tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38572909796328155722024-02-07T08:32:25.660-05:00The Old Sawa reverence for wood and an appreciation of things crafted from wood, such as band saw boxes, carved walking sticks and wood sculpture.John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-11646114421844884162015-05-13T09:56:00.001-04:002015-06-17T15:22:34.828-04:00Selling Woodcraft Items on Etsy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRHV0HFFToUbH9psApYJNwg5uvI20hM53sAY65smjPdRt8GI98VIAffjETaoN2bSnQz0ZAbmKfC2_S1F7v6Bk5FkZre41GU1B_smKZd0leG3mHXPU4LSmKQ3MEU3FkUWRMYae-s1Mep32/s1600/Etsy_logo%5B1%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRHV0HFFToUbH9psApYJNwg5uvI20hM53sAY65smjPdRt8GI98VIAffjETaoN2bSnQz0ZAbmKfC2_S1F7v6Bk5FkZre41GU1B_smKZd0leG3mHXPU4LSmKQ3MEU3FkUWRMYae-s1Mep32/s200/Etsy_logo%5B1%5D.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">About two
years ago I started selling some of my creations on Etsy.com.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are not familiar with <a href="http://www.etsy.com/">Etsy</a>, it is a
website that offers crafters and artisans a virtual shop of your own to sell your
items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, I have two shops on
Etsy. The first is called the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/firebirdboxstudio">Firebird Cigar Box Transformation Studio</a>, or
Firebird Box Studio for short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this
shop I sell repurposed wooden cigar boxes. I use the empty cigar boxes as a
medium for my creativity by carving or pyrography or collage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been making these boxes for many years
now and they were accumulating in my basement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My shop on Etsy gives me the opportunity to sell some of my accumulation
without the hassle of setting up a booth and selling them at a craft fair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">I stared
the second Etsy shop last month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
called “<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CastWithWood">Cast with Wood</a>”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In it I sell
all my other crafted wooden items that are not repurposed cigar boxes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of what I sell in this shop are hand
crafted wooden boxes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not trying to
earn a living from these shops, just a little spending money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Actually, most of the proceeds go back into
tools and supplies.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">If your
wooden craft creations are starting to take up too much space in your house,
even after you’ve given gifts to all your family and friends, maybe you should
consider Etsy. It really works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
before you jump in, here are a few tips based on my personal experience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><strong>Tip #1 –
Browse around Etsy first</strong> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Before you
set up your shop on Etsy, take some time to browse around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Search for items similar to the ones you will
be selling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice how the seller
describe the items and present them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See
what they are charging and what they add for shipping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice the quality of the photographs they
use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of a possible name for your
shop and see if it has already been used or if there are similar shop names
that might get confused with your shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Figure out ways to distinguish your shop from the competition, to make
it stand out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><strong>Tip #2 –
Begin with the end in mind<o:p></o:p></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">This tip
is straight out of Stephen R. Covey’s famous book: “<a href="https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits.php">The Seven Habits of HighlyEffective People</a>”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before you start
writing a description of any item you plan to put into your shop, look at the
item and figure out how you are going to ship it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, your very first step would be to
purchase a postage scale if you don’t already have one. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you know the weight and the size you can
investigate shipping options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will you
use the United Stated Postal Service, or UPS, or FedEx?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If USPS, will you ship Priority Mail or
regular mail?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you have a box to fit
the item, or will you use a standard USPS box?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do you have packing material?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Will you charge the purchaser the exact shipping cost, or will you add
an amount for handling?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You get the
picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><strong>Tip #3 –
Take good quality photos<o:p></o:p></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">If you are
not good at taking good quality photos, get the help of a friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it is extremely important to present
you items as professionally as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In browsing through Etsy, you will quickly notice the shops that use
good photography verses the ones that take a quick iPhone shot on the dining
room table. Use a background cloth. (Felt or fleece fabric works fine.) Show
you items in natural light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show
close-up details.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Etsy allows you 5 photos
per item. Use all five.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHASMDHh2pHsQvIy8sRfo7252Thk7GZVfxrFfZvpa04dd94SCOC5tf-qM82CTPxJBwl42g4byvE4jnQYqK864L0vNTtpIgdyQ329DhPrpM6yUDBNVxhofBViQjZbthQkXZFnofgOkKkip/s1600/010a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHASMDHh2pHsQvIy8sRfo7252Thk7GZVfxrFfZvpa04dd94SCOC5tf-qM82CTPxJBwl42g4byvE4jnQYqK864L0vNTtpIgdyQ329DhPrpM6yUDBNVxhofBViQjZbthQkXZFnofgOkKkip/s200/010a.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A carved wooden cigar box I sold on Etsy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><strong>Tip #4 –
Get organized<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Use an
excel spreadsheet to keep track of every item listed and every purchase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set up your own system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Number each item. If you are not comfortable
with Excel, do it by hand on a ledger sheet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Etsy is good at keeping track of your sales, but it is a good idea to
keep your own records so you can personalize them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you think that you will only be selling a
few items so you don’t need organization and records, you will have a rude
awakening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things get confused rather
quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are not organized your
efforts will result in problems, not enjoyment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><strong>Tip #5 –
Don’t price too low</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><strong><o:p></o:p></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">This is a
common mistake for crafters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t price
your turned wooden bowl to compete with the mass-produced turned wooden salad bowl from some
sweat shop in Asia, on sale at Wal-Mart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The things you make with your own hands are valuable, one-of-a-kind
works of art and should be priced as such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>People scan Etsy looking for unique crafted item for that special gift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are seldom looking for the cheapest
item, but rather the best item for their needs. They appreciate your work and
craftsmanship and are willing to pay for it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><strong>Tip #6 –
Treat the buyer like they are royalty</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">I’m
suggesting you go beyond merely thinking “the customer is always right”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe you must treat them with extra
special attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your goal should be
to make them happy with their purchase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thank them often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Include a
personalized form letter or note with the shipment, and maybe add a short
handwritten line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The making of some of
the items I have sold were actually described on this bog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pointed that out to the buyer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It's a</span>ll part of the personal connection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> There </span>is a practical motive for this customer rapport:
positive feedback comments on you Etsy site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When a buyer takes the time to write a nice comment, it is certainly
very valuable for influencing potential future buyers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Give Etsy
a try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a rewarding feeling when
someone sees the value in your work and is willing to pay you money to posess
the item you created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-41109151079209006712014-08-30T10:34:00.001-04:002014-08-30T10:35:18.711-04:00C. F. Martin & Co. Guitars - Fine Wood Craftsmanship in America <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnO7mq7Z-vdp9Mz5Wq0K3_8rK0yVQxGF1TSxpEQnlvVJfVcNoJrC_eVNtm6NpXGtOvdnDmVey8s2NXbWjHvvuW7ylnSIpODG2T0HmUvPlmUSJsxlAggdncKcV9xtjSQIAtzucRneTGlgwV/s1600/IMG_4460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnO7mq7Z-vdp9Mz5Wq0K3_8rK0yVQxGF1TSxpEQnlvVJfVcNoJrC_eVNtm6NpXGtOvdnDmVey8s2NXbWjHvvuW7ylnSIpODG2T0HmUvPlmUSJsxlAggdncKcV9xtjSQIAtzucRneTGlgwV/s1600/IMG_4460.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I visited the <a href="http://www.martinguitar.com/">C. F. Martin & Co</a>. guitar manufacturing plant in Nazareth,
PA and took the <a href="http://www.martinguitar.com/about-martin/visit-us.html">factory tour</a>. I was very impressed and also very
surprised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some dumb reason I had expected
to see a tiny woodshop with talented luthiers using hand tools, producing a few
guitars a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Martin Guitar certainly
has talented luthiers using hand tools, many with over 30 years of experience; but
this all takes place within a humongous factory that uses modern production
machinery to produce several hundred guitars per day. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, they use laser cutting of the wood and
robots for the final sanding and polishing, but the important woodcraft, all
fitting and forming, is still done proudly by hand. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I observed one craftsperson fitting the guitar neck
into the body. To me, it looked like a
nice tight fit, but it was obviously not up to Martin Guitar standards, or her
own personal standards as a luthier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
tapped the neck out and used a very sharp chisel to shave a tiny, paper-thin
slice from each side surface. She then gave it another dry fitting before
gluing. It was now perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes me
feel good to see that exacting wood craftsmanship can still exist in such a
high production environment.</span> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutBadD0aL1KNfmTokNA5yHY3ZlECfaq94ZyECiwSwkqYNrnb3dcKSIrX0M_GSX7vTPrAK6p_WjQxNbgs17zDLsW3L8pVhqz9MAJZCRls9ZPFGcNa5e9HMBjM7M9xlrQFxkTzJRrJg28kH/s1600/IMG_4478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutBadD0aL1KNfmTokNA5yHY3ZlECfaq94ZyECiwSwkqYNrnb3dcKSIrX0M_GSX7vTPrAK6p_WjQxNbgs17zDLsW3L8pVhqz9MAJZCRls9ZPFGcNa5e9HMBjM7M9xlrQFxkTzJRrJg28kH/s1600/IMG_4478.JPG" height="200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFrkLnGC7EvG0zQy9ax_DV1IbOZTgU1ldcHtFgSsILjVx9DKSt-S3eaw0rohSWMEWhih65hXYSNjzxII_sC2yuSrc_V9ciuvsykQZFz4AYRD_fa1xogp9kxTpR47pqLRGE-hUdjjWDmg5/s1600/IMG_4470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFrkLnGC7EvG0zQy9ax_DV1IbOZTgU1ldcHtFgSsILjVx9DKSt-S3eaw0rohSWMEWhih65hXYSNjzxII_sC2yuSrc_V9ciuvsykQZFz4AYRD_fa1xogp9kxTpR47pqLRGE-hUdjjWDmg5/s1600/IMG_4470.JPG" height="200" width="136" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The guitar tops are almost always made of
spruce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sides and back of the
guitars is where the “wow” factor comes in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Martin Guitar uses beautifully
grained hardwoods like walnut, tiger maple, mahogany, sapale and rosewood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just gorgeous. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEP23O68zUT_upQzBHDaSvYUZUqVkMkQWC-XsoJrFXQ1-6heCHGGCOLJG86dUl_Bn-6rTfJsMuWpcihKMmmIP5CbnYrk_g31r2-k2PWpPjZkX_mPRb3_SoV8vc6A7Ux61n-yHphf0lRyPT/s1600/IMG_4449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEP23O68zUT_upQzBHDaSvYUZUqVkMkQWC-XsoJrFXQ1-6heCHGGCOLJG86dUl_Bn-6rTfJsMuWpcihKMmmIP5CbnYrk_g31r2-k2PWpPjZkX_mPRb3_SoV8vc6A7Ux61n-yHphf0lRyPT/s1600/IMG_4449.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Many of Martin guitars are custom made and have
special mother of pearl inlays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laser
