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Part II of a three part series on turning fruit
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Photo 1
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Photo 2
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Take a blank of your preferred
timber measuring 4 1/2" x 2 3/4" (photo 1).
After checking for flaws and marking the centres, mount the
piece between centres and bring to a cylinder as with the
apple we turned last month. (Photo 2)
The ends will need to be trued with a slight under cut and
a spigot formed at the tailstock end to suit your chuck. Take
the cylinder away from between centres and mount your chuck
on the spindle. Carefully fit the blank to the chuck (photo3)
and, after making sure it is tight and running true, bring
the tool rest up close to the timber at, or just below center.
Now start to form what will be the base or fat end of the
pear. This end is going to be a semi sphere as with the apple
and will be formed with the 3/8" or 1/2" spindle gouge. Start
with the gouge horizontal and as you cut slowly roll the tool
until you have it vertical (photo4).
This rolling action has to be done at the same pace as your
cutting action so that a nice even bead is formed. If you
roll the chisel too quickly you will slice into the timber
at the wrong angle and if you roll too slowly, you will form
a flat on the timber. A bit of practice will soon teach you
the proper combination of roll and travel. Now with the long
end of a 1" or 3/4" skew chisel, cut into the end of the pear
as you did with the apple (photo5) to
give a good deep starting position for the drill, and dress
it round to form a small indentation with a 1/4" spindle gouge.
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Photo 3
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Photo 4
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Photo 5
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Photo 6
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Mark off the finished length of approximately
4" with a 1/8" parting tool (photo6) and
cut into the timber about 1", widening the cut as you go so as
not to bind the tool, and then start to form the top profile of
the pear. As you go you will be judging what size to make the
half sphere at this end, and you will find that approx a third
of the size of the base is good. Gently smooth off between the
top and bottom of the pear and then form the slow cove that gives
you the waist of the pear (photo7). Blend
the beads and coves together and keep checking that they look
ok. When you are happy with the final shape, it is time to bore
the hole at the base end to accept the screw of the fruit chuck.
(Photo8) Use a Jacobs chuck with a 1/8"
brad point drill as you did with the apple, boring in about 1
1/2". Don't forget to bore this hole before you part off as you
won't get another chance.
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