand, I generally turn green, so I have to deal with drying. There are two approaches that I use for this. Most commonly I will turn a bowl all the way to final thickness when it's still green. Then I'll let it dry on a mesh shelf, allowing good air circulation all the way around. It usually takes 3-4 weeks for a bowl to dry this way, depending on how thick it is. Then I'll sand and finish. Most of the time the bowl stays in tact with no cracking with this method, as long as I was careful to no include any pith in the bowl. If it does crack, I let it finish cracking and completely dry, then I use resin to repair the crack, then sand and finish the bowl. This approach produces a bowl that isn't perfectly round, because it shrinks unevenly as it dries. If I want to produce a bowl that is "perfectly" round, I will do what is referred to as the "twice turned" approach. To do that, you want to turn the bowl green, leaving the rim pretty thick, approximately 10% of the overall diameter of the bowl. So, for a 20" bowl, you would leave the rim 2" thick. Then pack the bowl into a paper bag, fill the bag with wet shavings that are sitting underneath the lathe from the turn, seal the top of the bag, and let it sit for a few months until the bowl is dry. It will be out of round, of course. Then remount on the lathe and turn it again. The 10% wall thickness should give you enough material to turn it round again. Then it will stay round forever.
![TURN A [ GNOME ] ON A WOOD LATHE - Wood turning a Christmas Gnome!](/img/n.gif)
I made mine about 1\2 smaller than yours for Christmas presents in 2020. I made one for my wife (my wife shared a picture of hers), AND then made some for my three daughters, two daughters-in-law and some friends at work! They all loved them. I purchased my "fur" in different colors from a local fabric store for a nice price. Thanks for the reminder. Good job.
Great approach! Thanks for the comment Larry. Cheers, Paul
I sold a bunch of these at a neighborhood parking lot Christmas show back in early December. Mine were a bit smaller so light enough to go on a tree. I did a video as well. Turning is easier than gluing the beard I discovered.
Hi Mike! Thanks for the comment, sir. Yep, the learning curve was all about the beard :) Thanks for the tip about your video. I'll definitely check that out. Happy holidays, sir. Cheers, Paul
I made my gnome beards out of fake fur that my wife found at JoAnn Fabrics ... sold a bunch of them at our Holiday Fair. Merry Christmas, Paul!
Great to know, Gerald. Thanks for the tip. Also good to know that they sold well. Based on the response they got here at home I’d think that they would be a hot seller. Merry Christmas to you as well!
Hoping you had a Merry Christmas and wishing you and yours a Happy New Year Paul.
Thank you kindly! 🙏. Happy holidays to you as well. Cheers, Paul
I've been knocking a few of those out lately. Hot glue and I don't get along too well. Loctite makes a superglue called "Ultragel Control" that is easier (for me) to apply where I want it without making a mess.
Nice idea. Thanks for sharing. Cheers
Love these bearded gnomes =)
Next year's gnome will defiantly have a beard =D
Yeah, I’m definitely a sucker for them as well!
You said this is your 2nd time making one but you made it so flawlessly!
When I turn i struggle....
Any chance you know anywhere I can look at for drying wood/preventing cracking after making a bowl or cup?
Appreciate it!
Thanks for your kind words and for your question. This project, and most of the spindle work that I do, involves turning wood that is already dry. When I turn bowls, on the other hand, I generally turn green, so I have to deal with drying. There are two approaches that I use for this. Most commonly I will turn a bowl all the way to final thickness when it's still green. Then I'll let it dry on a mesh shelf, allowing good air circulation all the way around. It usually takes 3-4 weeks for a bowl to dry this way, depending on how thick it is. Then I'll sand and finish. Most of the time the bowl stays in tact with no cracking with this method, as long as I was careful to no include any pith in the bowl. If it does crack, I let it finish cracking and completely dry, then I use resin to repair the crack, then sand and finish the bowl. This approach produces a bowl that isn't perfectly round, because it shrinks unevenly as it dries. If I want to produce a bowl that is "perfectly" round, I will do what is referred to as the "twice turned" approach. To do that, you want to turn the bowl green, leaving the rim pretty thick, approximately 10% of the overall diameter of the bowl. So, for a 20" bowl, you would leave the rim 2" thick. Then pack the bowl into a paper bag, fill the bag with wet shavings that are sitting underneath the lathe from the turn, seal the top of the bag, and let it sit for a few months until the bowl is dry. It will be out of round, of course. Then remount on the lathe and turn it again. The 10% wall thickness should give you enough material to turn it round again. Then it will stay round forever.
@@ToolMetrix wow, thanks for explaining how to avoid and fixing cracks in wood bowls. I'm new to turning and this will help for sure.👍
Tá parecendo mais um malho do que um gnomo.
Your comment is harsh, rude, and unnecessary.