assisted, but the final inlay and fitting work is all done by hand.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5yGIqRIvxjjQ-q9P9xGro2q3dhSs1KUbDm0V8zu7rF67WNTJt4JG_qM0hA6pJzqUfih7wiecP9qrd25MwBJu5qlSa8O8wwYBVD2QJPg_E5WPDMwwlq94ui98xtqrbBtbn8MCF4FJ__gl/s1600/IMG_4476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5yGIqRIvxjjQ-q9P9xGro2q3dhSs1KUbDm0V8zu7rF67WNTJt4JG_qM0hA6pJzqUfih7wiecP9qrd25MwBJu5qlSa8O8wwYBVD2QJPg_E5WPDMwwlq94ui98xtqrbBtbn8MCF4FJ__gl/s1600/IMG_4476.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlwi5D9aNxoe3QEQRFmFrE4nP7iF648Hp5HZZ__yzIEzYY-dlg3pCH6OCVdkTgxu9BfBlE6bLeffBiwKC-73nJ1oCcvXMkZd3RXx_afQYtG9CifmT3UB8QZPu_AHyhuQE3ZqovupCs3u3/s1600/IMG_4480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlwi5D9aNxoe3QEQRFmFrE4nP7iF648Hp5HZZ__yzIEzYY-dlg3pCH6OCVdkTgxu9BfBlE6bLeffBiwKC-73nJ1oCcvXMkZd3RXx_afQYtG9CifmT3UB8QZPu_AHyhuQE3ZqovupCs3u3/s1600/IMG_4480.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If you are a serious guitar player, the Martin
Guitar factory with its spectacular guitar museum is like Mecca to Moslems or
Vatican City to Catholics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t have
to tell you about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve probably
been there already.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are a wood
crafter or love objects made from wood, I would recommend that you go out of your way to visit this place
and take the tour. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s very impressive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</span><br />John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-73355495277355181942014-01-14T18:28:00.001-05:002014-01-14T22:44:44.370-05:00Bandsaw Box for Storing Flies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxppKM8VtOtczaB1TRm4YNwa9Fh6a0-E6FwCZ0uyXcOahBwU0z6_DOqPPTHZ2p0woqqQdbF91azWfco6hxS94dP0wqTv-IQN0rpcVPsLyitPY7z3uHWo7nPlbQ1jsxI19vM9EYGlTFqbV/s1600/Fly+Boxes+horiz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxppKM8VtOtczaB1TRm4YNwa9Fh6a0-E6FwCZ0uyXcOahBwU0z6_DOqPPTHZ2p0woqqQdbF91azWfco6hxS94dP0wqTv-IQN0rpcVPsLyitPY7z3uHWo7nPlbQ1jsxI19vM9EYGlTFqbV/s320/Fly+Boxes+horiz.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I love fly fishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoy standing
in the stream and feeling nature surround me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I enjoy the challenge of trying to make a perfect cast where the fly
line just rolls out to exactly where you want the fly to land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoy watching the pattern of the water
flowing over the rocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone once
told me that, at times, a trout will actually get snagged on the sharp little
hook attached to the fly at the end of your line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think he was making it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never catch any fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I do enjoy the experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I got an idea to make a fly storage box using band saw box techniques.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could use magnets for closure, but what could
I use for a hinge?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of the hand-made
wooden fly boxes I found on the internet used brass hinges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They required extra thickness of the wood and,
from my experience, were difficult to set perfectly on small boxes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got the idea of using a thin leather strip
as the hinge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was all trial and error
from that point, so I made a prototype out of 2x6 pine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know nothing about leather, so I made a
trip to my local <a href="http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/home.aspx">Tandy Leather </a>store, which proved to be very helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I picked out about $2 worth of leather from
the scrap bin, which will probably be enough for my next 20 projects ;-).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The clerk/leather expert also recommended a
small bottle of neatsfoot oil, which is used to make leather very soft and
flexible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was not aware of this magic
oil, but apparently any serious baseball player with a mitt is very familiar
with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used epoxy to adhere the
leather hinge strip to the wood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a
few adjustments, I got the hinge to work just fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are some photos showing steps in the
process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anyone else out there has
had any experiences with leather box hinges, I would love to hear about them. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHelq9DmyDBRfS3WDE5tJ658aypzrLzL40HLIADnw158KKx6i-5XeGBosz90UYzDUqk2T_QVH7Ei-9LIDAqMVpqMcErsocx2b7MFiyAkYsEGQSP4Duqpl6tFMfgrW4j54_Hlufv05qimA/s1600/IMG_3505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHelq9DmyDBRfS3WDE5tJ658aypzrLzL40HLIADnw158KKx6i-5XeGBosz90UYzDUqk2T_QVH7Ei-9LIDAqMVpqMcErsocx2b7MFiyAkYsEGQSP4Duqpl6tFMfgrW4j54_Hlufv05qimA/s320/IMG_3505.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A router was used to cut out the groove for the leather<br />
hinge strip, before the box was sawn into two halves.<br />
The leather was 0.07 " thick.<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnnFoaLvIynDUCnMNMDeT8z1mge0iq3-6YyC65Ye2ixdWxknQbfMxx8SXbJtVusIYYxEvM_1YTDCGi5XYsf9JW90vA674JpACJLB0a-mK5IkxXJ3BkotqPrn9lTydWtLAY5BPah4BKV3w/s1600/IMG_3531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnnFoaLvIynDUCnMNMDeT8z1mge0iq3-6YyC65Ye2ixdWxknQbfMxx8SXbJtVusIYYxEvM_1YTDCGi5XYsf9JW90vA674JpACJLB0a-mK5IkxXJ3BkotqPrn9lTydWtLAY5BPah4BKV3w/s320/IMG_3531.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The leather hinge strips were glued on using a strong epoxy. <br />
The photo shows the leather strip being clamped during glueing.<br />
A scrap of wood was used to provide even pressure.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbK9FotFHDuoz95JKIM0wQf40i3MQX8Aeq3_9LuwsFiaxZcQt2TUT-UodUCkIDdr1Mq5G6VTdcO9tTEKxeJ4GLI-a_byo86OH5H6Z6Q9BRdXM1UpIkFwFryjC4408E5gl_lV8qVOsXiY6/s1600/IMG_3524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbK9FotFHDuoz95JKIM0wQf40i3MQX8Aeq3_9LuwsFiaxZcQt2TUT-UodUCkIDdr1Mq5G6VTdcO9tTEKxeJ4GLI-a_byo86OH5H6Z6Q9BRdXM1UpIkFwFryjC4408E5gl_lV8qVOsXiY6/s320/IMG_3524.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A prototype was made out of a common 2x6 to test glueing <br />
method and clearances. I found that a thin strip of masking <br />
tape down the middle of the hinge kept it free from epoxy <br />
so it remained more flexible..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDabIdh12OizL8zltWKQdol_luyzJqzthant9_qpgtp2utp3rJsJ3MuJ81s8hh3MRAgtKmVrD60JtdKWV0XSPM40WWKpI6dQf0tPLm3kVSJcceRnpQac4oIWAqi0MwKc0j5dcMUlEASJb/s1600/IMG_3519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDabIdh12OizL8zltWKQdol_luyzJqzthant9_qpgtp2utp3rJsJ3MuJ81s8hh3MRAgtKmVrD60JtdKWV0XSPM40WWKpI6dQf0tPLm3kVSJcceRnpQac4oIWAqi0MwKc0j5dcMUlEASJb/s320/IMG_3519.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neatsfoot oil was liberally placed on the leather hinge strip <br />
using a cotton swab. This provided even more flexibility.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXx7lGZ1xUmH2pnOWhPEhDbmt_vE_jLo-ULWjcYe7S0nsa98jHT605MmzBWvvKO7Md3jv-U6L0CTo5vrCtrOqNjW8Pqr8wFnox5Be8KXi0zYJ-54ADM4xHSjQ9Zk37iGL-MHpV3Zqm4Ko/s1600/IMG_3533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXx7lGZ1xUmH2pnOWhPEhDbmt_vE_jLo-ULWjcYe7S0nsa98jHT605MmzBWvvKO7Md3jv-U6L0CTo5vrCtrOqNjW8Pqr8wFnox5Be8KXi0zYJ-54ADM4xHSjQ9Zk37iGL-MHpV3Zqm4Ko/s320/IMG_3533.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo shows the leather hinge flexing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTO-JREPDxiSaTob-fKP8fYfKBsp-WbWCCeKzMlS068l2rLlNBAjJtYHAP2ZUivIHFAuS66E8ncvwiDdhWiwZJ4HLLVdqa_kC_gPz8su3A2lpz22cN2eFcrp8ZK2slOD2nsVbW0inUTPG/s1600/IMG_3543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTO-JREPDxiSaTob-fKP8fYfKBsp-WbWCCeKzMlS068l2rLlNBAjJtYHAP2ZUivIHFAuS66E8ncvwiDdhWiwZJ4HLLVdqa_kC_gPz8su3A2lpz22cN2eFcrp8ZK2slOD2nsVbW0inUTPG/s320/IMG_3543.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished products. I made one from walnut <br />
and the other from spalted silver maple. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-91715558298373215612013-11-01T16:13:00.000-04:002013-11-30T20:46:48.024-05:00Rick’s Knife Handle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCa-OOCtq5fdWzY0Q9TykCFT6ShcTUlFDGsKevTKnikq5rE4gjEVNPdmhqfl9hOBd_DZ4NmEtlrmvoAI2e-slj2Qupt3SrnT8yqv2I-k4Ybs8bLyu3AHIQcsh8Unn7hSoeJNTmPH9JUyv/s1600/IMG_3353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCa-OOCtq5fdWzY0Q9TykCFT6ShcTUlFDGsKevTKnikq5rE4gjEVNPdmhqfl9hOBd_DZ4NmEtlrmvoAI2e-slj2Qupt3SrnT8yqv2I-k4Ybs8bLyu3AHIQcsh8Unn7hSoeJNTmPH9JUyv/s400/IMG_3353.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">My son-in-law Rick brought me a beautiful steel
knife blade with tang, and a piece of buckeye burl wood, and he asked me
if I would make him a knife handle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t
say “no”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He must have thought that just
because I make things out of wood, I would automatically know how to make a
knife handle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve never done this before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he had asked me to whittle a stick in the
shape of a knife, I would have used trial and error until I got it right, but with
one expensive blade and one fancy piece of wood, I knew I would only get one
single shot at doing it right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks
Rick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really needed the stress.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Well the bottom line is that, like so many things in
life, I created stress where there was no reason for stress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The task was actually not as difficult as I
had first imagined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a first step, I
searched the internet (and more specifically <a href="http://www.youtube.com/">YouTube</a>), for information on how
to attach pieces of wood to the knife tang and make a handle out of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you might imagine, it’s all there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, as you might imagine, there are a
number of different approaches or techniques.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most of the techniques use epoxy to hold the wood handle parts to the metal
tang, and that’s the direction I took.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, you have to use metal pins to hold the whole thing together,
but with the use of the epoxy, there is no need to peen the pins to secure the
wooden halves as you might expect. I used some common sense and left some
exposed wood in all directions for sanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even though I normally hate sanding most wooden objects I make, I have
to admit that sanding and shaping the knife handle was actually fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My stationary belt sander was quite useful in
the shaping.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuyjNCevxD19rwljwAq0Y4T5uWyat2C2sOYUWi3tntGylWQvSc0H_WJAf4MOHJagle0uSN9ksgaX0X1NK-GNgBTytu_JQPrhqndO6bxN7CgdFskM88fRWDTH2zVF9p1bqVtZFf1m0Yn9H/s1600/IMG_3385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuyjNCevxD19rwljwAq0Y4T5uWyat2C2sOYUWi3tntGylWQvSc0H_WJAf4MOHJagle0uSN9ksgaX0X1NK-GNgBTytu_JQPrhqndO6bxN7CgdFskM88fRWDTH2zVF9p1bqVtZFf1m0Yn9H/s400/IMG_3385.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wrapped the blade and the exposed metal in duct tape <br />
to protect the finish, and my hands.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMpzKui7EwppnWBsJBQV9ypYboTgNXTMciksMOTM3ZuWqNczAtl8kXOFTQH7bWURFhBq_zxLhB8j9-VowaipuZ4JSmw7-xy_h49QPEY9BIU2a-ciH06Gdm1o1AiQgDnPXoVkxOdKW9Xqs/s1600/IMG_3393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMpzKui7EwppnWBsJBQV9ypYboTgNXTMciksMOTM3ZuWqNczAtl8kXOFTQH7bWURFhBq_zxLhB8j9-VowaipuZ4JSmw7-xy_h49QPEY9BIU2a-ciH06Gdm1o1AiQgDnPXoVkxOdKW9Xqs/s200/IMG_3393.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">During the shaping on the belt sander, <br />
I scraped the metal on the handle. <br />
This came out with steel wool and buffing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlUqxzLb9KDRjbSXqzcswR2ey5r3fynzzjtrGzkZl_OOVaDbRGV7ZLnysbTGPU2L6DjXPzkkx94OqAikV-qiJDuri1GdfC9fcd07TODKkYUTbIvnOFY95_-XLQHcMaRkGV_7WYGedi_s_/s1600/IMG_3395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlUqxzLb9KDRjbSXqzcswR2ey5r3fynzzjtrGzkZl_OOVaDbRGV7ZLnysbTGPU2L6DjXPzkkx94OqAikV-qiJDuri1GdfC9fcd07TODKkYUTbIvnOFY95_-XLQHcMaRkGV_7WYGedi_s_/s200/IMG_3395.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used tung oil for the<br />
finish, and fine sanded<br />
between each coat to get a <br />
very smooth result.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Of course I couldn’t just hand him the knife, so I
fixed up one of my flat cigar boxes as sort of a “presentation box”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must admit, I was pretty proud of the final
result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that I am an “expert” at
making knife handles, I’m starting to look into knife kits on the internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have any of you had any experiences with
making knife handles?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, I would
love to hear about them.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2I1mpP_qc18KYNAOX8uiH-dl14GBhHEocBSQvU6k-L8puPF2h9RKZyoYKeB4ZUORauhWFWXBaaeYQfLy1G_4-vsQjHw5YdN5lqwDkAwShCRzlsC2hMXKeUX3WlFkd34EZLCzM-3xMeI0/s1600/IMG_3458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2I1mpP_qc18KYNAOX8uiH-dl14GBhHEocBSQvU6k-L8puPF2h9RKZyoYKeB4ZUORauhWFWXBaaeYQfLy1G_4-vsQjHw5YdN5lqwDkAwShCRzlsC2hMXKeUX3WlFkd34EZLCzM-3xMeI0/s400/IMG_3458.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished knife in a presentation box</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-32130497247334436742013-10-16T17:42:00.000-04:002013-10-17T15:18:34.631-04:00Inspiration Stagnation Liberation<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfjL-DFu-9mBTQtq6LvBOHdP9qj6vVtHjVevt9edmePw1yoYgKTRK4c3UlpVHNCemZMIN7MjyhyphenhyphenwPhgiWHoDb8taPDrGlEX1moG_aoQjTp0K9Nvutm1GGTkDojzhFtjLnVOeD5EMMzTLc/s1600/02-07+zinnia+w+bfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfjL-DFu-9mBTQtq6LvBOHdP9qj6vVtHjVevt9edmePw1yoYgKTRK4c3UlpVHNCemZMIN7MjyhyphenhyphenwPhgiWHoDb8taPDrGlEX1moG_aoQjTp0K9Nvutm1GGTkDojzhFtjLnVOeD5EMMzTLc/s200/02-07+zinnia+w+bfly.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo of my zinnias</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ARebwHI0bshkwsTpazzqvtiR9aLGAt0NlFt7-FUM-pw7T_YFrhCWWnHLBDlApzOU7kvn14b4sleoeeORo3500OhF0Lg9FrcGReAXj4AiOz_gcSviijII_lZ_jrQlDAFXA2eaYhB8d7eK/s1600/Zinnia+Box+4a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ARebwHI0bshkwsTpazzqvtiR9aLGAt0NlFt7-FUM-pw7T_YFrhCWWnHLBDlApzOU7kvn14b4sleoeeORo3500OhF0Lg9FrcGReAXj4AiOz_gcSviijII_lZ_jrQlDAFXA2eaYhB8d7eK/s200/Zinnia+Box+4a.JPG" width="164" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">top of carved cigar box</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve heard of writer’s block, but I wonder if there
