| Project by Bagtown | posted 173 days ago | 756 views | 2 times favorited | 16 comments |  |
 |
Earlier this year I bought myself an adze. Didn’t know what I was going to do with it, just thought I needed one.
A couple of months ago I got a call from a friend who had a yellow birch cut down at his camp. I’m not sure but I think it must have been cut down at least a year ago. It was laying on the ground and cut into short log sections. He noticed there was some spalting visible on the ends and naturally thought of me. When he called, I said “sure I’m interested”. I didn’t have a use for it at the time but you can never have too much wood.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. We drew names at the cafe for a secret santa gift exchange. I got the name of a great girl who works at the cafe who is from Maine. The only rule for our gift exchange is that you have to make it. No dollar store coffee mugs from china are allowed.
So I went out into the backyard and split one of those big birch logs. A lot of folks might have burnt it on the spot considering the amount of rot there was inside the centre of it. I just kept chopping happily away with my adze. As it turns out, any day you get to use your adze, is a good day. I didn’t really have a plan in mind but I kept going. After awhile I turned it over and roughed out the ends with a large gouge and my big ugly mallet. Then I got to use my big Sorby two inch slick (chisel). This was turning into a lot of fun, and every time I thought I was taking away some of the most amazing grain and spalted beauty, it just got better the deeper I went. I was having a lot of fun. I spent the better part of a couple or three afternoons outside in the very cool weather, looking at the lake and listening to Mozart. This turned into a very zen experience for me. After I got it close to where I wanted, I brought it into the shop to dry out for a week or so. Then I Dug out where a branch that had once grown out of the tree. You can see the hole in the second picture. I used a power sander to smooth out the really rough parts and then began to final sand it by hand. I put a couple of coats of BLO on it letting them soak in for a couple of days each before buffing them out, then 3 or 4 coats of a homemade beeswax/grapeseed oil finishing wax.
So last night we had the staff party (everyone wore their pyjamas) at our house. When I gave this to her she couldn’t believe it. Hugs all around. :) She really loves it and I learned some new skills that I enjoyed so much I will be building on them in the future.
Thanks for looking
Any and all comments are welcome.
Mike
-- http://www.heartofsackville.ca/
| Pin It |
16 comments so far
a1Jim
home | projects | blog
87312 posts in 1749 days
#1 posted 173 days ago
Wow that’s really hauling “Adze” Very creative.
-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/
DIYaholic
home | projects | blog
7329 posts in 846 days
#2 posted 173 days ago
What a beautiful Artsy Rustic Bowl. She & others will admire it for many years.
Now then, get off your “adze” and make another!!!
BTW: Pictures of the PJs would have been nice. ;)
-- Randy-- I may not be good...but I am slow!
patron
home | projects | blog
12071 posts in 1513 days
#3 posted 173 days ago
well grasshopper
you have mastered the art of
ADZEN
and in your pajamas too
top of the class
now your secret assignment
(should you care to work for a living)
is to drive a big truck
and spread your joy
-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle
JL7
home | projects | blog
3643 posts in 1137 days
#4 posted 173 days ago
Very nice Mike….that is one cool log for sure…always impressed how some folks can envision a project like this….
I’m also curious what gift you got in return from the PJ party?
-- Jeff - I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
IndianJoe
home | projects | blog
386 posts in 421 days
#5 posted 173 days ago
love it nice keep up the good work nice
-- Nimkee** Joe
Monte Pittman
home | projects | blog
7074 posts in 510 days
#6 posted 173 days ago
She got the best gift. Beautiful work.
-- Mother Nature created it, I just assemble it. - It's not ability that we often lack, but the patience to use our ability
Bagtown
home | projects | blog
1636 posts in 1902 days
#7 posted 173 days ago
Thanks for the great comments everyone. Jeff, the person who drew my name made me paper ornament (think paper dolls), with each member of the staffs face on each one. I’ll remember this group for a long time.
Sorry there’s no pictures. I forgot to get film :)
-- http://www.heartofsackville.ca/
RonInOhio
home | projects | blog
478 posts in 1036 days
#8 posted 173 days ago
Nice story there behind that beautiful piece. Great work and story .
boxcarmarty
home | projects | blog
6508 posts in 531 days
#9 posted 173 days ago
Pajamas and hugs, I’m gonna have to buy me an adze…..
-- My mind is like lighting, one brilliant flash, then its gone.....
MonteCristo
home | projects | blog
2061 posts in 360 days
#10 posted 173 days ago
Nice story. Beautiful piece of spalted birch !
-- Dwight - "Free legal advice available - contact Dewey, Cheetam & Howe""
eddie
home | projects | blog
4618 posts in 785 days
#11 posted 172 days ago
Mike it came out beautiful ,Mozart,cold and a adze some serious meditation …....that old chunk of coal turned out a diamond ,mean wood
-- Jesus Is Alright with me
rejo55
home | projects | blog
148 posts in 414 days
#12 posted 172 days ago
I don’t know… conjuring up the vision in my mind of you chopping and sweating and beating and banging while listening to Mozart? Now I could see Wagner, or even Aaron Copeland. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
No, really, that is awesome!! Have been thinking of getting an adze, or at least a scorp, but you put the kibosh on that idea. Anything I did would only pale in comparison to your work.
Fine piece. Excellent work. Thanks for the post.
Have a good’un
Joe
-- rejo55, East Texas If there were no trees, there wouldn't be much wood.
Dave
home | projects | blog
9204 posts in 1011 days
#13 posted 172 days ago
Mike you are getting good at this stuff. I like this a lot. Impressive.
-- Superdav "No matter where you go - there you are." http://chiselandforge.com
Sandra
home | projects | blog
1320 posts in 247 days
#14 posted 172 days ago
And now I know what an adze is. You learn something new everyday.
Fantastic work. Kudos, despite the Mozart :)
-- No, I don't want to buy the pink hammer.
Bagtown
home | projects | blog
1636 posts in 1902 days
#15 posted 171 days ago
Thank you all.
When I’m outside and its cold and the Mozart is blasting away, well, well….. . . . the neighbours look at me funny too. :) But I like it.
-- http://www.heartofsackville.ca/
View all comments »
showing 1 through 15 of 16 comments
Have your say...