Apple

Gary turns a lot of apples for the various outlets where his work is sold and he usually turns about a hundred a day! To avoid excessive wastage of timber he starts with a block of wood (on this occasion it was yew) measuring 3” square by 2⅜” long, with the edges cut off and mounts it in a screw chuck. He turned it down to 2¾” diameter then used a spindle gouge to turn the shape, leaving a flat piece an inch across on the bottom. He drilled a hole in the base, using a hand drill then turned a deep dimple in the base; this is so it is difficult to damage the clove once it has been put in. He sanded and finished it then reversed it on the chuck, putting a piece of card between the apple and the chuck to protect it. (See photos GR_33, 34 & 35).

He turned a cove in the top then finished shaping the top half of the apple. After sanding and finishing it he buffed it, on a buffing wheel, using buffing compound to give it a nice shine. Finally he glued a clove in the bottom with super glue and a piece of hazel twig he had dyed black into the top, using Titebond. (See photo GR_36).