A Bit Of A Battle

The wood I mentioned yesterday - the one that cuts well but is a bugger to sand - is also a bugger to turn.
I think I won this battle with it but I suspect it may win one or two in the future. This is what my 'win' looks like.

I hadn't realise that the roots that ivy puts out to grip whatever it is climbing are not 'random' but actually grow in straight lines up the stems. I found that out when I was cleaning up  a piece ready to turn. When I put it on the lathe I thought I would leave some of the character of the plant in situ and This is what I ended up with.

After my battles I relaxed slightly by finishing the spinning top with the Pink Ivory tip and making the Ebony ones ( can you spot the mistake on one of them). They may not be the traditional design (and pretty small), but they do spin well.