is such at thing as carver’s block.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I had this beautiful discarded cigar box made of
thick cedar wood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was just aching to
be carved, but the box sat for weeks because I had no inspiration what-so-ever
about what to carve on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could use
one of those graphic Japanese crest symbols, or Celtic designs, but this box
had a certain elegance that seemed to cry out “flowers”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went through images of flowers on the
internet, but nothing popped out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then
decided to go through my own file of flower photographs that I had taken
myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bingo!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found a nice photo of zinnias taken in my
front yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJGvS3FUQgzkC3W0dTSb0vVhahKNfRsstixRPDbHmhKy7tLFUKExe0J9LhAqnVqq1FXz1kdFh6ogEmJOC_ab1hPOCRuCL9K897mhrVmNVx2SfLYc5TsE9IDajWfQzMjZEEyPOIe0HpbYY/s1600/IMG_3470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJGvS3FUQgzkC3W0dTSb0vVhahKNfRsstixRPDbHmhKy7tLFUKExe0J9LhAqnVqq1FXz1kdFh6ogEmJOC_ab1hPOCRuCL9K897mhrVmNVx2SfLYc5TsE9IDajWfQzMjZEEyPOIe0HpbYY/s320/IMG_3470.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">With some tweaking, the design seemed to fit the box
well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had nice detail, but not too difficult
to carve. I printed the photo on plain paper and then simplified the flowers by
selected the elements of the design that I thought would make a good carving on
the lid of the box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As I mentioned in a previous post, these empty
wooden cigar boxes are available from my local cigar store for just $1 each, so
I carve the design in the lid first, before I attempt to work on the rest of
the box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the carving doesn’t work
out, I just discard the box without wasting time on the finish or interior of
the box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, this carving turned out
pretty good, so I went on and finished the box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I added the black walnut corner inserts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was the first time I did this on any box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used a special jig that I built based on
plans in a box making book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cut the
thin walnut corner inserts to an 1/8 inch thickness to match the kerf slot made by my table
saw blade.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6dQ3EcQaZ1PPjCgFTG_QfCTuJDKXGNLbe6Xqy9rnxK2nuIJKzth1NKnEWX5jf8NBQpYV4iG97MSibA0-Q8EfpKSp5Q1G_mUKzKatsEy9NClSvm7xVmZ4jx4PJ9thtqkzc8GXEBGrQOsG/s1600/Zinnia+Box+9a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6dQ3EcQaZ1PPjCgFTG_QfCTuJDKXGNLbe6Xqy9rnxK2nuIJKzth1NKnEWX5jf8NBQpYV4iG97MSibA0-Q8EfpKSp5Q1G_mUKzKatsEy9NClSvm7xVmZ4jx4PJ9thtqkzc8GXEBGrQOsG/s320/Zinnia+Box+9a.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">interior tray</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I finished the box by using the interior cedar side
spacers that came with the box to construct an interior tray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like anything else, the more of these
interior trays I make, the better they turn out. I’m pretty pleased with the
resulting box.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBUKwqat77JU33bAPwlQqTACH3W3qRQGLM_2Ly3ENLR6IWR9T9tCcYjVZBE0BqKvc71K_P4-u3fMe0d4HHSiMsuWbSDdlQATrLj96T6zGk7W1it6vrBmzrHh0jnZvLR9NCGfb2rmfD0cH/s1600/Zinnia+Box+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBUKwqat77JU33bAPwlQqTACH3W3qRQGLM_2Ly3ENLR6IWR9T9tCcYjVZBE0BqKvc71K_P4-u3fMe0d4HHSiMsuWbSDdlQATrLj96T6zGk7W1it6vrBmzrHh0jnZvLR9NCGfb2rmfD0cH/s320/Zinnia+Box+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished keepsake box</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Now, I have to get inspired for my next carved box. Any suggestions?</span></div>
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John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-82481345505983709872013-08-10T17:44:00.001-04:002013-08-10T17:46:04.473-04:00Carved Wooden Doors of Europe<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMX2844wK-tmE55sDbQsmtAJyjd97A2TzaQ3OxGM_8sbOoNlgvzpiSWr9DSTViyEe0AKMYwNy4D2TWE6FUDa-1zy52MZxbYvT05_oPnFQQTn-7_7e7duO3JS4QgRqIwSr-6t4v69rvhvUC/s1600/P4270170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMX2844wK-tmE55sDbQsmtAJyjd97A2TzaQ3OxGM_8sbOoNlgvzpiSWr9DSTViyEe0AKMYwNy4D2TWE6FUDa-1zy52MZxbYvT05_oPnFQQTn-7_7e7duO3JS4QgRqIwSr-6t4v69rvhvUC/s200/P4270170.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">door on street in Florence, Italy </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCG2tKtyYqE7KC8tUNUqcd0TJMG2QtqHyypfQVapTysHY0b_0sp2Or5Tm9yKfx1xJVH6teUSJOX_N9O1lnbr8lqG2W3ml8Y2knCZplP0-by2zm3VZQRFiJb6k8BCA36Hc5K_9vQI6RdbP/s1600/P4270171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCG2tKtyYqE7KC8tUNUqcd0TJMG2QtqHyypfQVapTysHY0b_0sp2Or5Tm9yKfx1xJVH6teUSJOX_N9O1lnbr8lqG2W3ml8Y2knCZplP0-by2zm3VZQRFiJb6k8BCA36Hc5K_9vQI6RdbP/s200/P4270171.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">detail of door on the left</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There is something about carved wooden doors in Europe that captivates me. Many are beautifully works of art. Some are centuries old. Some are in cathedrals, but others are on ordinary city streets. You don't see many doors like this in the United States. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here is a collection for your enjoyment.</span> </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZRpUxCYejHIJnKoGJ4x2aO21okpf78jUEBlTTIMGL2Z9SuQ_gvO_yR1FNJ3ON1JcAu4usoQ3Z9ccrUxcc0j0mB1UUgAR4RS6wK0VM5OGQXug1L9c-ShvjH-sRSZeNGE9cDMj8sFzM9Iw/s1600/St.+Peter+-+Munich.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZRpUxCYejHIJnKoGJ4x2aO21okpf78jUEBlTTIMGL2Z9SuQ_gvO_yR1FNJ3ON1JcAu4usoQ3Z9ccrUxcc0j0mB1UUgAR4RS6wK0VM5OGQXug1L9c-ShvjH-sRSZeNGE9cDMj8sFzM9Iw/s200/St.+Peter+-+Munich.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">door to choir loft - St. Peter's Church - Munich</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJzWWwdKckj6u4tNd-1U1HvZjHlCwcAGEggRj1ynpjcEzmrZRPuWhc_70WztvikQyeTyXNw-8gi3gnbPl-eV_x-_YrJgqhQA2w41wqWvXS8GwfSpWa9qobPbcF6dHjXrPOlZYzWNElgNV/s1600/P4270188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJzWWwdKckj6u4tNd-1U1HvZjHlCwcAGEggRj1ynpjcEzmrZRPuWhc_70WztvikQyeTyXNw-8gi3gnbPl-eV_x-_YrJgqhQA2w41wqWvXS8GwfSpWa9qobPbcF6dHjXrPOlZYzWNElgNV/s200/P4270188.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">door on street in Florence, Italy</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcWhalUcoCQJY3QENIbOGfERlkNtGC9-K5Pfx5JIwlfAUsnuX3bdVo9jR2LJZ63pPqrYVdQYS6w3Lk6CXYZddi1mE-_op80MtR3Ma1_0A-pKRAZswEW5AQSkYUwJSPOFX2I-unh-LQwP0/s1600/P4230095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcWhalUcoCQJY3QENIbOGfERlkNtGC9-K5Pfx5JIwlfAUsnuX3bdVo9jR2LJZ63pPqrYVdQYS6w3Lk6CXYZddi1mE-_op80MtR3Ma1_0A-pKRAZswEW5AQSkYUwJSPOFX2I-unh-LQwP0/s400/P4230095.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail on main door of Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli near Assisi, Italy</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoWl4V1rZpZLOtKwjUSqxlysLur7I3M2sFIFl_p6nlXD_KeXHMqlIAo1Fwco_u_lbVJNTvaQVMzDbtxPiTyNdxc6qPP8bdEOdRKOuENh9Dz1GtXpdo5pQ-OQ9dAZBITpzU9Sf4Aeimkvi/s1600/P4230096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoWl4V1rZpZLOtKwjUSqxlysLur7I3M2sFIFl_p6nlXD_KeXHMqlIAo1Fwco_u_lbVJNTvaQVMzDbtxPiTyNdxc6qPP8bdEOdRKOuENh9Dz1GtXpdo5pQ-OQ9dAZBITpzU9Sf4Aeimkvi/s200/P4230096.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">side panel of door shown to the left</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQi6NNPvPkK8Tg4MGxJCSz28xQmJcbDevfvzE8z-fRfcSXX501pkyKQHGYYfR_uFUpBgLtz0MszfceO4LMtA1Zw8b39tRDcA1j9AwJkDOkc_v6hgrk5wrAxorSl1pvc6cKQNvg5I5kZnn3/s1600/P4230094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQi6NNPvPkK8Tg4MGxJCSz28xQmJcbDevfvzE8z-fRfcSXX501pkyKQHGYYfR_uFUpBgLtz0MszfceO4LMtA1Zw8b39tRDcA1j9AwJkDOkc_v6hgrk5wrAxorSl1pvc6cKQNvg5I5kZnn3/s200/P4230094.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgCTqOK_8zMehUomMec7Mi9V-5hEqZblcdhxQRA_-jpjYDjFsWfyHg0aDpiYB9xP_kM9O4ljhuZF5ETzZHjwfp2joS-HgwB5CGVrnyaVkPuumQJWFvRPkOPDBgTw9fmUGeHEel9qd3A8F/s1600/P4250131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgCTqOK_8zMehUomMec7Mi9V-5hEqZblcdhxQRA_-jpjYDjFsWfyHg0aDpiYB9xP_kM9O4ljhuZF5ETzZHjwfp2joS-HgwB5CGVrnyaVkPuumQJWFvRPkOPDBgTw9fmUGeHEel9qd3A8F/s320/P4250131.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral of St. Lorenzo - Perusia, Italy</td></tr>
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John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-33704058593323012013-04-29T11:39:00.001-04:002013-04-29T14:25:29.192-04:00Woodcarving in Oberammergau - Both Sacred and Profane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCbGu67ZNHhRhjDob24u9KvmgWS_bTkLxqYx2OhBtERaFbfdomRrEvsYMUahWNfAaX99KZe6ycSn2s2s1_lpC9Lwl2-bXZMdcBMhr3cQ-wtarJ3mFN3p8tRZcJYnUUEjY4dvHlBDFnq2B/s1600/Ober1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" lua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCbGu67ZNHhRhjDob24u9KvmgWS_bTkLxqYx2OhBtERaFbfdomRrEvsYMUahWNfAaX99KZe6ycSn2s2s1_lpC9Lwl2-bXZMdcBMhr3cQ-wtarJ3mFN3p8tRZcJYnUUEjY4dvHlBDFnq2B/s320/Ober1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Oberammergau is a small village in the Bavarian Alps which is known for its famous Passion Play performed every 10 years, and its woodcarving. It seems like half the shops in this tourist destination are wood carving shops. Some are small, with the local wood carver proprietor actually working on pieces in the shop. Most shops are large and overwhelming with thousands of carved figures appealing to every type of tourist. They range in size from huge carvings selling for hundreds of Euros down to tiny 5 cm animals and saints. Most of the huge carvings are hand-carved in Bavaria. Most of the smaller carvings are from China or Indonesia, although not marked as such. Some items are obviously machine-carved.<br />
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For the most part, the subjects are sacred religious carvings of saints and crucifixes mixed in with a few traditional Bavarian figures. The odd thing is that most window displays also include profane or suggestive carvings right next to a Madonna holding the Infant Jesus. One might see a nude woman right next to St. Francis. On some shop websites, anything that is not religious is actually classified as <em>profanfiguren</em>. <br />
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One reoccurring carving theme that certainly fits into the profane category is a carving of a chubby man in a squat position, grunting and…defecating. (See photo above) This little man appeared in several shops, right on the shelf with all the religious figures. I discussed it with a shop owner who was actually carving one of these figures at the time. He explained in broken English that it is a traditional Bavarian theme. At one time, long ago, it was actually used as a form of political protest. When Bavaria was occupied by a conquering army, the carvers gave the swatting man the face of the foreign leader. Today, it is the same traditional shape but it is done as just a humorous character. <br />
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As a contrast, take a look at the photo below of the grave marker. This is not a famous carving in a prominent place. It is just a simple grave, hidden in the church cemetery. It is not a recurring theme, but rather a unique work of art. No doubt the grave marker was done by a local carver, perhaps by a family member or friend. The symbols and saints probably had some special significance to the person buried there. It is certainly sacred. It will not be found in any shop window.<br />
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If you screen out the crass commercialism and tourist focus, without a doubt, the carvers of Oberammergau are highly skilled craftsmen and they produce beautiful work. Oberammergau is a repository of carving skills passed down from previous generations. If you are a woodcarver, you get the feeling you are in a very special place, a place sacred to woodcarvers.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carving of a Kraxentrager. <br />
These traveling salesmen carried wood<br />
carvings to villages throughout Bavaria.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of Kraxentrager carving</td></tr>
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John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-58186411354443153682012-08-08T15:05:00.001-04:002012-09-05T13:10:53.246-04:00Carving Japanese Crests on Old Cigar Boxes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In my search for interesting symbols to carve on recycled wooden cigar boxes, I discovered Japanese crests. These crests, also called <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mon_(emblem)">mon</a></em>, or in the case of family crests, <em>kamon</em>, have been an important element in Japanese design for centuries. Their history and usage throughout the ages is an interesting subject. I will not go into the history in this posting, but you can do your own research on the internet. The crest symbols were originally used by the samurai and powerful warlord families. Today they are used primarily as decorative symbols for fabrics, tattoos, and corporate logos. The three diamond Mitsubishi logo for example, seen on all their vehicles, is actually the family crest. It symbolically represents three water chestnuts. <br />
