The Tool Desk
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To turn a Bernson Showcase Vase, shape a roughly 4½-inch-square wood blank into a bulbous vase with a sweeping neck, then drill a 9/16-inch-wide, 3-inch-deep opening for a test tube. Bruce Bernson’s process, published by WOOD Magazine on June 14, 2016, also describes sanding, an oil-and-wax finish, and a protective leather base. It gives key working dimensions, but not a complete dimensioned drawing or the finished vase’s full measurements.
Materials and tools
The pictured vase is made from big-leaf maple burl that Bernson dried in his own kiln. The project does not require that species: the article says he sought distinctive woods including wild lilac and buckeye burl. Choose a blank suitable for your own turning setup; the article does not provide general wood-drying instructions.
- Wood blank, approximately 4½ inches square
- Bandsaw and lathe with a between-centers setup
- 1/2-inch roundnose scraper for shaping the neck and body
- Drill and bit for the 9/16-inch-diameter, 3-inch-deep opening
- Abrasives, including sandpaper as fine as 600 grit
- Watco Danish Oil, tripoli, a 10-inch-diameter cotton buffing pad, a lamb’s-wool bonnet, and pure carnauba wax
- Protective leather, white glue, a sharp utility razor blade, and a woodburning tool
- A test tube sized to fit the finished opening
These are the items and dimensions reported for Bernson’s process, not an independently tested specification. The article does not state the test tube’s dimensions, so confirm its outside diameter against the drilled opening rather than assuming every tube will fit.
Turn and shape the vase
- Prepare the blank. Bandsaw the approximately 4½-inch-square block into a cylindrical shape and mount it between centers. Bernson described his starting method this way: “I start with a cube of wood approximately 4½ inches square. I bandsaw the block to a cylindrical shape and mount the block between centers. Next, I turn it round, and remove stock from the ends to form two dowel-like supports.” The quotation is from Bruce Bernson, a self-taught woodturner, as reported by WOOD Magazine (2016).
- Turn the profile. Turn the blank round, then remove material from both ends to leave dowel-like supports. Use the 1/2-inch roundnose scraper to form the vase’s sweeping neck and bulbous body.
- Smooth the surface. Turn the surface as smooth as possible, then hand-sand, working up to 600-grit paper as Bernson reported.
- Remove and drill. Take the piece off the lathe and cut away the dowel-like projections. Drill a centered hole in the top, 9/16 inch in diameter and 3 inches deep, for the test-tube insert.
Finish and add the base
- Apply oil. Bernson used one coat of Watco Danish Oil and allowed it to dry for three days. He stated: “I apply a single coat of Watco Danish Oil to the vase and allow it to dry for three days.” This is his reported process, not a universal drying instruction; follow the finish manufacturer’s directions for your product and conditions.
- Buff and wax. Bernson buffed with tripoli on a 10-inch-diameter cotton pad mounted to an arbor, then used a lamb’s-wool bonnet on another arbor and applied pure carnauba wax.
- Protect the bottom. Glue leather to the base with white glue, trim the excess with a sharp utility razor blade, then sign and number the wood along the leather base with a woodburning tool.
Fit the test-tube insert
The test tube holds water for fresh-cut flowers while the wood forms the decorative outer vase. The specified opening is 9/16 inch across and 3 inches deep, but the source does not state a tube size. Check the actual tube’s outside diameter and length before drilling; the opening needs to accept the tube without forcing it, and the tube must sit within the available depth.
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#1 Best Overall
RUITOOL Wood Lathe Tools Set with Carbide Lathe Tools and Bowl Sander
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What the published project does—and does not—specify
WOOD Magazine’s 2016 article documents Bernson’s method and several key dimensions, but it does not give the vase’s full finished dimensions or a complete dimensioned plan. It also does not establish lathe speeds, universal safety procedures, or whether the described finish is suitable for every wood species. The article mentions the WOOD Store as offering more than 1,000 woodworking plans at that time; that historical count does not confirm that this particular vase plan is currently available.
Quick Recap
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