All Replies on So which scetch do you think I should carve on my posts for the upstair railings????

I agree. The one on the left is more fluid and lively.

-- Oldworld, Fair Oaks, Ca

I’d go with the one on the left also. I think it would go better with a long post. Both look really nice though. Did you draw these?

-- Rick

Rick, Yes, I drew these up…........free hand…...my flower on the left is unproportioned, but when I carve it it will be in proportion…..the one on the right is not drawn out fully, I will eventually draw a diamond up above it with a design in the middle of it and then flip the design that I already have drawn out.

Hi Tom1…..........that would be a good idea how I could get my oak in there too. So far we have used pine,cherry,maple,and oak….........so that might work out well. The railings are wrought iron but the hand rails and posts will be wood.

-- Robin Renee'

Definitely, a vote for the left too:-)

-- "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence Wake Up America!! Please read; http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/26-0

Go left young lady!

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://americancraftsmanworkshop.com

hej Robin
for my 2cent
I vote for the left becourse the right as it is, is finished and you can´t go further with it
but the left you can continue down and around the post if you change your mind
you can even go up from it if you want
why don´t you make one of each and see what feel abaut them when you have looked
at them on the stairs for a week or two you will have a good feeling of what will be the best

what ever you decide I will look forward to see it

Dennis

Robin i have to Agree the one on the Right looks Caribbean to me

-- cut it saw it scrap it SKPE: ANDREW.CARTER69

I’ll go for the one on the left Robin. Toying around with the idea of making the stem go around the post together with a few leaves won’t be bad. Nice sketches my friend!!!

-- Benji Reyes, Antipolo, Philippines, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Benji-Reyes/88321902103?ref=ts

I’m also favoring the drawing on the left. You can save the one on the right for another piece.
Very nice drawings !

-- Paul, Bristol,Rhode Island

Hi Robin;

Excellent drawings! I’m with everyone else. The left one.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

the left .

great idea with the on-lay ,
that way you don’t mess up the post .
( not that you would , but bench carving is easier ,
and more forgiving ) .

you have a nice design sense .

-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle

Very nice sketches, Robin, but I know nothing about relief carving. My guess is that cherry would be a better wood to carve; pine’s grain can be pretty difficult to work and the fact that it’s grain is very prominent might take away from the detail of your carving. (Just my own, inexperience musings.) I’m sure your work will be fine, whatever you decide.

-- Dan Campbell

Left

-- Living is a constant gamble, life is about working the odds in your favour

left

-- "Good artists borrow, great artists steal”…..Picasso

left.
IMHO its easier for you to do it on the lposts of different length, ease of continuity.

-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.

The one one the right!! Just kidding, I had to be different.

Lew

-- Lew- Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!

WOW..I love them both..the left one really catches my eye but so does the other one too..I think I would go with the left also..

I love the way you draw..I can sure use you to draw me some flower pictures that I can use in my marquetry..lol

-- Randall Child http://www.racfurniture.com/

If I said left, would I be just another face in the crowd? hmmm Oh well, ........ left

-- Gary, DeKalb Texas only 4 miles from the mill

Hi Robin,
I agree with everyone else that the drawing on the left will be the one to use. I assume you won’t mind some constructive thoughts on the design. If you want the flower to be the same petal on all four sides, you can use mylar as a transfer merely by tracing the one you want and then placing it around a compass drawn circle. I also would encourage you to maintain the continuing line of convergence where the leaves join the stem. This line draws the eye through the pattern and will make a very good pattern great. Also the curves of the stem will need to be a little more symetrical. Again, a very good pattern that can be used all the way down a post. I can’t wait to see the finished product.
Tom

-- Thos. Angle, Jordan Valley, Oregon

Two sides on each post?
Two great options?
Why not one on one side and the other on side 2?

-- "Imagination is more important than knowledge" Bibb in CO at http://katanadesign.com

If you go with the left one, I would also consider making left and right versions so they can be applied in a bookmatched fashion. This will bring balance to the posts and room.

-- Oldworld, Fair Oaks, Ca

I seem to favor the left as seems most others do. The fluid asymmetry is more appealing to me than the stylized symmetry of the design on the right. Go for it, gal! Can’t wait to see the finished results. good drawing as well!

-- Rick, south Sweden

Left is best ;-)

-- Larry "Work like a Captain but Play like a Pirate!"

Love the left one too!

-- Jen loves wood!

i dont see how you could go wrong with either, ... or both. if your carving turns out as well as your drawing, it will look great. pine could prove a bit fragile on a carved post application, given the use that it probably will receive.

Ok, I’m wierd. I like the one on the the right. But, if you carved the left one and gave it to me I would be thrilled. They are both excellent—an understatement for sure. When I saw your drawings, I was jealous of your talent. Love your house by the way.

Thanks

-- She thought I hung the moon--now she just thinks I did it wrong

LEFT

-- BIGSKY

Would it be too repetitive if I said the left?

No?

Then, The Left!

-- http://www.ahomespecialist.net, Making design and application one. †

The right one for me.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

nada

-- ~ Inspiring those who inspire me ~

Right, it’s more compact, has a bit of palm/pineapple look and has a fuller prescence. The left is pretty but thin and to delicate. JMHO

-- ~Just A Guy With A Hammer~

Why did I think of “Little Shop of Horrors” when I first looked at the one on the left?