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I started by getting a good reference book which shows hundreds of Japanese crest patterns and variations. Certain designs are perfect for carving; others are not. Some crests, even though very beautiful, are just too detailed and intricate to carve in wood. Some crests are very dramatic and impressive; others are rather mundane.<br />
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Most representations of the mon symbols are seen as two dimensional impressions on paper, fabric or skin. Carving them into wood presented some problems with proportions and spacing because of the depth dimension and sloped edges. Also, in the two dimensional representations, there is almost always an important contrast of positive and negative spaces…usually dark printing on a light background. Showing this contrast in uniformly colored wood required some added steps. I wound up using dark background stains and pyrography. <br />
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Despite these challenges, I was able to find a few crest designs that seemed to lend themselves to carving on the top of a wooden box. Three are shown in the photo above. Have you ever used Japanese crests in your work?<br />
<br />John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-5276069110025055562012-06-14T16:19:00.001-04:002012-06-14T16:23:28.593-04:00The Back Porch Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCqtRI3T5_fN3KqsUfZclqXqpbp6GcajKLgxjQafQ8tLxxbQLDh2b_0sRUFObS3V9E5yYbKN8qo-RPME4cgAdKodAU-U9twwRuwibtjYSJzl23eM0jEKgF_jeqcb28wGyhwoRFZfDFPdi/s1600/IMG_0346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" pca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCqtRI3T5_fN3KqsUfZclqXqpbp6GcajKLgxjQafQ8tLxxbQLDh2b_0sRUFObS3V9E5yYbKN8qo-RPME4cgAdKodAU-U9twwRuwibtjYSJzl23eM0jEKgF_jeqcb28wGyhwoRFZfDFPdi/s320/IMG_0346.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have not posted on this blog for quite some time now. There are a number of reasons for this, one of which is spring. Spring always brings an abundance of thing to do, mostly outdoors and away from my workshop. There is yard clean-up, planting and lawn maintenance. I haven’t been doing any small woodworking projects; instead I have been totally consumed by one big one. I built a new wooden back porch. </div>
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In simple terms, the porch is a platform with two steps. I could have worked in simple rectangular shapes, but no, I had to get complicated. My design had 45 degree angles and had to fit in over the existing porch which was a crooked, sinking concrete monolith. I even built a cardboard model to get the approval of the “authority having jurisdiction”, namely, my wife. I also had to draft fairly detailed plans since many of the measurements had to be precise. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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This project took a long time to complete, far longer than I had imagined. A good friend of mine told me that when you have a project like this, you should figure out how much time it will take to finish it; then double the estimate…then multiply by ten. He was not far from wrong. </div>
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The end result is not perfect, but it is functional and looks good. I learned a few things from this project. First, I learned that words like “level” and “square”, which I always thought were absolutes, turn out to be suggested goals. I learned that driver screws and metal corner brackets result in an unbelievably strong construction. The porch could probably support an elephant. I learned that wet wood shrinks after it dries. This should not have been a surprise to a wood person like me, but I learned the hard way. The 1/8” gaps between the decking boards are now ¼” gaps. Finally, I learned not to be a perfectionist. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr>
</tbody></table>John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-17286277389002994162012-02-28T17:18:00.003-05:002020-05-18T15:36:32.723-04:00Yew: Tree of Death...wood grain to die for<div style="border: currentColor;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo © Penny Mayes (cc-by-sa/2.0) </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the USA, we tend to think of yew as a shrub. I have a few in the landscaping around my house. Actually, these are probably a dwarf variety of Japanese Yew. In Europe, especially the United Kingdom, the yew grows as a tree, and has been growing there for thousands of years. The 5000 year old “Ice Man” mummy discovered in the Alps, had a bow and an axe handle made of yew wood. The yew tree is ancient, magical and mystical. It is probably the most interesting tree type on the planet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The botanical name for the yew tree is taxus baccata. The Latin word taxus is from the Greek “taxon” which means “bow”. For millenniums, yew wood has been used for long bows, and still is today. Most parts of the yew tree are poisonous and thus it is often called the “Tree of Death”. Shakespeare acknowledged yew as a poison in both Macbeth and Hamlet. In mythology and Celtic tradition, the yew is associated with dark goddesses. It is the tree of winter. Go to any New Age, Celtic folklore or Wicca website and you will find enormous amounts of information on the mystical nature of the yew tree. One very informative one is <a href="http://www.whitedragon.org.uk/articles/yew.htm">White Dragon</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tree of death, but also a tree associated with rebirth since the yew sends up new shoots from its roots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may be why, throughout the British Isles, old yew trees are found in grave yards near churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The interesting fact is that, in most cases, the old yew tree near an ancient church predates the church itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In many cases, the trees are older than the date that Christianity was introduced to the region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some have recently been scientifically verified to be over 2,000 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is believed that the early Christian churches and cemeteries were built on the site of old Celtic holy places and burial grounds where the sacred yew tree already existed.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Box in yew wood by James Baxendale</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrbvcdv6THgel7TFftnuyjVJJvFVD3ZYGfVOcse4KxylI6lKjKX_Np_foH87cKSzHfKtKuOYkY29kPVTY-oc-rhI2tt7cSKYJIWJTWrNbjHI9D7GWdNCrpqwcvtNoijos0e1hFdUCijJG/s1600/james+baxendale+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The wood from the yew tree is known for its beautiful grain patterns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though it is classified as an evergreen, yew wood is very dense and hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tree grows very slowly and has tight growth rings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Objects made out of yew wood have a naturally hard and smooth finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> A lot of sanding with fine grit sandpaper is often unnecessary.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbvMIfclJlVxTKzDZ8Kz0N0JS6qf_w0fdmAJUBhymuQrZtULxPjK1zKvT2Ien-qkE1Z-WgzlPcpXnadh9BpcY8kRd1wIcVAx_3T7Rp33OVNFPeQz4sM2lKQMn2m6s_dvrBD2HIWrobanf/s1600/Edric+Florence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbvMIfclJlVxTKzDZ8Kz0N0JS6qf_w0fdmAJUBhymuQrZtULxPjK1zKvT2Ien-qkE1Z-WgzlPcpXnadh9BpcY8kRd1wIcVAx_3T7Rp33OVNFPeQz4sM2lKQMn2m6s_dvrBD2HIWrobanf/s320/Edric+Florence.jpg" uda="true" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artwork in yew wood by Edric Florence</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUJbMww9AVRrIuhf_9zFu0HruE8BMXeM00LYGXBqg16jY1YhvUWDLtB8fSnyQv_28bdX08Otfhn7kMwPCWbmqLgIdzJyjwVCxhX7OEGP0Ky5itkaNVn1s4ZkpeB4D9P5sqiCQXYS35POF/s1600/P2280001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUJbMww9AVRrIuhf_9zFu0HruE8BMXeM00LYGXBqg16jY1YhvUWDLtB8fSnyQv_28bdX08Otfhn7kMwPCWbmqLgIdzJyjwVCxhX7OEGP0Ky5itkaNVn1s4ZkpeB4D9P5sqiCQXYS35POF/s320/P2280001.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My own pocket boxes with compass made out of yew wood</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is so much to write about the yew tree that I could fill volumes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance: It is a fact that a new cancer curing drug called Taxol has been derived from the bark and berries of the yew tree (Tree of Death or Tree of Life?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or the fact that, even though vast yew forests once covered many parts of ancient Europe, the yew is an endangered species today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then there are the pictures by <a href="http://www.archiemiles.co.uk/Yew_Gallery1.html">Archie Miles</a>, who is on a quest to photograph all the spectacular and interesting trees of Britain, including many yews. You will enjoy his website. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhteehYZCBYQkMX9Z6Y7bi9ssHu1JxBdWKj3H8agoN5S13w60Y9aIeuVGvJbMvIy91hKAU6LiwWkvujNojwCB23l5UQFKZ4xklMQQ90tV9g68zyHGENI_F94n-T5ZlTZ1gCVzvj0yuM62is/s1600/th_Yew%2520wood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhteehYZCBYQkMX9Z6Y7bi9ssHu1JxBdWKj3H8agoN5S13w60Y9aIeuVGvJbMvIy91hKAU6LiwWkvujNojwCB23l5UQFKZ4xklMQQ90tV9g68zyHGENI_F94n-T5ZlTZ1gCVzvj0yuM62is/s1600/th_Yew%2520wood.jpg" uda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo of yew wood grain by Archie Miles</td></tr>
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John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-91389834038545240032012-01-19T16:16:00.006-05:002012-01-19T17:00:33.280-05:00A More Manly Cigar Box Transformation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zhAzZa8zoINx0w-icEtyeW5v5vdvddQhI4WBIF51JHqKbt1wBVnB1odazxHfrsREAp30AKXj7qVEAg46kdZAxiFYDMLeofEx936LkOpmRF776H79fSD2HCdTA21xJERcDCxPb4GAzFxQ/s1600/PC100021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zhAzZa8zoINx0w-icEtyeW5v5vdvddQhI4WBIF51JHqKbt1wBVnB1odazxHfrsREAp30AKXj7qVEAg46kdZAxiFYDMLeofEx936LkOpmRF776H79fSD2HCdTA21xJERcDCxPb4GAzFxQ/s320/PC100021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I was getting tired of carving flowers into empty wooden cigar boxes and transforming them into jewelry boxes and tea caddies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I needed to make something more manly; something a man could appreciate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wound up making a box for my son-in-law for Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A woman puts her “stuff” in a jewelry box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A man puts his “stuff” into a…valet box, or utility box, or something. I guess it doesn’t have an official name.</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ACj5RkpOhWlCkzY8Is-SbZePgXtXQZgRSsVNkIcD8B41KH-kHCc7HwII7XJ-OhXI5utjcu63gP4j41EmgSuN35fa8afem4eS9OU5qjZ_Wrn6xlkaiYDX1G5bklK5CX2T8SoUG09Fcknk/s1600/PB280007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; height: 239px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 167px;"><img border="0" height="200" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ACj5RkpOhWlCkzY8Is-SbZePgXtXQZgRSsVNkIcD8B41KH-kHCc7HwII7XJ-OhXI5utjcu63gP4j41EmgSuN35fa8afem4eS9OU5qjZ_Wrn6xlkaiYDX1G5bklK5CX2T8SoUG09Fcknk/s200/PB280007.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The design is a Celtic snake which is an adaptation of a tattoo design.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s manly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I call it the Snake Box…very manly. The cigar box is made in Honduras using sapele wood, which is native to Africa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sapele is pretty nice to carve, sort of like mahogany, but it can get splintery in spots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You also might run into hard knotty areas and irregular grain patterns. Most of the side pieces of these cigar boxes are made of quarter sawn sapele which usually shows a brilliant ray pattern. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcBWNhi9rcs4t8cAE1o821fNi2NW6CO00X9rsA1s1hV_8902JgspOgEpFM642mgahFkC910g7Cpf8ePDEUgQEQqkS2ftOae2qK1pxC4sngLouBGo94rzDHnttTV-xJmCfB51FhzpqDBhn/s1600/PB280008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcBWNhi9rcs4t8cAE1o821fNi2NW6CO00X9rsA1s1hV_8902JgspOgEpFM642mgahFkC910g7Cpf8ePDEUgQEQqkS2ftOae2qK1pxC4sngLouBGo94rzDHnttTV-xJmCfB51FhzpqDBhn/s200/PB280008.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">After carving and sanding, I used an Ebony stain to darken the recess area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then stained the entire box with a Golden Oak stain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lightly sanded all the raised areas of the design to give added highlights.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHRj4DOrHNxpyP86Qp0X59MLucLAxETcloIDkacWNZ7SE-lUu3caJK8ekjDEBmP30ZvyhsVj0ahy249lT9gyeoQeavxYh5Nc6Qi3hz_ykbOjUOncXkF_QkuMW01YvIqKox2BquH5vGzub/s1600/PC030011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHRj4DOrHNxpyP86Qp0X59MLucLAxETcloIDkacWNZ7SE-lUu3caJK8ekjDEBmP30ZvyhsVj0ahy249lT9gyeoQeavxYh5Nc6Qi3hz_ykbOjUOncXkF_QkuMW01YvIqKox2BquH5vGzub/s320/PC030011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I made the interior trays entirely from wood from other scrap cigar boxes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sides are Spanish cedar and the bottoms are thin plywood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not shown here, but I left the cigar manufacturer’s imprinting and brand on wood on the bottom of the trays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It sort of keeps a connection with the original use as a cigar box. </span>It says “Made in Honduras” and “Hecho a Mano”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I added small wooden feet, which helps the transformation from an ordinary cigar box to handsome valet box.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupq2K0AGYikX8CJ97VDpNt20vZHOPnhH9xcJdgKiGY-iH9FkSs7OHLEtpUTDiJIkcrWZSlVO4iWPIc0iDIoE-ikB2u4JRaZIurbnb52MZYFpksId07LQkr7JXpt8vglcprhkRpDLuUKe2/s1600/PC100019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupq2K0AGYikX8CJ97VDpNt20vZHOPnhH9xcJdgKiGY-iH9FkSs7OHLEtpUTDiJIkcrWZSlVO4iWPIc0iDIoE-ikB2u4JRaZIurbnb52MZYFpksId07LQkr7JXpt8vglcprhkRpDLuUKe2/s320/PC100019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I used a maroon felt with an alligator skin pattern, adding to the manly look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The top tray slides back and forth over the bottom tray to expose or hide the bottom compartments.