Candle Holder

     This is a candle holder from Mother's house. It was a prototype, and as you have read, family and friends get the prototypes.

  The prototype is made from spruce 2x8 that actually cleaned up pretty well.  The one great virtue of softwood is that it often  takes stain wonderfully.  I was able to toss some walnut stain onto this project easily and then put a couple of coats of clear shellac overtop.  You can see the different rates of absorbtion when you look at the hardwood ball, it didn't take the stain nearly as well.

 I can't take credit for the design.  In fact I design almost nothing that I build.  My experience has been that just about everyone else in the world has a better eye for design than me.

 This idea come from a book that I picked up at a wood show one time.

 

  The Nelsons, John A. and Joyce C., have written a good little book filled with projects that are sort of folk art in style.  The drawings are very good, the cutting lists are accurate and the instructions clear and easy to follow. A book like this can provide patterns and ideas to woodworkers with a wide range of skills and tools.  I have made a few things from this book and also used it to inspire other small projects.  Often a little project is a good way to use up off cuts and fill  an evening, or rainy afternoon.

The Big Book of Weekend Wood working,150 easy projects
John A and Joyce C Nelson
Lark books, a division of Sterling Publishing Co.
!SBN 13:978-1-57990-600-9