All the round fruit are hand turned on the lathe. Bananas are shaped with a spoke shave. After sanding, the fruit are finished using either Danish Oil, or shellac sanding sealer, then waxed. Some are cellulose lacquered instead. Whichever method is used, an attractive durable finish results.

Some large fruit, particularly the oak, are just given several coats of wax polish as they look better that way.

A burr (or burl in USA) is an abnormal growth on the outside of a tree varying in size from a walnut to several feet. It will have lots of little twigs growing out of it. Each twig means a small "eye" or knot will exist inside the tree. The timber obtained from such burrs is invariably more colourful and always more highly figured than wood obtained from the normal tree growth.

It has a tendency to develop cracks and other character defects whilst seasoning, but they rarely detract from the attractive appearance of the timber.

Wasps

A real wasp has yellow and brown rings on its body, so our wasps are made by laminating alternate blocks of walnut and pequia (yellow wood), which are then turned to make head and body. The wings are also pequia. This is a little artistic licence, since we cannot obtain transparent wood.

Over the years, I have made thousands of wooden fruit and enjoyed most of it! I have had a few returned from shops and galleries for replacement of broken stalks, but high standards and attention to detail have ensured that I have only ever had one complaint.