Kidding aside, they each have a very different feel. I think I like the one on the right the best, but not quite as currently designed. Eliminating the “leaves” on each side and reworking the bottom into smaller, upside down fleur de lis-ish element would give the whole design a more solid, torch or scepter-type feel to it that would work really well on a post. JMHO.

-- Kacy, Louisiana

Sorry it took me so long to get back with everybody. I am going to add a photo of the railing, my husband has just started getting it together. He had me to design it and then he made the railing from scratch….......yep, I said from scratch….......he made the bends everything…......he’s pretty handy …....and kinda cute too….......yep, I think I will keep him. Oh and keep in mind also that the hand rail will go on top of the wrought iron and it will be wood.

When I drew the design out for the wrought iron railing, My husband said to keep it simple, because he had to build it and he has never made any railing before …...so I did as he wished, but after I drew it up …......I wanted to change it and add a little something else in a diamond design….......but hubby said no lets keep it like this….......so on the posts is where the diamond shape will be added….....subtle, you really won’t even notice it. The flower on the left is probably the one I willl go with, but I am going to turn it a little bit and put the leave of the flower up and it will give it a diamond effect, and there I will have my diamond to tie my entry way and hallway floors in. That do ya think?

Tom…..........I will try what you said.

John…..........that is a good idea.

Kacy…........you are right, it would look better without the leaves on the side…........I may do some revamping.

-- Robin Renee'

Robin what really counts is what you think but I agree with you.

-- RTB. stray animals are just looking for love

I am adding a couple more photo’s of the upstairs…......I will have 6 posts to carve…...maybe 7. I am going to get started on some scrap wood this weekend while the weather is a little nicer, so I can see if my design will work out, or if I have to modify it a little.

-- Robin Renee'

robin ,

your home is magic !

and to think ,
all you had to do was get out of bed ,
and work on it !

i have the same $10.00 level ,
i keep the key to the mens room on mine (LOL) !

-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle

Hi Robin,
Those are really cool sketches. Too bad you did not live closer I could Laser Engrave them for you.
Your shack is awesome..:)
db

Hi Patron…..........Thanks. (lol)Those levels come in handy in many ways!

Hi David…..........haven’t seen you around for a while, you must be very busy with your buisness. Yea, I wish you were closer too, you could save me a lot of time with your engraver that is for sure! So how is it working out, I bet it’s awesome working with it. Your going to have to show us some things that you are working on.

-- Robin Renee'

Hi Robin,
Well, first I gotta say that your talent level is just sickening… How can someone who looks as good as you, have soooo many talents… photography, woodworking, artistry, just unbelievable…
too bad you already have a hubby, cause if you were on the market, let me tell you…. I’d be shopping… lol
Anyways, I have to join the majority and say, the one on the left would look best (in my opinion). Also, when you carve it, I would leave it unproportional as not all flowers are built perfectly, just my thoughts on that… I understand the idea of perfect symmetry, but I think in this case, going with the flow would be best… I also agree with Dennisgrosan that you can have the carving flow down or up as desired…
Anyways Robin, you do amazing work and I can’t wait to see what the posts turn out like… I am sure it will look stunning as usual… Best of luck my “young” friend…
Wisty
PS: Your house is looking amazing!!! When can I move in? lol

-- New Project = New Tool... it's just the way it is, don't fight it... :)

Wisty, I am very flattered ….......thank you.

-- Robin Renee'

left for sure….i envy your house GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

-- My purpose in life: Making sawdust

p.s. dont light a candle!

-- My purpose in life: Making sawdust

The left has so many posibilities. You can wrap the stem up or down and around.

I agree with Witsy…it would look better in not perfect proportion. I would not make a right or left (bookmatched) version though as sort of random would have a better effect.

But then again if doing an overlay you have more room to experiment. Get some balsa and make a few different ones and see it in place.

What ever you choose to do I think it comes down to you and you Husband in the final choice.

-- Measure once cut twice....oh wait....ooops.

You have plenty of votes, but here is a thought. You could take the vine and let it wrap to an adjacent face on the post. Maybe on the end post. If you needed more detail work …

-- Steve - Impatience is Expensive

By the way, the drawings are excellent!

-- Steve - Impatience is Expensive

Hey Mark…..............don’t worry about the candles I got fire extenquishers. And tell me (lol)....... what are you grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring about??

Hi Mike…........I will have to tweek it a little but, maybe you guys are right not to try for perfection with the flower part of it.

Thanks Steve, I am glad you liked my drawings…......

-- Robin Renee'

lol….its the jealousy >:(

-- My purpose in life: Making sawdust

and i have fleas :P

-- My purpose in life: Making sawdust

How about a Walnut inlay of the “Left”? I’m thinking the darker inlay would compliment the iron.
You will then have top come up with a name for the “Left”....

ohhhh ….........Mark have you told your wife? If not maybe you should….......(lol) you know bout the fleas.

Burt C…........Inlay would look very nice…....but I have never done inlay, only carving. I agree walnut would look good, but ….........I think I am going to stay with cherry and white oak. White oak the stair treads are made out of and cherry is in the hallway which is visible from the living room, and if you look you can see it from the photo that I have of the staircase going down to see the view in the livingroom.

-- Robin Renee'