Sometimes you fly too close to the sun.
I've had this old lamp base for years. It doesn't have a shade, so I've never used it. I decided to try to turn one!
I had a small section of oak, and as I was working it I realized it wanted to be a mushroom. I thought that would be fitting on the rock lamp base. So far so good!
Then I decided (for whatever harebrained reason) to try to turn the stalk thin enough to be translucent, so it could light up while the top was dark. I went slowly, checking progress as I went. I even decided I should stop using the scraper, and try to finesse the thickness with sandpaper. I polished the outside, but it wasn't quite thin enough. Back on the lathe it went!
Things were going well. Then! A slight give in tool pressure. I stopped the lathe, and sure enough, I'd gone too thin.
It's so close, too. Stopping a second earlier, and it might have been perfect!
Ah well.
Some glamour shots of what might have been:
PK