Do you need to get rid of scrap wood? here's an idea. The Dum-Dum Sucker Tree made entirely out of scrap wood. This project is a great sucker tree. It could be a decorative piece as well, just don't do the last step. I have to admit on the last step where I drilled the holes in it made me cry a little. The tree turned out well. Check it out!

http://www.mfwoodshop.com/2016/04/dumdumsuckertree/

Step 1: GATHERING SCRAPS

Gather your scrap pieces most of my scraps was about 3/4" thick , 1.5" wide and in the range of 10-20" long. Once you pick out what you wanted, cut the lengths to about 15" long. This will make the glue up a bit easier. Setup the miter gauge with a stop block and the step goes quick.

After the glued drys, run all the panels through the drum sander. At this point you have an idea how big your blank will be. This one ended up at 4" thick and 14" long. Cut those panels in haft and stack them with a random pattern. Glue those panels up. It nice to have one of these clamps that can get good pressure on all the parts. Be sure to have one side flat so you can mount it to the lathe.

Step 2: SHAPING

Slow turning, until you get the blank round this will be a slow process. Be sure to wear a face shield. Learn from my mistakes.

Start shaping your piece and take your time. Making a sphere is a tough tack with out some sort of jig. If you take your time and make small cuts you can get this.

For extra touch you can add burned lines in your project. The burning tool, shown last week, makes this easy and gives a great touch of detail.

Measure your suckers stick and use the appropriate drill bit and spacing. The Dum Dum sticks are 1/8" and I choose 1" spacing.