Turning Fruit archive

Mount between centres

Make round using a roughing spindle gouge

Using a parting tool, create 20mm and 10mm parallel spigots on both ends to fit your spigot chuck

Mount the short spigot into your chuck; drill a 10mm (3/8in) hole - the size of the screw head. The depth is determined by the amount of protrusion required at the front of your chuck

Change to a smaller drill (the diameter of the screw) and drill through the blank

Reverse mount your screw chuck and turn down the nose

Remove from the lathe, fit the screw, fill the hole with medium superglue and leave to dry

When using your screw chuck, fit it your chuck in the same place each time to give reasonable accuracy. I have highlighted the marks made by the jaws

NATURAL PEAR: Mark the centre of the blank and drill the centre to fit the screw chuck

Mount the blank on the screw chuck and bring in the tailstock to mark the other centre

Remove the tailstock with a small drill, put a hole into the blank

Replace the tailstock for added support and use a roughing gouge, reduce to round

With a 10mm (3/8in) spindle gouge, shape the bottom of the pear

Remove the tailstock and turn a dimple in the bottom

Replace tailstock and reduce the neck area of the pear

Sand

Apply finish. I have used friction polish

Remount the pear using a cardboard washer on the screw chuck to protect the finish. Bring in the tailstock for support when shaping the neck

Remove tailstock and reduce to final shape. Sand and polish

The finished piece

NATURAL YEW APPLE: Mount your blank on the screw chuck

Bring in the tailstock and reduce to round

With tailstock removed, drill the centre hole

Replace tailstock and turn the bottom of the apple

With tailstock removed turn the dimple in the bottom

Final shape the bottom

Sand and polish

Reverse chuck using the cardboard washer and shape the top of the apple

Put in the dimple, sand, seal and polish

The finished piece

COLOURED PEAR: After using Nyweb to de-nib the fruit, fit a cup hook

Apply lime green to the surface of the pear

Two to three coats are required, allow to dry

Using Cadmium yellow artist paint, apply with a damp natural sea sponge in a random manner

Allow to dry

Clean the sponge and apply yellow ochre to the pear

Hang up to dry overnight

Spray with acrylic satin lacquer and allow to dry

De-nib gently with Grey Nyweb

Base coat the apple with a yellow/green mix of artist acrylic paint

Two to three coats may be required

Using Cadmium red, put a light wash of colour onto the apple

Using various brushes build up the colour and density on the apple

Do not forget to work colour into the top/bottom of the apple. At this stage if you are not happy with your colouring do not panic

Using grey Nyweb and water remove any excess colour. Be careful or you will return to natural wood. Leave to dry

No two pieces of real fruit are the same; the idea of making coloured fruit is to make it look similar. Play with colours and size of brushes

De-nib with grey Nyweb

Remove all dust from the surface

Spray with acrylic satin lacquer and allow to dry