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1jBzDbJHIs34hcE-9Bib_dYGa5cZ-DJHSuYNSa680gcgnY2LfOJUI-zkwNEhyiq5Bs3NT7fll2nfDGA9-c_mk98WRUL_wAoRofE_nEvGj1FVsB0hwS9_BwkjbGkXYLl0sBm3Ipfq7dTr/s1600/PC100022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1jBzDbJHIs34hcE-9Bib_dYGa5cZ-DJHSuYNSa680gcgnY2LfOJUI-zkwNEhyiq5Bs3NT7fll2nfDGA9-c_mk98WRUL_wAoRofE_nEvGj1FVsB0hwS9_BwkjbGkXYLl0sBm3Ipfq7dTr/s320/PC100022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If, like me, you are tired of carving flowers, find a Celtic tattoo pattern and carve something manly.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div>John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-25052001585671339522011-12-20T21:15:00.003-05:002011-12-20T21:22:52.166-05:00Christmas Traditions, Symbolism, Religious Tolerance…and Trees and Wood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42i-Ll6jl80pomZbk_eQMTjxLdFZHRvqSHU52tt0EQRZvU4QQg5PLlgr3TBtNvzwnvMJAqYu59P1_1F4v9MjxRz88tt7mESXRrZamQ4J7qcbwygQglOAHSIOusD3SE9CWoUEsybzUZwPE/s1600/decorated_tree_in_field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42i-Ll6jl80pomZbk_eQMTjxLdFZHRvqSHU52tt0EQRZvU4QQg5PLlgr3TBtNvzwnvMJAqYu59P1_1F4v9MjxRz88tt7mESXRrZamQ4J7qcbwygQglOAHSIOusD3SE9CWoUEsybzUZwPE/s320/decorated_tree_in_field.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>At this time of year, it seems that anyone who can type words on a keyboard gets involved with controversial issues. Some Christians say that Christmas is really a pagan holiday. I’m amazed by how much is written on the internet regarding this subject. These anti-Christmas Christians say that the holiday is based on the Roman festival of Saturnalia and the Celtic Yule and the Winter Solstice. They say that the Christmas Tree itself comes from the Babylonian pagan Nimrod, whose followers believed that, on his birthday, December 25th, an evergreen tree would spring forth from a stump and bear presents. “Not so”, say other Christians. The Christmas Tree tradition comes from the Paradise Tree used in the old mystery plays of 16th century Germany. A play was performed on December 24th, the feast day of Adam and Eve, and the tree represented the tree from the Garden of Eden. It was adorned with red apples and later small white wafers to symbolize the Eucharist, the body of Christ. These apples and wafers gradually evolved into fruits and cookies and then into the ornaments we see today. And what about St. Boniface. Supposedly he cut down the Tree of Thor in the German town of Geismar in the early 700’s. Later a fir tree grew among the roots of the old oak. He is reported to have said: “Let Christ be the center of your households and use the fir tree as a symbol of Christianity.” Now I’m really confused.<br />
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Ah, but just calling it a “Christmas Tree” can be offensive to some other religions, so in 2005 the city of Boston renamed the spruce tree used to decorate the Boston Common a "Holiday Tree" rather than a "Christmas Tree". The name change drew a poor response from the public and was changed back to "Christmas Tree" after the city was threatened with several lawsuits. <br />
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If the Christmas Tree is considered to be pagan by some Christians, you can just imagine what they think about the Yule log. Burned at the time of the Winter Solstice to welcome the return of the Sun God, it has roots in Nordic, Celtic and Roman religions. In Slavic traditions, the log is called Badnjak, and it has become part of a totally Christian ritual. In both the Roman Catholic Croatian tradition and the Orthodox Serbian tradition, an oak log is cut with great ceremony on Christmas Eve morning and then brought into the house. There are elaborate prayers and blessings tying the symbolism of the burning log with the coming of Christ. The Serbian tradition includes priests burning oak saplings on a large fire in the public square. It’s interesting to consider that both sides in the Bosnian Conflict during the 1990’s must have celebrated the same Christmas Eve religious tradition while they were trying to kill each other. Sort of like the Germans and the Allies singing Silent Night together across the trenches during World War 1.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzW9SWBMXTU9sCIh-7ASbXLDV-wRO5i7s9QS8RSQ7TXI1uTT13se1XsL1e_tAEzJuxTp64PktVyp1n8Nr5dfaaz6-wB5u9V7gCBBr2fLAuqTrOtO6Wqa3ToYoPFeEouccrjJFOoDRaDJm_/s1600/395px-Badnjak-Beograd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzW9SWBMXTU9sCIh-7ASbXLDV-wRO5i7s9QS8RSQ7TXI1uTT13se1XsL1e_tAEzJuxTp64PktVyp1n8Nr5dfaaz6-wB5u9V7gCBBr2fLAuqTrOtO6Wqa3ToYoPFeEouccrjJFOoDRaDJm_/s320/395px-Badnjak-Beograd.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;">Orthodox priest places the badnjak on the fire during Christmas Eve celebration.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Wood and trees indeed play an important part in many Christmas traditions. But what does it all mean? Should we really use fuzzy historical details and twisted logic to segregate our beliefs from those of others? This special time of year is too wonderful to separate ourselves into “us and them”. Can’t we all just join hands, dance around the tree, or sit around the fire and focus on all that we have in common rather than the few things that separate us? Can’t we just celebrate in peace? Jesus, the Prince of Peace, would like that, I’m sure.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><br />
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</tbody></table>John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-57838242209753215152011-12-11T17:18:00.003-05:002013-01-15T17:33:48.351-05:00Colorful Carved Coffins of Ghana<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZTfmRMtSY9a1C6V3ZOsKWoNudq7qW51MmaaMUhSj4n2PTyNH9Gcbvhsag7MmMnvUSfN3Dm-rG5DOb1qLY60pkEXE_-FN39XNBall0sJ13NFYPXT8eGkM0ypSorKjRI78NEEtZ_zxT7G5/s1600/FanasyCoffins_Ghana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZTfmRMtSY9a1C6V3ZOsKWoNudq7qW51MmaaMUhSj4n2PTyNH9Gcbvhsag7MmMnvUSfN3Dm-rG5DOb1qLY60pkEXE_-FN39XNBall0sJ13NFYPXT8eGkM0ypSorKjRI78NEEtZ_zxT7G5/s320/FanasyCoffins_Ghana.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'inherit','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">http://www.ghana-net.com/fantasy-coffins-of-ghana---fantasie-saerge-in-ghana</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In one of my previous posts, I talked about wood carving in Ghana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is another important expression of wood craftsmanship in Ghana that should also be mentioned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m talking about hand-crafted wooden burial coffins, in the shape of everything from a Coke bottle to a Mercedes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This colorful art form is unique to Ghana.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">For most tribal cultures in Ghana, especially the Ga people from around Accra, funerals are not only a time of mourning, but also a time of celebration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can last a week with food and music and every relative and friend in attendance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people believe that their departed loved one is moving to another life, and they make sure they do it in style. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In the 1960’s a creative carpenter named Seth Kane Kwei started making custom designed fantasy coffins which were called <i>Abebuu adekai</i> (" boxes with proverbs ") by Ga people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The concept became very popular and the construction of these coffins is still carried on today by relatives and former apprentices of Kwei in a number of wood shops scattered around southern Ghana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The coffins are designed to represent an important aspect of the deceased person’s life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may be a taxi cab, if the person was a driver; or a fish if the person was a fisherman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may be symbolize the person’s hobby, pet or even a vice like a bottle of beer or a cigarette.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The coffins are custom-made and can take up to three weeks to complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During that time the deceased person is kept in a refrigerated morgue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most coffins are usually made from a light, inexpensive wood such as wawa or <span style="color: black;">alstonia boonei (cheese wood)</span>. </span></div>
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These special coffins are works of art, built by skilled carpenters; designed and finished by talented wood artists. Unlike many works of wood art that remain visible for centuries; these wood creations are buried with the deceased, never to be seen again. It is truly art for the moment, transitory art, like Tibetan Buddhist sand paintings. Each coffin is returned to the same earth that nourished the original tree which gave the wood to build the coffin. The cycle is complete. <br />
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The concept of hand-worked wood returning to the earth is the same for any wooden coffin, whether it is Ghana or an old cemetery here in the United States. The wood decays in the ground and a new tree grows, but the skill of the wood craftsman remains constant through all generations.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not Ghana, but the Moravian Cemetery, Bethlehem, PA</td></tr>
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John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-47868149044068326952011-11-26T20:50:00.002-05:002011-11-26T21:06:49.700-05:00Good Wood<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alpha Box<br />
cherry, redwood lace burl, and mahogany trim</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">If you have been reading my blog, you must realize that most of the wood I use in my creations is found wood. The old silver maple tree that was cut down in the back yard several years ago has provided many spalted maple boxes and spoons. The apple tree provided a nice walking stick. And the trunk of the huge old cedar shrub was cut into pieces for many different projects. Call me cheap, but I hardly ever spend money to buy "good wood".</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">During last year’s excursion to a woodworking expo, I was tempted by a wood vendor with beautiful wood for sale. I succumbed to the temptation and purchased some good wood. I bought some nice cherry planks and a small, expensive piece of redwood lace burl. I planned on making my first constructed box using those power tools in my workshop that make very loud intimidating whining sounds. I’m talking about the table saw and the router table. These tools demand a certain respect since they can change your anatomy and send you to the emergency room in the blink of an eye. Up until now I have been using less harmful tools, like a small band saw, a drill press and carving gouges. These tools also require careful use, but they are nowhere near as fearful as the hungry rotating blade of the table saw. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I read books on box making, and I used some of the suggestions in the books, but as usual, I found my own ways of doing things. I took my time, and measured carefully. I’m pretty pleased with the result, which I named the Alpha Box. Of course there are several small flaws that are probably hardly noticeable to most people, but seem very obvious to me. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I learned that I still have a lot yet to learn about finishing wood. I learned that setting the hinges takes more time than building the pyramids. And I learned spending some money on good wood really improves the overall look of even my first attempt at a constructed box.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-56397439500184218742011-11-13T10:38:00.004-05:002011-11-13T10:47:46.466-05:00The Other Golf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtzpE_80XRad2Vux5NTQj_mt6kyQjy7s_JlK2cPwMQ0ANMbg3sSKK8lpYAGvFx8Eu-07La_p0ur3Q8JbX1iUj1I9oT7pf4mA2NvUuyne9mPMyIW56x05fLu2p-3jT5bfJ8sOy6KCYf9rz/s1600/PB090011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtzpE_80XRad2Vux5NTQj_mt6kyQjy7s_JlK2cPwMQ0ANMbg3sSKK8lpYAGvFx8Eu-07La_p0ur3Q8JbX1iUj1I9oT7pf4mA2NvUuyne9mPMyIW56x05fLu2p-3jT5bfJ8sOy6KCYf9rz/s320/PB090011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>During recent hikes into the woods, I found several nice pieces of wood that I plan on turning into carved walking sticks. I was also playing golf at the time. No, it wasn’t that my golf balls were slicing deep into the woods. I wasn’t even using any golf balls. My sons and I have discovered <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_golf">disc golf</a>.<br />
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Forget Big Bertha drivers for over $300. Three throwing discs and a carrying bag will cost you about $60, and that’s all the equipment you will need. Forget $80 greens fees. Disc golfing is free. The set courses are in public parks and woodland preserves.<br />
