a little laburnum pencil pot
one of the real pleasures of belonging to a woodturning club is the people.
there’s a wealth of knowledge, skill and experience in the room, and people are generally more than happy to share it. i have a small role during one of our sessions, collecting the fees as everyone arrives. i do it willingly, even though it usually costs me an hour at the lathe.
the compensation is excellent. i get to chat to everyone.
a walk around the room can reveal all sorts of things: new techniques, interesting projects, unexpected materials and the stories behind them. there’s always something to learn.
on one particular round, i got talking to a fellow turner who makes beautiful flower heads on incredibly fine stems. the skill and precision are remarkable, even if the finished pieces aren't quite my own thing.
before long, she presented me with a small piece of green laburnum.
“you’ll probably make something from this. it’s a bit wonky and not very branch-like.”
well, i do love a challenge.
i had already been thinking about making a wooden coffee beaker. i’d seen examples made by other turners and fancied creating my own version, perhaps something for the studio or for my son, jacob, to use while sitting beside his campervan on a wild-camping trip. the plan was taking shape.
and then the laburnum arrived.
it was a gnarly little piece of timber, with no particular interest in becoming a perfectly behaved cylinder. as i worked, the cuts from the skew began to reveal layers of colour, swirls and movement. gradually, the form emerged, and the wood started to show me what it might become.
laburnum is a particularly striking timber. its heartwood can range from olive-green to dark brown, often deepening in colour as it ages, while the contrasting yellow sapwood creates a distinctive boundary. there’s a richness and complexity to the grain that makes even a small piece worth exploring.
i turned it while the wood was still green, with the intention of allowing it to dry naturally and develop its own character over time. hopefully, it will distort gently as the moisture leaves the timber, perhaps opening a small crack along the way. it has already begun to show signs of the direction it wants to take.
there was, however, one rather significant problem with my original plan.
laburnum is toxic. all parts of the tree contain cytisine, and the wood isn't suitable for making drinking vessels intended to hold liquids for consumption.
so, despite all the work and the promise of a bespoke coffee beaker, jacob won't be drinking his coffee from this one.
a small but important detail i probably should have considered earlier.
fortunately, jo had a solution. she promptly commandeered the finished piece and filled it with pens for her office.
and so, a wonky piece of green laburnum has found its purpose.
not quite the coffee beaker i imagined, but a rather lovely little pencil pot instead.
as for the elusive wooden coffee cup, the search continues. i'm now looking for a beautiful piece of ash, maple or olivewood to have another go.
there’s always another piece of timber.
another idea.
and, apparently, another opportunity to discover that the wood has other plans.
