Would you care to share how you grind all of these? I'm working on carving a Black Calla Lily for my girlfriend for her birthday, and today alone, I burned out my dremel, sweat 12lbs, and the wood is completely unrecognizable as the flower it should be. I'm using a dremel #144 bit, and I spent 4 hours today carving with very little luck. I ended up taking the block to the tablesaw to get rid of some stuff, but that isn't how I want to do it if I can help it. Its looking at this rate to be a project that will take 60+ hours… The worst part is that after that many hours it could still look like garbage :-/
I think that one thing is often forgotten when we look at each project, that everyone is of the same outstanding quality. I hope that really inspires others to do the same.
Another very nice box with more sculpting which i like more so than the less scullpted one…but that is just me. They all look amazing and so does the sinker cypress….excellent.
from this picture, I like it raw. I am using less & less finishes every year..I luv the feeling of wood under my hands. If pressed I will use danish oil and buff. this looks very touchable
wowzer greg, ya know that is some very old tree, look at the growth rings there….i love that you can get this wood and work it into something beautiful…, so thank you greg for using this beautiful old tree, brought up from the depths of mother earths deep waters and showcased in someones home…do you ever put out a sign telling folks about this wood..if not you might consider it, they might enjoy knowing about this wood…
You're knocking them out Greg, another nice one, the cypress I use seems to be popular as well, I think I'll make my next box from stock I have left over.
Thanks so very much everyone...I sincerely appreciate each and every comment….each and every moment in my shop is fun and hopefully productive.
Schooltes…I grind these with an angle grinder that has a 4" rubber backing pad and a sandpaper disk. I also use a Foredom electric carver that is similar to the Dremel you mentioned except it is heavier duty. the rest is just a whole lot of practice, patience and lots of hand sanding.
Fridge….this box doesn't have a finish but when I do use a finish it is normally lacquer.
Grizzman…I have put up a sign in my display before but most people don't read it…and besides, I would rather look them in the eyes and have a conversation about the woods used and their history. I just have so much fun at the shows doing this.. I have run across other artists at shows that seem like they don't particularly want to have conversations with people…and I think they are missing out on a lot because of it.
Andy…I totally agree that many people could care less about wood types and their history…It is quite easy to look into their eyes read them and determine their interest level after a very short conversation. On the other hand, it is most enjoyable when I connect with someone that has a genuine interest in everything involved with the work…and these are the people most likely to become clients…. It is a numbers game…sorta like fishing..you have to throw your line out there quite often before getting a nibble.
Greg, Had a guy come and buy all of my blackjack today and he wanted to see everything, hear about where it came from, etc. Really a good guy who will be back 'cause he appreciates history and character of the wood he uses.