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My sons and I have been playing on local courses. I find the sport very enjoyable and rewarding, even though I’m not very good at it. Perhaps it’s the “hiking in the woods” aspect of the sport that appeals to me. We have played on a local course which makes its way up and down hills through an open forest on a mountaintop. Even if you are staying on the course, you are walking over rocks and small logs. If your disc spins off course, you will find yourself rambling through bushes and thickets. No manicured fairways and “carpet” greens. It’s my kind of golf course.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8d3OJQUQ8stv181HlAGnQUlZSwh3-VraALdmCXMWd7cQxtY1wRziMvKo8WPEOOAvXU5WhZIWbYQw8co5MCr0I6VYXBaMsehQuchTCXj2vARAwXKi8YdoVAqp5uahPRBqXXCQ7pVry3zwS/s1600/PB050002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8d3OJQUQ8stv181HlAGnQUlZSwh3-VraALdmCXMWd7cQxtY1wRziMvKo8WPEOOAvXU5WhZIWbYQw8co5MCr0I6VYXBaMsehQuchTCXj2vARAwXKi8YdoVAqp5uahPRBqXXCQ7pVry3zwS/s320/PB050002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teeing off through the trees</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">For me, there has been the added benefit of finding nice pieces of wood for carving when I’m traipsing through the woods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What could be better?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A competitive sport of skill which costs next to nothing, and a chance to acquire some found wood for creative projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-9848974435748903942011-10-25T20:39:00.003-04:002011-10-26T14:03:59.972-04:00Wood Carving in Ghana<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpb2QqjLbZcQIdCB4U_85gjtxKIC6ck977vUaXFmbXexWPPLSmK5ePncNewjDe8zV5ac3fwoqy9DA-IuwkOa1zWnclYDSsio28hM_yc85wA6Ns6lO4gE9fjfiCtvDPxfxIsi0fnsuWZUu7/s1600/Ahwiaa+Ghana+wood+shop.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpb2QqjLbZcQIdCB4U_85gjtxKIC6ck977vUaXFmbXexWPPLSmK5ePncNewjDe8zV5ac3fwoqy9DA-IuwkOa1zWnclYDSsio28hM_yc85wA6Ns6lO4gE9fjfiCtvDPxfxIsi0fnsuWZUu7/s320/Ahwiaa+Ghana+wood+shop.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">"<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>I am coming to cut you down and carve you, receive this egg and eat…</em></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>do not let the iron cut me, do not let me suffer in health.</em></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">…a prayer said by a carver to the spirit of the tree.</span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Documented by Prof. R.S. Rattray in a thesis “Religion and Art in Ashanti” (1927)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: right;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my souvenirs</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 31pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many years ago, I had the opportunity of spending a week in Accra, Ghana on business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like a typical tourist, I brought back a few carved wooden souvenirs. Not until recently did I become aware of the extent of woodcarving in Ghana and its importance to the economy of the country. </span><br />
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wood carving is done throughout Ghana, but it is mostly centered in the Ashanti region just north of Accra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The small villages of Aburi and Ahwiaa are mentioned often on the web as wood carving centers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wood carving tradition was always an important part of the culture of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the ethnic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akan_people">Akan </a>people who, for centuries, have occupied all of Ghana and part of the Ivory Coast.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyBPtxWurRdlzj3aiNgKWDTArxZZDbCI2evH8b0ldF8A2HC8IjX-Y76qjG4akJlFKrgm6232anTCWdhTCdRk6z2tLleu_hbG8X8atPcVFAjvvoLVI0juo08sPdfZTtBCPkhvawEp0l6oi/s1600/African+woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyBPtxWurRdlzj3aiNgKWDTArxZZDbCI2evH8b0ldF8A2HC8IjX-Y76qjG4akJlFKrgm6232anTCWdhTCdRk6z2tLleu_hbG8X8atPcVFAjvvoLVI0juo08sPdfZTtBCPkhvawEp0l6oi/s200/African+woman.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">modern Ghana sculpture</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 31pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 31pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today, Ghanaian wood carvers produce an endless variety of figurines and plaques for the tourist trade, or for export to other countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are cleverly designed with modern African figures and animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you go back 100 years or more, however, you wouldn’t see such individual creativity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the old days, carving was done as a communal, not individual, form of expression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deviation from community accepted standards and designs was tabooed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carving was done under the strict direction of clan leaders, and was totally done by men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not every man carved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The carvers were seen as a privileged minority endowed with special skills from God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They even had their own secret initiation rituals for apprentices.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOfaH5Hnb8JNdUfvnsSLxB2r2Xd6Ss00-XJ8SP0PY-CVs1QoYL6iH5HYPn6Pyiru8q-VytdDn5BxYAwECTx9Os7WQd3qDclkQKnCXYtOp8bAOagsUYmr56NyUaH4KRrCMHVz58BpBOjh7/s1600/carving-design-in-Ghana287x215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOfaH5Hnb8JNdUfvnsSLxB2r2Xd6Ss00-XJ8SP0PY-CVs1QoYL6iH5HYPn6Pyiru8q-VytdDn5BxYAwECTx9Os7WQd3qDclkQKnCXYtOp8bAOagsUYmr56NyUaH4KRrCMHVz58BpBOjh7/s200/carving-design-in-Ghana287x215.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">carving a djembe drum</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The traditional Ghanaian carved wood items include: drums, masks, (Akuaba) fertility dolls, mortars and stools. All these items are still made and exported today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The form and design of these items has changed very little over the years. </span></div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 31pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUx6sOYqT6k5jcvqJSrUGjYO0I2O2PCw0fQote_TAHYTpOIMXb7cv05_yqGubc6DkeUvcWgmfEaPJVmLANp94uGhqMN7qtBJ_A8vuqfv9lRpaf_82pEok-SYdohR1Y2DCgTSGsRvkK53Z/s1600/ghana+stool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUx6sOYqT6k5jcvqJSrUGjYO0I2O2PCw0fQote_TAHYTpOIMXb7cv05_yqGubc6DkeUvcWgmfEaPJVmLANp94uGhqMN7qtBJ_A8vuqfv9lRpaf_82pEok-SYdohR1Y2DCgTSGsRvkK53Z/s200/ghana+stool.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">an Ashanti stool</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 31.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 31pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The stools are a topic by themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were a symbol of status among the tribal leaders and can also be a carved record of maternal genealogy. They are carved from a single piece of wood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The seat part is curved and represents the warm embrace of a mother. The center middle section contains symbols that indicate the owner’s beliefs, history or values. Most stools had an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adinkra_symbols">Adinkra</a> symbol on the front.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These symbols were also stenciled on cloth. They are used today on many handicraft items. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most modern Ghanaians know the meanings of each Adrinka symbol. The symbol on the stool in the photo above is called Gye Nyame, or "except for God", and indicates the supremacy of God.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 31pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 31pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfZssLkmokGiLvjTo2YNValuqXJcXtlMpte8HO0fG4oXT7JBmj1zUEAw6-5nIvq4RGysQoruzjZUvIh8LBiVRiX0l5YT8QKi5mJNppR-Ngh82trp3-2Kja2xIgMfpmYrIR-e1DVxYBZBO/s1600/ghana+woodcarvers+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfZssLkmokGiLvjTo2YNValuqXJcXtlMpte8HO0fG4oXT7JBmj1zUEAw6-5nIvq4RGysQoruzjZUvIh8LBiVRiX0l5YT8QKi5mJNppR-Ngh82trp3-2Kja2xIgMfpmYrIR-e1DVxYBZBO/s200/ghana+woodcarvers+1.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">carving stools</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Since ancient times, trees in Ghana were considered dwelling places of supernatural spirits and powers, both benevolent and malevolent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trees felled for carving were given certain ritual purification rites.</span> When a carver acquired a new set of tools, the tools had to be pacified to solicit good and cordial relations from the spirits. Strong alcoholic drinks were poured on the tools and special libation prayers were offered. (See an excerpt from a prayer at the top.) </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 31pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">In Ghana, the primary woods used in carving are Sese (Holarrhena wulfsbergii) and Tweneboa (Cordia millenii). The tweneboa is a sacred tree. Its name literally means "drum tree". It is relatively soft and easy to carve and sometimes already hollow, which makes it ideal for drum making. Most Kpanlogo drums are made from tweneboa. Other woods used include: Afromosia, Mahogonay, Odum “Iroko”, Cedrela and Sinuro. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 31pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdO1wZbS_T6i95Bh8L4tc6sEFwIyzPZnhBqAOQlQ7Fewz74j0J2q4Q5IpxXrfkGNtP1w_HqO_WvsT0ztdqA978jW0SMItWM7WbK9KJQRgJWNZ801DzX5N286CB2-NR6UwyGNM0gX2Zpjbb/s1600/ghana47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="134" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdO1wZbS_T6i95Bh8L4tc6sEFwIyzPZnhBqAOQlQ7Fewz74j0J2q4Q5IpxXrfkGNtP1w_HqO_WvsT0ztdqA978jW0SMItWM7WbK9KJQRgJWNZ801DzX5N286CB2-NR6UwyGNM0gX2Zpjbb/s200/ghana47.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">a young carver</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The wood carvers in Ghana today work 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. They make their own tools out of iron and steel and keep them very sharp. Do a video search on-line for “Ghana wood carvers” and you will see some amazing carving with simple tools, and no fancy vises or fixtures. I especially like the </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5Z___VUEU0"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">drum carving video</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 31pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The information in this post was obtained from various sources on the web including an informative report entitled "</span><a href="http://www.natcomreport.com/ghana/livre/carving-tradition.pdf"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Carving Tradition in Ghana</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">", by the Ghana Natinal Commission for UNESCO.</span></div></div>John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-18171165656898736292011-09-21T15:59:00.004-04:002011-12-29T18:24:19.763-05:00Mass Production...sort of<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgfrBnEV9iWdKyi1dsa_gghbzaTiGWMxCa5CAAXqlEF31kwksVYdVMPge3HUog_q4q_t-yYD77fIyz6fTUfFkr382RfQgFnZOJo1q6X5TqYgpn0UkqmeZLxknZV6HmA0dOpAmUfurxIPIh/s1600/P9200002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgfrBnEV9iWdKyi1dsa_gghbzaTiGWMxCa5CAAXqlEF31kwksVYdVMPge3HUog_q4q_t-yYD77fIyz6fTUfFkr382RfQgFnZOJo1q6X5TqYgpn0UkqmeZLxknZV6HmA0dOpAmUfurxIPIh/s320/P9200002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I’ve been selective is scavenging empty wooden cigar boxes at my local cigar emporium. One particular brand of cigars comes in boxes that are made from thick sapele wood. The tops are extra thick and ideal for carving. I decided the size of the box would make a great tea bag caddy. I carved the top in an Oriental fashion with the Chinese (also Japanese) symbol for tea. I was pretty pleased with the result, but there were a few things I thought I could improve upon if I did another one. Then I thought, since I have more of the same size cigar boxes, why not make two more. It was an experiment in mass production on a small scale.<br />
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Perhaps I could make lots of these tea bag caddies and sell them at craft shows, or give them away as gifts. I hear stories of other artisans who make many pieces of the same design and give them away. One ambitious person actually made several hundred small band saw boxes; one for every guest at his daughter’s wedding.<br />
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The result of my experiment was that I came to the realization that mass production is not for me. For one thing, carving boxes does not lend itself to mass production. It’s not like baking cookies or making a jar of peach jam for each of your relatives and friends. Other than using the same design, there is no economy of scale in carving since there are just as many wood chips removed no matter how many boxes you carve.<br />
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Even if there was a time benefit, I just don’t like making the same thing over and over again. I like to experiment with new approaches and different techniques. After I made the second tea bag caddy, the third one really became a chore. As I was making it I was thinking of all the other creations in my head that I could be making instead of this duplicate. I guess I’ll just stick to individual pieces.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBv21HNjVcPgDvGtyMau0HL1Qs4eQyxJFiXDjDzrV0gXlEqOlJvAWvlzj2kO10YYDgNiYFfxaTFxtQe1a4AIeeuhgP3Kq0e95yNrjUWeSvDqU_cazgfn3KaoucmOR97T2vIquHY1zSYiF9/s1600/P9200007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBv21HNjVcPgDvGtyMau0HL1Qs4eQyxJFiXDjDzrV0gXlEqOlJvAWvlzj2kO10YYDgNiYFfxaTFxtQe1a4AIeeuhgP3Kq0e95yNrjUWeSvDqU_cazgfn3KaoucmOR97T2vIquHY1zSYiF9/s320/P9200007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDX9vhK4eSu26Zxzel-Tt3tnw4dYiBT-onJFsYEAq5v12XfqGeCUOsd6q0aBgWelDLM4OYMBb8FfmMtDFTHSQdXG0JVtIeKB5DyTTMHuy2S2ZojGEzACc9XAU85y5NCSMWbYiGrHZBCzE_/s1600/P9200004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDX9vhK4eSu26Zxzel-Tt3tnw4dYiBT-onJFsYEAq5v12XfqGeCUOsd6q0aBgWelDLM4OYMBb8FfmMtDFTHSQdXG0JVtIeKB5DyTTMHuy2S2ZojGEzACc9XAU85y5NCSMWbYiGrHZBCzE_/s320/P9200004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-79266190107592731302011-08-27T14:57:00.000-04:002011-08-27T14:57:18.112-04:00Wooden Spoons: a novel by Dennis Ruane<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqvM8SbG-jkjPlqTERtFJQXfs5y7txIgaw6L2Q3QEWpo-wv6tpIOmxABPkIY9amLbNgARJgQjPRc_BNkhIdKmtyX5HMH140ot0Dq_YFpZqc8cmRCLAf_2Xk8pA7xvpBJNe9xRDmVKbT9U/s1600/wooden+spoons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqvM8SbG-jkjPlqTERtFJQXfs5y7txIgaw6L2Q3QEWpo-wv6tpIOmxABPkIY9amLbNgARJgQjPRc_BNkhIdKmtyX5HMH140ot0Dq_YFpZqc8cmRCLAf_2Xk8pA7xvpBJNe9xRDmVKbT9U/s1600/wooden+spoons.jpg" /></a>My daughter pointed out a novel that she thought I might be interested in. It’s called “Wooden Spoons” by Dennis Ruane. It is promoted as a novel about life, death, love and art. The title and description intrigued me so I bought the novel and read it. It was easy reading and a good summer vacation novel; more like a made-for-TV movie than a great work of fiction, but enjoyable none the less.</div><br />
