Nostepinne - Part 1

This weekend I was able to start a project for Suzanne, a cousin in the Minneapolis area.  The project is a nostepinne.  Suzanne spins her own yarn.  A nostepinne is a device that helps to wind the yarn into a ball that unwinds from the inside.  Just do a Google search for 'nostepinne' and you will find all the information there is.

This particular project began life as a black walnut tree branch in my back yard.  I cut it off about a year and a half ago because it was dead.  It has been sitting in my shop since then waiting for the right project.  The remainder of it is destined to be a couple of scrollsawn chess sets.

The first step is to square it off at the band-saw.  This will help balance the blank as it spins on the lathe.  It's a safety thing.

The grain on this piece is going to be gorgeous.  Here are the cut-offs from the squaring process that give a hint to what is below.

After getting the blank on the lathe and giving it a few spins with a roughing gouge, it begins to round off.

Like a fine wine, a turning blank like this needs to be aged.  Now that it is roughed in, it needs to sit so any tensions that have built up as the tree grew have a chance to release now instead of after the project is complete.  It is also important just in case the moisture level of the inside wasn't quite what it needs to be.

Here is my birthday present.  It is the Easy Wood Full-Size Detailer turning tool.  This turning tool is my third from this manufacturer.  It will come in handy as the nostepinne goes into the final shaping process. 

These tools, along with Robert Sorby turning set should be all I need until I start doing more advances turning techiques.