About the Materials I Use

I am sensitive to origins of the materials I use. The woods come from certified sources, so I do not contribute to deforestation. The materials from animal sources (skins, ivory, antlers) are by-products from humanely harvested animals. When I use ivory I ensure it is from legal sources. It may be mastodon ivory or reclaimed ivory from a piano keyboard.

Desert ironwood. I live in the desert so I am especially fond of using local materials. That is why frequently I use desert ironwood (Tesota Olneya). Not only is this wood is extremely hard and heavy (It will not float.), it occurs in a most pleasing array of oranges, yellows, browns and black. Now I specialize in creating useful and decorative items out of ironwood. This wood only grows in the Sonoran Desert which extends from southern Arizona into northern Mexico. The tree is protected so I rely on private landowners as my source of ironwood. I only cut dead trees.

Here is a list of the woods that I typically have in stock:

Who I am

My love and appreciation for wood goes back to my roots growing up in Oregon. My father was a sheet metal worker, but he did a lot of woodworking around the house and I learned much from him.

But I never really got serious about woodworking until much later in life when I could afford the power tools that are required to do the precision work I wanted. The furniture that I built is much appreciated by my family members. The Shaker style dresser with handcut dovetails will become family heirlooms.

One day I was reading an Arizona Highways catalog and noticed they were advertising pens made from mesquite. That launched me into buying my first lathe. It was a Sherline lathe, actually a small metalturning lathe. I modified it for making pens, and I was hooked

Making pens led to making wine stoppers which led to making small bowls. Making small bowls led to making larger bowls.

And then I got a call from a friend who lives in Tucson. He told me he had a dead ironwood tree on his property and I could have it if I wanted. After I made a few pens out of the wood, I was hooked. This wood was so beautiful. Ironwood displays a reflective property called chatoyance meaning it reflects sunlight just like tigereye.

My fulltime woodturning career began when my corporate career ended in 2007. I began doing art fairs around Phoenix and the rest of Arizona.

There are many items that can be created on a lathe that are not circular. In the years to come, I plan to explore those shapes. And I hope you will come along on this journey with me..

Wood Finishes

When choosing a finish, I take into consideration the end use.

For pens, I use a lacquer that is formulated for musical instruments. This is a hard and durable coating that resists body oils and acids. It is crystal clear o it does not alter the color of the wood.

For larger items, I generally use a proprietary oil-varnish mixture. This finish penetrates the wood and cures inside the wood. The combination of oil and varnish provide the best protection against water and strengthens the wood fibers. The oil also wets the wood fibers and accentuates the woods optical properties such as “curl” and chatoyancy. This finish takes days to apply, but the end results are worth it.

 

My Work

 

Writing Instruments

I started lathe work with writing instruments. To me, they are the ultimate in functional art. You get to carry around this beautiful piece of wood and you can write with it!

Fountain pens. These are the creme de la creme of writing instruments and so they call for the finest in materials and the most durable finishes for the hardware. Materials in this class include ironwood burl and curly koa and lapis lazuli. The nibs for these pens are iridium-tipped steel nibs made in Germany with a medium point. The iridium tip produces a low-friction writing tip. The nibs can be changed to a different width, like fine or broad, or can be upgraded to an 18K gold nib. The pens take a standard Schaeffer cartridge and they come with a converter pump so you can use your own ink.

Rollerball Pens. Fountain pens may be the creme de la creme, but I like rollerballs the best. They combine the writing ease of a fountain pen with the ability to make impression writing of a ballpoint pen. The refill I use is a Schmidt non-drying refill that comes in blue or black ink. So if you leave the pen uncapped, you don’t have to worry about it drying out.

Ballpoint pens. These are the workhorse of writing instruments. My pens take either a Cross or Parker refill. The tip is extended either by twisting the body or by a button click.

Mechanical pencils. The mechanical pencils I create are based on the Pentel mechanical pencil. I replace the plastic body tube with wood. The wood must be fairly straight-grained to work in this design because there is no tube to reinforce the body like other pens.

Kitchen Accessories

Straight-lipped bowls. These bowls are used primarily for salads and fruit - actually, they can be used for anything except hot, wet foods. No mashed potatoes, please. 

Natural edge bowls. The first time you see a bowl like this, you’ll wonder how the edge is formed. Normal straight-lipped bowls are created from a large rectilinear blanks of wood. In contrast, a natural edge bowl is taken straight from a half-section of a log. The intersection of the cone-shaped bowl and the half-cylinder of the log-section produces a saddle-shaped lip on the bowl. using wood that has a contrasting sapwood and heartwood serves to accentuate the shape o the edge.

Garlic keepers. These are beehive-shaped covers that keep a head of garlic in the dark, yet handy for your cooking needs.

Wine stoppers. These are metal cones that accept a turned piece of wood on the top for decoration. They are used to seal a bottle of wine once it is opened. The seal works so well , we have used it to seal a bottle of champagne and the pressure did not pop it out! The wood tops come in various designs. I keep the profile low so that it is easier to store the bottle in your refrigerator.

Salt Cellars. My design has a lid that pivots. This allows you to use a single hand to open and grab a pinch of salt with one hand.

Mortar and Pestle. My unique design is based on a pestle that is more cone shaped than the classic design. A complementary design in the mortar simplifies the grinding process.

Desk Accessories

Paper clip caddies. These are quirky little holders that keep a paper clip handy on your desktop. A ring magnet holds the paper clip. The rest is wood and can be in a number of configurations.

Business card holders. I two designs. One design is created using a method called German Ring Turning. Basically you turn a bowl with a cross-section of the holder and then cut the bowl into segments. A little sanding creates a flat bottom. The other design is not done a lathe. I take a limb section and cut a slot for the cards.

Pencil Cup. Just a small cup to hold pens and pencil on your desktop.

Commission Work

I am happy to do work on commission. Custom work generally does not cost more.
Contact me with your ideas.

 

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All the photographs of this site are the exclusive property of Richard Altenhofen LLC.
All reproductions are strictly prohibited without the consent of the author © Richard Altenhofen 2006.
This site was conceived and realized by Richard Altenhofen, woodturning artisan.

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