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It is about a professor who abandons his position at the university, leaves his wife and isolates himself on his old family homestead on a mountain top in southwestern Pennsylvania. He lives in the old ways and begins carving wooden spoons. Don’t expect a lot of details on the wood carving itself. That area is presented in a pretty general manner. The novel touches on themes like: finding out what you were meant to do in life, and then having the courage to do it; preserving historical sites; making utilitarian things from wood with hand tools in the traditional manner; and focusing on what is important in life. All good stuff. There is a plot conflict with a treacherous land developer that makes things interesting, and a nice ending. <br />
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“Wooden Spoons” is a semi-autobiographical novel. The author Dennis Ruane grew up in southwestern Pennsylvania like the character in the book. Also, like the character, Dennis abandoned a career in science to become a full time wood carver. More than just a carver, Dennis is a creative wood artist. Visit his website at: <a href="http://www.dennisruane.com/">http://www.dennisruane.com/</a>, to will see examples of his work.<br />
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You can buy a used (like new) paperback on Amazon for about $10. Enjoy.<br />
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John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-55017253733342361492011-07-11T19:05:00.021-04:002011-07-11T19:48:32.956-04:00Carved Carousel Horses at Knoebel's<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJ0k3MmPzqhmejrbbU9V1-THajQc7yNqHwWKtBvls3kd-My2kN8yfQ-hBZCSx_LD63MYdLyPDjwh771GWEIsxIdKKYwoffrpf58E5aylRk8xDikdhNXSRAHhH9Emylmr-ESRcsKqi7uiX/s1600/P6110047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJ0k3MmPzqhmejrbbU9V1-THajQc7yNqHwWKtBvls3kd-My2kN8yfQ-hBZCSx_LD63MYdLyPDjwh771GWEIsxIdKKYwoffrpf58E5aylRk8xDikdhNXSRAHhH9Emylmr-ESRcsKqi7uiX/s400/P6110047.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I’ve heard about <a href="http://www.knoebels.com/">Knoebel’s Amusement Resort</a> for many years, but never had the opportunity to visit until the family went there to celebrate my Aunt Millie’s 80th Birthday last month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knoebel’s is a very unique and wonderful place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an old fashioned amusement park with no admission charge and free parking! </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTcGlBOyV3eqqhdHETXGzLYcv6ZC39iQ1hIa8OMnvzcC5jop6kI_UQbkR2kJkRcc0z0IgAQyH_XvqIXr0xGzNY-io0QgMRwAYKXTMmVVY5rgpANNxDs0IgAH-vm6hN-smELw1BCoaLp7F/s1600/carousel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTcGlBOyV3eqqhdHETXGzLYcv6ZC39iQ1hIa8OMnvzcC5jop6kI_UQbkR2kJkRcc0z0IgAQyH_XvqIXr0xGzNY-io0QgMRwAYKXTMmVVY5rgpANNxDs0IgAH-vm6hN-smELw1BCoaLp7F/s200/carousel.jpg" width="200px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grand Carousel</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The prices for the rides are so low, at first I thought I was reading them wrong. The kiddie rides cost 75 cents and the big wooden roller coaster costs only $2.25.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knoebel’s is not located on some busy interstate, but rather in a quiet valley on the back roads of rural central Pennsylvania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been family owned and going strong for over 85 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s probably the cleanest and best maintained amusement park that I have ever been in.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfGsBp63vypZZKFqfdtGVcGtPxBOPFr1Xls5R1g0PyZpNPw90RJqFCF1-lnMHZUEy3NOmln6nK9TlzzETIooINPbDP8eC-9w7PA74KLNJd1PNGL_1qQxjPPP250dAjDWb1R8WIBCR5b50/s1600/S%2526G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfGsBp63vypZZKFqfdtGVcGtPxBOPFr1Xls5R1g0PyZpNPw90RJqFCF1-lnMHZUEy3NOmln6nK9TlzzETIooINPbDP8eC-9w7PA74KLNJd1PNGL_1qQxjPPP250dAjDWb1R8WIBCR5b50/s200/S%2526G.jpg" width="200px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Stein & Goldstein Carousel</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">There are hundreds of free picnic tables available for use, in various roofed pavilions, in “the grove”. We reserved four for the party. No charge. You may have never heard of Knoebel’s but you can bet the people of central Pennsylvania have. They keep it a secret for themselves, even though Knoebel’s has won international awards.</div><br />
But Knoebel’s is more than just an amusement park. It is a “must visit” sight if you are interested in carved carousel horses. They have not one, but two carousels with carved horses, and an excellent carved carousel animal museum.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The Grand Carousel was built in 1913 by George Kremer, who bought the carved wooden horses from wood carver Charles Carmel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a four-abreast machine that used to be at Riverside park in Rahway, NJ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Kiddieland Carousel was built around the same time by Stein and Goldstein in Brooklyn, NY.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both carousels have beautiful examples of carefully restored carved horses from that period. You almost think they should be preserved somewhere instead of being exposed to daily wear and tear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then, that’s what they were carved for in the first place.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYTiS5lwBPwx5_BarBKL7nitcOoPKNnBhSXVLRQjo0fsNWQh9IiF6aQgj5bEzdWspGB9zTEEm3g6ngM1y0PqD-GSrY2NfPcclRGJEGIriYJoC4JBpjfwrCmiNDX6Pml1lDoXixpZbdz3S/s1600/P6110054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYTiS5lwBPwx5_BarBKL7nitcOoPKNnBhSXVLRQjo0fsNWQh9IiF6aQgj5bEzdWspGB9zTEEm3g6ngM1y0PqD-GSrY2NfPcclRGJEGIriYJoC4JBpjfwrCmiNDX6Pml1lDoXixpZbdz3S/s320/P6110054.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The Carousel museum is small but it contains a complete history of carved carousel horses and shows how they developed from crude figures to the elaborate styles of the early 1900’s, the Golden Age of Carousels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also have a fine collection of carved carousel animals other than horses.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-H3V5nyWvWW4I52hjWvxpZpLvTtF5XlLw0WqqY2LY_3g7Ab_aUjmUmtOonGoU1Ln3YidoQLr02DgQfUnESi-W9OHFnfVQP-n6RWgaVkpfob8S7PWfFMZticKEQh0A2_hqP0kho4qEltrl/s1600/P6110051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-H3V5nyWvWW4I52hjWvxpZpLvTtF5XlLw0WqqY2LY_3g7Ab_aUjmUmtOonGoU1Ln3YidoQLr02DgQfUnESi-W9OHFnfVQP-n6RWgaVkpfob8S7PWfFMZticKEQh0A2_hqP0kho4qEltrl/s320/P6110051.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">It’s interesting to think that a century ago, when these beauties were carved, the carvers who created them were probably considered as little more than laborers, yet their artistic skills and craftsmanship would make them well respected artisans today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Visit Knoebel’s and appreciate their work.</div>John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-40242814909472411062011-05-09T17:52:00.000-04:002011-05-09T17:52:35.894-04:00Musical Wood in the WoodsYou know I like clever things made out of wood. You know I like forests. You know I like music. Well, this video obviously rates very high on my "like" list. It's totally amazing. Enjoy.<br />
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You can see the full width version at: <a href="http://www.flixxy.com/musical-wood.htm">http://www.flixxy.com/musical-wood.htm</a> John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-21398118100659447682011-04-26T18:24:00.013-04:002011-11-02T10:08:50.555-04:00Spirit in the Wood<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCI3JEL_148MqfEx4TjizygqmcZpSG1pgEv_GJN_Tk36-6byd_C_fcfUFWCjAPQhaSl_H08sWSz-CXljRmqIhPPABO3RL_mqQl_DE9TtAEl4nat9jTzdwCDBeAauC4UGJgW_oOe8WUEsly/s1600/conrad_sm.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600022974867762882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCI3JEL_148MqfEx4TjizygqmcZpSG1pgEv_GJN_Tk36-6byd_C_fcfUFWCjAPQhaSl_H08sWSz-CXljRmqIhPPABO3RL_mqQl_DE9TtAEl4nat9jTzdwCDBeAauC4UGJgW_oOe8WUEsly/s320/conrad_sm.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <span style="font-size: 85%;"><em>“…The tree, which is used for the body of the drum, contains a living spirit. Great care is taken to make sure that the wood of the drum is alive.” </em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 78%;">from: “The Beat of My Drum: An Autobiography” by Babatunde Olatunji</span></div><br />
Ask my family. Most of my adult life I have wanted a hand drum. That might seen to be an unusual desire coming from a retired white guy in the suburbs, but it was an itch that just wouldn’t go away. At first I thought I wanted a conga drum. Then I attended a drum circle where they had an assortment of African drums to use for the evening. Most of the drums were djembes, the familiar West African style drum, but a few were different. They were taller, had a slightly different shape and a much deeper, richer sound. They are called bougarabou, a bit of onomatopoeia, since the drum name is the sound it makes (bou-gara-bou). I immediately knew what type of drum I wanted. It was a perfect fit for my baritone soul. <br />
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<div align="left">Last week I finally got my drum. I love it. I bought it from a shop called “<a href="http://www.spiritinthewood.com/index.html">Spirit in the Wood</a>”. With a name like that, how could I do otherwise? Spirit in the Wood is a small, one-man operation. That man is Conrad Kubiak, a professional drummer, drum teacher and drum maker. Conrad is an interesting character. He may be a reincarnation of Leonardo DaVinci. He works out of a small house with detached garage/workshop, on a small road in rural Bucks County, PA. There is no sign and most people would just pass it by. Most people, yes, but any person who works with wood would notice the collection of hefty log sections sitting in his driveway, especially since half of them have large, interesting-looking burls on them, waiting to be turned into works of art. </div><br />
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There is no doubt that Conrad is a wood craftsman. Just like all other wood turners, Conrad has a lathe. The only difference is that while some turners make pens, Conrad makes conga drums. He turns his own drum shells on a monster industrial lathe that must be 100 years old, and takes up half of his workshop. He has personally developed special tooling and techniques that sets his craft apart.<br />
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Sure he makes high quality drums out of fine hardwoods, but if you look closely on the dusty shelves you will also fine beautiful bowls turned out of burl and fine crafted wooden boxes that will be magnificent, if he ever gets to finish them. Conrad knows drums, and he also knows wood.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-W-ao5PmbuyfRIrVubFuc-9M6JXxj8P3J-f4xOxUBs33OjHl0kNvSBJVwSxdaM_DSl0whxfnssRBfvxKCImbYMooLyGtB6oIgqfuogZTT9YVDu6y8yV9l4JwBQVHmocdzfJ9MMPZBPNre/s1600/P4250037.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600023177666064850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-W-ao5PmbuyfRIrVubFuc-9M6JXxj8P3J-f4xOxUBs33OjHl0kNvSBJVwSxdaM_DSl0whxfnssRBfvxKCImbYMooLyGtB6oIgqfuogZTT9YVDu6y8yV9l4JwBQVHmocdzfJ9MMPZBPNre/s200/P4250037.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 152px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOHEKtiIIvNFec0GodIln55FrGpjXl3kgPYtZlwApgBM1Jdz0oaaBU-_xexvflLlyFilV3Grae6svVYsm6iKMRoxfCBa2pP0UnZylTZAaLXltnr11JhTlXgMsdiOELVa-j6vkpb-K99U0/s1600/P4250038.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600023541605689554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOHEKtiIIvNFec0GodIln55FrGpjXl3kgPYtZlwApgBM1Jdz0oaaBU-_xexvflLlyFilV3Grae6svVYsm6iKMRoxfCBa2pP0UnZylTZAaLXltnr11JhTlXgMsdiOELVa-j6vkpb-K99U0/s200/P4250038.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 150px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 78%;">My bougarabou drum</span><br />
