Products

My goods cover the whole traditional range plus a number of innovative products of my own development. There are a few gaps however as this has long ceased to be a hobby. My prices are based on a fixed formula that pays me a fair hourly rate but when I find a product no longer sells and I suspect that price is the problem I will try to make it more cheaply. If I can't I drop it. This formula however has often given other woodturners a problem in that my products are thus very competitively priced. I have often been accused of deliberately undercutting the opposition but the truth is my stuff is labelled at home and not changed at a show, at a good show I am far too busy. The lamps in the photo below range from £30 for the big automatics £15 for the next size down. The smallest are £7.50 with draft shield £5 without.




	These lamps are of two types the large ones have spring feeder mechanisms which push a standard houshold candle up from below. automatically keeping the flame in the center of the chimney’s globe. There are ventillation holes feeding fresh air to the flame preventing the wax from making soot and fouling the glass. A standard houshold candle (e.g. Sainsbury’s) in these lamps will last around 7 hours and can be relit indefinitely if properly snuffed. These lamps are completely draft proof. The smaller lamps are based on the old ‘night light’ now better known as a ‘tea light’ The alumimium case however is discarded as my modern glass holders allow light through and down to illuminate the table. The old fashioned nightlight only lit the ceiling as no light could pass through the metal case. The full chimney will work outdoors, while the open shield will deal with the draftiest rooms.

I didn’t invent the mechanism, its a Victorian design. Oddly it was not very successful in Victorian times because candles were then not consistent in size but now they are and it works well. Originally I bought the mechanisms from craft sources but over the years prices went up and quality went down. Now I make them myself, look closely at the picture, I’ve learnt metal spinning and all the copper parts are made from standard water pipe stock, the main body is thickly chromed wardrobe rail. The only bit I now buy in is the spring made by a firm in Harlow, it is stainless steel and fully heat treated.



	The metal spinning techniques mentioned above also work on brass so I can make the sconces for the church style candles above. Not visible in the picture is the spike that is pushed up the wick hole in the base. This is an important safety feature as without it I found a modest knock could topple the candle. The spinning tools will also pull the metal out and down to form a flange so that I can make ordinary candle sconces. Early experiments revealed that without the metal lining a candle left to burn right down could use the edge of the wood hole like an inch diameter wick, with alarming results. While the wax burnt away rapidly leaving the wood to just smoulder, momentarily, the flame was four or five inches high! Don’t buy unlined wooden candlesticks! Prices are not quoted here as each item is made to individually exploit the blank in hand and so priced on time taken rather than made to a price. As a guide however I rarely go above £10 or below £5 all inclusive of the candle.


		MUSHROOMS

Every woodturner seems to develop a unique shape for mushrooms I like to cater to most tastes with a range as shown. I often see folk selecting a set, each one representing a member of their family.

The examples here are all in Yew but Lilac, Black bean, and Robinia are also very effective when I have stock.


	Mushrooms cover the price range £2.50 at around 3” rising to £10 at up to 10”


	FRUIT (£4.50 ea)

Fruit is another of the woodturner’s favorites here the essential skill is very much in the finish, the “stroking quality” of finely sanded sealed and waxed hardwoods makes these very hard to put down. What often puzzles visitors to my stall is how I finish and polish them all over but of course for the answer you must take the course.




	VASES (£6 to £30) These vases can be quite large, up to 12”tall but they are not like pottery. The hole inside is tapered from full size at the top to only an inch or so at the bottom. Not only is this very useful in controlling the spread of the arrangement but it adds a lot of weight to the bottom of the pot for stability with a tall display. There is no finish that can be applied to wood to impart sufficient resistance to water to prevent it eventually soaking through and ruining it. These then are for dry displays hence the popularity of dark woods working well with light colored grasses, reeds, rushes etc.


		The essence of a good Pot Pourri is a good sized hollowing and a restricting lid. The amount of aroma released is then slowed down and long lasting. An open bowl can be overpowering and gone in a day or so. The lid also means any dust is hidden. I also finish and polish the inside so you can use them as decorative boxes Prices vary between £8 and £16.

A chance discovery when spinning a tube down to a very small diameter produced a method of closing the end of the tube completely. A spun flange for the top and I then had a liner to take water not only cheaper than the glass ones from craft sources but polished copper is a better color with wood. It can also be dropped!. These vases tend to be quite small, suitable for a single rose for example where the tube holds enough water to open and display a suitable bud, or preserve a cherished buttonhole flower for up to a week. (£5 to £8)


	This is not the whole range, go to the gallery where the pictures are thumbnails, click on something that takes your fancy and you will get a full size high resolution full colour image.