Finishes

Turned Wooden Shorebirds

By Beth Heuer on July 29, 2023

The Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival is an annual event each May in Homer, Alaska. In keeping with the “birding festivities” Ted designed and turned a collection of wooden shorebirds. We are now offering these little birds in our store – maybe they will flock to your home? Selecting the Wood The first step is selecting […]

Sanding Sealer for Finishing

By Beth Heuer on February 9, 2019

Ted’s creations involve several steps: he designs the project, prepares the wooden blank, turns it on the wood lathe, and applies finish. The last step is the most time-consuming. Recently Ted tried a new finishing process on a white ash and rosewood pepper mill. He was very pleased with the results. It saved time to […]

Little Wooden Bowls

By Beth Heuer on January 13, 2016

Ted had an idea for the upcoming tourist season and the Back Room Gallery show at Ptarmigan Arts, where he will be one of three local woodturners showcasing their work and talents for the month of July 2016. What about a collection of little wooden bowls, about six inches in diameter, with a food-safe finish so […]

Custom Pool Cue, Part 3

By Ted Heuer on April 3, 2015

This is the third and last installment of my article on turning a custom pool cue on a wood lathe. For me the shaft was the hardest part because it’s a smaller diameter than the butt and is more prone to vibration when turning. Here the shaft has been turned and sanded to its final shape. […]

Ceramic Vegetable Peelers

By Beth Heuer on January 27, 2015

When I was a child, I went to rural Tennessee to visit my grandparents. I remember going to the dime store and buying a vegetable peeler for my grandmother, who no doubt preferred to peel potatoes with a knife but lovingly accepted my gift as only a grandmother could do. I still have one of […]

Cremation Urns for Pets

By Beth Heuer on December 13, 2014

We get it. We have pets, and we understand how quickly and completely they become part of a family. When Ted was asked if he could create a turned wooden urn for the ashes of a beloved pet, he was honored to play a part in memorializing the life of a special friend. Turned cremation […]

Sputnik Sea Urchin Ornaments

By Beth Heuer on November 1, 2014

Every year, right about now, Ted starts building up a supply of Sputnik Sea Urchin ornaments for the pre-holiday sales season. We will have them available at Ptarmigan Arts Gallery in Homer, at the Kenai Arts and Crafts Fair (Nov. 28-29), and at the Homer Nutcracker Faire (Dec. 6-7). They are also available year-round through […]

Coffee Scoops with Turned Wooden Handles

By Beth Heuer on October 17, 2014

October ought to offer a brief respite following the end of the busy summer sales season but no … now we’re getting ready for two holiday bazaars that will take place in late November and early December. Our stock of turned wooden coffee scoops had been depleted over the summer so it was back to […]

Pizza Cutters with Turned Wooden Handles

By Beth Heuer on September 27, 2014

How does an ordinary kitchen utensil become a work of art? Ted’s line of functional kitchen “art” includes utensils that can be used for everyday and special occasions. Pizza cutters with turned wooden handles and premium-quality stainless cutting wheels are one of our top sellers at holiday craft fairs, as they make great gifts and are also fun […]

Spalted Birch Salt and Peppermills

By Beth Heuer on September 21, 2014

A few months ago friend and fellow woodturner George Overpeck, who specializes in bowls and hollow forms turned from local woods, gave Ted a spalted birch log. This is the story of that log’s transformation into salt and peppermills. After applying Pentacryl to the log and Anchorseal to the end grain, Ted let the log […]