An Egg by the Numbers
Dennis in Southern Oregon
Reed G. asked yesterday whether the spheroid turning technique could be applied to an egg. I guessed that an egg could be approximated by a slightly stretched spheroid for the blunt end and a more highly stretched spheroid for the pointy end. Today, I did a trial; I took some eggs from the refrigerator and measured the following parameters of each: The maximum diameter of the egg, and the distance from each end to the point of maximum diameter. It turned out that the three eggs I measured were quite consistent.
Using these results, but scaling them up a bit in size to about 2.3" diameter, I laid out cutting lines for first an 8-sided approximation and then a 16-sided approximation. In effect I had to lay out for two different spheroids, but I only used the marking data from one end of each. (Confusing?). After cutting by the rules and then trimming by eye and sanding, I arrived at the result shown below.
I think the jury is still out as to the quality of the match to an egg. My eye seems to say that the small end should be stretched a bit more. I regret now not using unfigured wood, because the figure is a bit of a distraction in trying to judge the form. Suggestions anyone?
