Last time I merely defined the legs (or let the crack and grain define them for me), twists and all. Today, armed with some new attachements for the Dremel I cut two channels clean on though to the middle, “freeing” one leg, and nearly completeing the third channel to free the other two. Apart from the wood on the surface, this is some nice, hard wood, and was putting up quite a fight, so this is the progress so far. The Dremel was starting to heat up, and I think I’ll need to figure out another way to go deeper on this part.
This was a fun phase to the project, not quite Zen, but I still got to lose myself in the process. This was especially nice after a frustrating morning of not being able to figure out what I wanted to do). I’m still recovering from a bizarre shoulder injury, and I had intended to work on some “spring” tongs for the kitchen. Partially to limit my work to the bandsaw, and partially to practice some steam bending, as that’s the next challenge for this lamp. But alas, I just couldn’t find the wood I wanted to use, and rather than waste time looking, or prepping some leftover maple or oak stock, I “lost” myself in the lamp. Remember – I’m letting this project shape itself, so I could almost mindlessly let the cutting edge fly – and by fly I mean walk back and forth in the channels – just so long as I kept it away from my hands.
Progress made, so now I can upgrade this on my list... and while I”m updating the list, (thanks to some pre-spring house clearing) I’ve got some new projects to add!
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/
8 comments so far
Don
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2590 posts in 1070 days
posted 1008 days ago
I’ll be following the progress, Scott. Thanks for this.
-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hilsbiblechurch.org/
Dick, & Barb Cain
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7035 posts in 1193 days
posted 1008 days ago
Scott.
It looks like you’re making progress. I love the look of Lilac, it has lots of color.
I was wondering if you had some carving gouges, & mallet to carve the grooves out, or is that what you started out with, & your cleaning it up with your Dremel ?
-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1
scottb
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3402 posts in 1221 days
posted 1008 days ago
I do have some carving tools somewhere – holdovers from printmaking in college. I’ve started the legs with the dremel, but once they’re bent into shape, I’ll be cleaning them up and forming the final shape by hand. (except for my drill, this had been formed by hand thus far)
In fact, I’ll probably have to resort to hand tools to finish off the third channel, so I had better get that Mallet off the back burner – or grab a log off the pile and make do with a really “rustic” one.
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/
frank
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1503 posts in 1099 days
posted 1008 days ago
Hi Scott;
I always grab off the wood pile, rive it and tune a shape with a timber chisel and I’m ready to go. Made another one Sunday out of oak and whether it’s green wood or dry they sure work for me. But then I go through so many, I’m always making many shapes and sizes. Oh yes, I usually throw on a coat of tung oil….works for me.
GODSPEED,
Frank
-- --frank, NH, http://frank.wordpress.com/
Dick, & Barb Cain
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7035 posts in 1193 days
posted 1008 days ago
Throw a chunk of maple in your lathe. Here’s an image of the one I made. use it for for a pattern. I used oak for the handle, Glued maple for the head.
The image is a little grainy because I enlarged it.
-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1
scottb
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3402 posts in 1221 days
posted 1007 days ago
Thanks Dick… I’ll see if I can’t sqeeze this in tomorrow night!...
but… If the photo is grainy because you enlarged it, how small is this mallet? ou must be doing some small and highly detailed carvings! ;)
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/
Dick, & Barb Cain
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7035 posts in 1193 days
posted 1007 days ago
Scott
I got some better images for you. You’ll notice my mallet is getting a little beat up, because I used soft Maple. Carving">Images. Toolscolor:#808080
-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1
scottb
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3402 posts in 1221 days
posted 1007 days ago
Ah, thanks for the link. now I see how you attached the handle. I have some hard maple left over from my table, but I’ll have to glue it up into a thick enough blank, either that or a piece of the ? maple from my neighbors tree. I’m sure I can find a useable chunk of that even with all the checking at the ends.
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/