Nick Arnull demonstrates how to turn natural and coloured fruit the easy way
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SCREW CHUCK: Mark the centre of your blank
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
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
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
Reverse chuck using the cardboard washer and shape the top of the apple
Put in the dimple, sand, seal and polish
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
Clean the sponge and apply yellow ochre to the pear
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
Remove all dust from the surface
Spray with acrylic satin lacquer and allow to dry
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Some time ago, my wife Jane asked me to make her some fruit, but I didn't have a clue where to start. I had seen a demo where a fruit chuck had been used, but I decided there had to be a simpler/cheaper method. So I developed the method I still use today. The main problem was how to hold the wood on the lathe for turning fruit. Easy, I thought, use a screw chuck. Those available commercially at that time were too big, so I made my own, see figure 1, using screws that were already in the workshop - 6 and 8 gauge, 1 1/2in wood screws.
When you are making natural wooden fruits, use highly figured/decorative timbers like spalted beech (Fagus sp) and yew (Taxus sp). When making coloured fruit, my first choice is sycamore (Acer sp). Do not forget fruit is regional/seasonal so make what is available in your area. Go out and buy good examples of the fruit you are going to make - you will not believe the actual shape and colours on the fruit. Take a long hard look before you start.
Safety
When turning natural fruit you want to use the most decorative timbers. As a rule, the more pretty the wood the more hazardous the dust. Though this is a small-scale project, do not forget to protect your eyes and lungs.
Materials required
Timber apples are made from 75 x 75 x 75mm (3 x 3 x 3in), pears are made from 75 x 75 x 90mm (3 x 3 x 3 1/2in). For coloured fruit, use sycamore, holly (
Ilex sp), maple (
Acer campestre) etc. With natural fruit, you can use highly figured timbers. Liberon acrylic palette wood dyes are used for the base coats, and a selection of artist acrylic colours will be required. It is very important to have fresh fruit to copy when decorating.