Project Tutorials

Textured and colored egg

Click image for larger view

You can go ahead and leave the small waste area the tailstock is holding until the texturing is finished. I go ahead and finish shaping the egg top, then texture.

With the tailstock removed, the wood can flex away from the tool causing a spiral surface pattern to appear. I support the egg with my left hand while I take light finishing cuts.

Rounding over the tip of the egg with a light cut. Since the diameter is small, the cutting goes slower. Take your time and remove the little sharp point that usually forms.

The finish straight from the skew. This is a piece of curly soft maple. Curly woods usually chip out where the grain direction changes but light cuts with a sharp tool will leave a good finish most of the time. When you turn hundreds of the same shaped pieces, you have the opportunity to learn tool control with a variety of tools. The practice also teaches you that a good surface from the tool saves time in sanding later.

If you have trouble getting this type finish from your tools and are ever in southern Oklahoma or north Texas let me know. I will turn an egg with you. I always like to meet another turner and share turning information.

The shavings from light finishing cuts with the skew are long and tightly curled.

Once the egg shaped, I mark off three texture areas. The skew on its side in a scraping action will make the defining lines for each band.

Using the long point of the skew to make small V cuts is another method to define the bands.

The three texture areas. This is one of my favorite designs but not the only one I use. I have a picture on the last page of this tutorial that shows several eggs.

If you want to sand the egg, do so now. After sanding with the lathe on, I stop the lathe and sand the length of the egg to remove the rings of sanding lines formed with the lathe rotating. I cut sheets of sand paper into fourths and fold the pieces into three equal sections.