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I bought my drum from Conrad, but not one of his hand-crafted works of art. Since this is my "beginner’s” drum, I bought one that was hand carved out of iroko wood by a craftsman in the Ivory Coast, a genuine West African drum. But who knows? If I get good, maybe I’ll upgrade to one of his eye-popping cherry wood originals.</div>John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-75639024800697601182011-04-09T11:04:00.002-04:002011-04-09T11:09:44.824-04:00The Look, Touch and Smell of Wood<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOQzpxkw9V35ZStsxYIkgSI31kcVruwJ80lQ5lC65mu7i3RYl7qKrno5bj8iE0GbeRqWgy4EcUEbL5FQ19QwNK4AfSAACKR7G8dINHAMa4ktm6dyVwSLiealpT9FsKvY-gprNmmFriFhv/s1600/P2120008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593601039041456994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOQzpxkw9V35ZStsxYIkgSI31kcVruwJ80lQ5lC65mu7i3RYl7qKrno5bj8iE0GbeRqWgy4EcUEbL5FQ19QwNK4AfSAACKR7G8dINHAMa4ktm6dyVwSLiealpT9FsKvY-gprNmmFriFhv/s320/P2120008.JPG" border="0" /></a>I remember visiting <a href="http://www.duckloe.com/">Duckloe Furniture</a> in Portland, PA several months ago. They have exquisite examples of American hand-crafted furniture. Their showroom is filled with everything from Arts and Crafts and Shaker styles to Windsor Chairs that they have been making themselves for over 150 years. The woods and grain patterns are awesome. Words like bird’s eye, tiger, quarter-sawn and burl are used a lot in the wood descriptions of the items on display. <br /><div></div><br /><div>Like a naughty child, I found myself touching everything. As I ran my hand across the top of a table or over the carved decorations I realized how much I love to touch wood. There is a tactile sensation that brings me joy. The smoothness of the finish, the beauty of the grain pattern, even the smell of the beeswax and oil, all contribute to my sensual enjoyment. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I get a similar feeling in my own workshop. It may be the fine sawdust that remains in the pores of your hand after sanding; or feeling the contour of a piece you just carved. I’m sure many of you fellow woodworkers know what I mean. I remember finishing a spoon with wax and mineral oil and then sitting watching TV and just rubbing the finish with my bare hands for quite some time. It was a comforting sensation. You may argue that velvet or leather also gives tactile pleasure, but when it comes to hard materials, nothing beats wood. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I just completed <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hVQPCb4p9WpcZBYby4MypvQ0cdACdcVU_MunVNH2ujHnpuNO6CqYxChK15yeo0hyphenhyphentyzuAo8uNaXqXvhLHxVFPqihIT6DXypyQUtNMNDZAQK9STM2PBiLYgstHoANRFSLdde_vchATNMd/s1600/P4020013.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593600350818181090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 148px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hVQPCb4p9WpcZBYby4MypvQ0cdACdcVU_MunVNH2ujHnpuNO6CqYxChK15yeo0hyphenhyphentyzuAo8uNaXqXvhLHxVFPqihIT6DXypyQUtNMNDZAQK9STM2PBiLYgstHoANRFSLdde_vchATNMd/s200/P4020013.JPG" border="0" /></a>my Salamander Cane. It was my first attempt in carving a critter wrapped around the cane. Instead of carving a detailed snake with hundreds of tiny scales like the award-winning artist, Dave Stehly, I chose a much simpler piece for my first attempt. The salamander is a lot smaller and its skin is smooth and easy to carve. I liked the feel of the wooden cane handle. I realized why canes and walking sticks are made of wood. For some reason, it just seems natural. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Has working with wood heightened your sensual awareness?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-17005691965394364952011-02-18T21:00:00.028-05:002011-11-26T21:10:53.171-05:00Making the Canary Wood Box<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscotBpez7s7JpyTEudTWLG9RGNpovwfm7QkHJ8tnftrPa8EatOoI5lPPg_5dTAbiG_A19qIXRv-_eIBZBPcrRljE3IIxvaD0GTT1oIhwib2fqaI83eZSBRIDqbxvBmII9NAJjPBUOuX1D/s1600/P2120001.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575246619682301618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscotBpez7s7JpyTEudTWLG9RGNpovwfm7QkHJ8tnftrPa8EatOoI5lPPg_5dTAbiG_A19qIXRv-_eIBZBPcrRljE3IIxvaD0GTT1oIhwib2fqaI83eZSBRIDqbxvBmII9NAJjPBUOuX1D/s320/P2120001.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 247px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>As promised, here are instructions, photos and tips that follow my work on the Molten Wood band saw box made from a chunk of canary wood.<br />
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<div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyniOlPtBdf7BgSVhKMnUT8jLhKaEVr8D2N6ooJY0yTyzcPmuUIBHJsqPyKyPjonJsUono4OAISgVr2IoddJb_PmF_mssj0B4884Dhyphenhyphenj7lo1ncnTSMNpu-VQyIjBkOdUaKfLgSobZvKZBU/s1600/P1230003.JPG"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575215986752439618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyniOlPtBdf7BgSVhKMnUT8jLhKaEVr8D2N6ooJY0yTyzcPmuUIBHJsqPyKyPjonJsUono4OAISgVr2IoddJb_PmF_mssj0B4884Dhyphenhyphenj7lo1ncnTSMNpu-VQyIjBkOdUaKfLgSobZvKZBU/s200/P1230003.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 152px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></span></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">I purchased this slab of canary wood about 6 years ago from a bargain table at Woodcraft. I've been waiting for the right project. The first step is to draw the design on the wood.</span><br />
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</div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlVmq9xPPXMoKu8RkAAJWnNzri9QVWu4f8wJlW76qXRUQMC_y6Iv0iJizdN9uPrf2HQhr_h8pq9B0vWtBSaNhK8vSuD0r0YkTdPkddpBc0iOprr-ADAgbvuOH9-qFt-4nUAknL_uFy0BW/s1600/P1230005.JPG"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575216865036118050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlVmq9xPPXMoKu8RkAAJWnNzri9QVWu4f8wJlW76qXRUQMC_y6Iv0iJizdN9uPrf2HQhr_h8pq9B0vWtBSaNhK8vSuD0r0YkTdPkddpBc0iOprr-ADAgbvuOH9-qFt-4nUAknL_uFy0BW/s200/P1230005.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 142px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></span></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">I used power carving tools to get the deep wave grooves. A round bur works best. Start coarse and work to fine.</span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span></div><br />
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<div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglevnC54xvAuDuwdImi7gMs90vIr5y_3C36xEY8t9fRd3133JSXs8eaos6G_AKzQZUg7QESPeYrCXlTFAnLGqqS6rdaKoDOhicz5A6otHhIeHqpT4nLInZ3CYLyfBv2s6GEe4ReloXGHPH/s1600/P1230008.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575217520464541554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglevnC54xvAuDuwdImi7gMs90vIr5y_3C36xEY8t9fRd3133JSXs8eaos6G_AKzQZUg7QESPeYrCXlTFAnLGqqS6rdaKoDOhicz5A6otHhIeHqpT4nLInZ3CYLyfBv2s6GEe4ReloXGHPH/s200/P1230008.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">Rough shape of the wave grooves completed. It's time to go to the band saw.</span></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUQ4yycH9jxCSbxfmwz_aYlPP73eTTE-rwgnpVQPeFOOSGCUjGzw8AudlDP9Lctwwl-vJDaghMyylRxHUeKgEp9_TMhlZN8ORqhHZldOpBGS666NaJ9w6ZpVmHbJF05FeciXQ3pjCb4ez/s1600/P1230012.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575218074603040322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUQ4yycH9jxCSbxfmwz_aYlPP73eTTE-rwgnpVQPeFOOSGCUjGzw8AudlDP9Lctwwl-vJDaghMyylRxHUeKgEp9_TMhlZN8ORqhHZldOpBGS666NaJ9w6ZpVmHbJF05FeciXQ3pjCb4ez/s200/P1230012.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-size: 85%;">Here's where it gets a little tricky. Instead of just sawing off the top of the box like you would in making a normal band saw box, you saw up to a marked point and then saw at 90 degrees to that line to create the overhang.</span></div><div><br />
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</div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1T0pl-Os0NqXDfQDB5Bal1AazXbENmqT4hS4JsUBVfdDJEiZd9mz9GK5jU8tnesWZ7h0WWavim3bf3RMJp0MuTZkmK_t-EEWO9y3KS6qol7UgeKEODmlSs7fJW-7xXZfFOQDfc9omO_d/s1600/P1230013.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575219197571872322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1T0pl-Os0NqXDfQDB5Bal1AazXbENmqT4hS4JsUBVfdDJEiZd9mz9GK5jU8tnesWZ7h0WWavim3bf3RMJp0MuTZkmK_t-EEWO9y3KS6qol7UgeKEODmlSs7fJW-7xXZfFOQDfc9omO_d/s200/P1230013.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">Next, use the band saw to cut out the overhang shape. This is hard to explain, but it is probably obvious to any woodworker.</span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8NJCu4TqWhCOOhGBzNcVyavsBOyXIzm5Nob0p5uGpFC4uavLn8t4UMmdzuRlLfsTKH9KS5soaCbQmtnSnuHbgGDKnxeed5zqDEPjkD1WFoPNDqlONtT4CnllIpgz5OM3t9ciC3P6jBmm/s1600/P1230016.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575219943028807490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8NJCu4TqWhCOOhGBzNcVyavsBOyXIzm5Nob0p5uGpFC4uavLn8t4UMmdzuRlLfsTKH9KS5soaCbQmtnSnuHbgGDKnxeed5zqDEPjkD1WFoPNDqlONtT4CnllIpgz5OM3t9ciC3P6jBmm/s200/P1230016.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></span></div><div><br />
</div><div><span style="font-size: 85%;">Here's the way the overhang looks after sawing. As you can see, I cut a little too far into the first wave. This will have to be fixed up later.</span></div><div><br />
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</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYSqskR3vOvtH6WZ2e5book_lxSKmhZtnGGICvurT7QGkTqZ_9ORy2miebn-0j3A1H0bNxoR_X0dOB0nIKLBT9NoP268CYNFxg-6OnPTNxzco-E1jeJN7mdzvKDh73YdrxbLgwsrrxs0j/s1600/P1230017.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575221227712634786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYSqskR3vOvtH6WZ2e5book_lxSKmhZtnGGICvurT7QGkTqZ_9ORy2miebn-0j3A1H0bNxoR_X0dOB0nIKLBT9NoP268CYNFxg-6OnPTNxzco-E1jeJN7mdzvKDh73YdrxbLgwsrrxs0j/s200/P1230017.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">Now, cut off the bottom as you would normally do when making a band saw box.</span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglP5MZ98asaRbLAD-8WnNAu_2Noljpa0mLdSv4dQ-dJnUmFglZimE0ar7GzbLEMBy4zHRd7pcjbkWgHzrDRRKsHT7WGZQtHOB5DvRw1aT_cQwioVywGV0ffC5SNP0UZVW7zScl99mQ7YFT/s1600/P1240026.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575221758512868066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglP5MZ98asaRbLAD-8WnNAu_2Noljpa0mLdSv4dQ-dJnUmFglZimE0ar7GzbLEMBy4zHRd7pcjbkWgHzrDRRKsHT7WGZQtHOB5DvRw1aT_cQwioVywGV0ffC5SNP0UZVW7zScl99mQ7YFT/s200/P1240026.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">The trickiest part of making this box is getting the barrel hinges to align perfectly. If they are off by even one millimeter, the box will never open and close properly. Accuracy is essential. Wood crafters have many tricks for getting proper alignment. You can find them on the internet. As for me, I have found that careful measurent and a brad tipped drill bit can get you right on the money. I start by exact measurement lines and precise marking with a push pin to set the exact hole center.</span><br />
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</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlW3xjUu3LGt5WT_M3NDZQpRBAUsH57MEiPSDUxS4lVkc0Wt6yPUF_ejouSJtDcTZ70CkUfEwaPy0Aa_SZDUeOR6PeUHzWZKXCtzMPIoygCiKZKVGz6oiXKn7Sy4yGpgKW8dcj8F7TT_q4/s1600/P1240029.JPG"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575223573635118178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlW3xjUu3LGt5WT_M3NDZQpRBAUsH57MEiPSDUxS4lVkc0Wt6yPUF_ejouSJtDcTZ70CkUfEwaPy0Aa_SZDUeOR6PeUHzWZKXCtzMPIoygCiKZKVGz6oiXKn7Sy4yGpgKW8dcj8F7TT_q4/s200/P1240029.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></span></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">The barrel hinges are cylinders 5 mm in diameter with a hinge pin in the middle. I bought a 5 mm brad point drill bit and I am very pleased with the results. </span><br />
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</div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo_3Gu7QT9N15mUSz3bUz0W0zKTAS538ty3st00UsRct_SGSaNZwVvmFIoFDAe6AUCqpcEaE_jz2vB0TnDWpJ_B68_vLyR0jU-AXquRLM1USORJ1liEr3ogIILF4QLUII1hoHr52VoHMe/s1600/P1240032.JPG"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575224378406644546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo_3Gu7QT9N15mUSz3bUz0W0zKTAS538ty3st00UsRct_SGSaNZwVvmFIoFDAe6AUCqpcEaE_jz2vB0TnDWpJ_B68_vLyR0jU-AXquRLM1USORJ1liEr3ogIILF4QLUII1hoHr52VoHMe/s200/P1240032.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 152px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></span></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">I clamped the wood loosely on the drill press and then carefully guided the brad tip of the drill bit into the hole made by the push pin. I then clamped it securely and drilled the hole. Since the box top is thin, be careful with the depth of the hole. The objective is to position the tiny center pin shaft of the hinge exactly at the surface of the wood on both the top and the end of the box.</span><br />
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</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblbTiUiYlteDIe7IAGQP3uMhd6ZGhzUwPDzo-YQSk3FpKMVHuE2Pm70p1YO8S4FCDdWpB31l5fEkk8L5pKiujwQT_Iy-JwBd1QmGScoh9zGusSUTLexKo3uWPAPcUk5cEGkcirjSapoX-/s1600/P1240036.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575227004507455378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblbTiUiYlteDIe7IAGQP3uMhd6ZGhzUwPDzo-YQSk3FpKMVHuE2Pm70p1YO8S4FCDdWpB31l5fEkk8L5pKiujwQT_Iy-JwBd1QmGScoh9zGusSUTLexKo3uWPAPcUk5cEGkcirjSapoX-/s200/P1240036.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 131px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: 85%;">The next step is to make a 45 degree cut in the lid and the base. The angle must intersect the exact middle point of the hinge at the pin so the lid will open correctly. Needless to say, this can be very tricky. Again, precise measurement is very important. Of course experience and a little luck doesn't hurt either. I used my table saw which is set up with a very accurate 45 degree crosscut sled. In the past I have also used my router table. My wood craftsmanship is far from perfect, so I wound up doing some "corrections" work on the belt sande to get everything to work properly. No glue yet. This is just a dry fit at this point to make sure all the parts work.</span></div><div><br />
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</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzd2zFKHcQ911sfxtcPdy1YFpr1smB_O5hY-5apqrf3l2-aN79fjiwVVZV25i8HQCu8kIsdtLIJ4nFhoivc6F1hDe9htIAO7bAyEzhNYsPbVT2BjXdyL2uQVPhc8jlnbZSxAFc6iQHWJF/s1600/P1240038.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575229671156800386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzd2zFKHcQ911sfxtcPdy1YFpr1smB_O5hY-5apqrf3l2-aN79fjiwVVZV25i8HQCu8kIsdtLIJ4nFhoivc6F1hDe9htIAO7bAyEzhNYsPbVT2BjXdyL2uQVPhc8jlnbZSxAFc6iQHWJF/s200/P1240038.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 148px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">Up until this point I have been working with a squared off block of wood. It is important to have this "right angle" frame of reference for proper alignment and measurements. Now it's time to add some curves. I cut the outer shape of the box on the band saw.</span><br />
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<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9dM8AvR9ZFIeSdpjrs68C5d2he9kNUfq-STQbj2IhLmWmd89dtRFFXpUrh4NVMvdaJLu_PD9sZa3ZJpQwN3eg7WCB6bpl_twdDGBGmxBrFsaDXbM1Bbx-aabdgRzf33IK9eAfisYNFQg/s1600/P1240040.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575230552887217714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9dM8AvR9ZFIeSdpjrs68C5d2he9kNUfq-STQbj2IhLmWmd89dtRFFXpUrh4NVMvdaJLu_PD9sZa3ZJpQwN3eg7WCB6bpl_twdDGBGmxBrFsaDXbM1Bbx-aabdgRzf33IK9eAfisYNFQg/s200/P1240040.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 160px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div><br />
<div><span style="font-size: 85%;">Here's what the box looks like at this point. Remember, </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">the inside is still solid wood. </span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MPF0qpkF5Qpen1eKFBPQJrCpEamCg2h_3OfEPCREu-4IlfTuOjIV0-G_KEGW814GTBKjIl0kPm9KdTVVruXOFRohIRR4by7zeNUC9JfnCmB5O55CnJgWAzLa2fuZ-Q8pGSUnZrzvrzFk/s1600/P1240042.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575231862545117522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MPF0qpkF5Qpen1eKFBPQJrCpEamCg2h_3OfEPCREu-4IlfTuOjIV0-G_KEGW814GTBKjIl0kPm9KdTVVruXOFRohIRR4by7zeNUC9JfnCmB5O55CnJgWAzLa2fuZ-Q8pGSUnZrzvrzFk/s200/P1240042.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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<div><span style="font-size: 85%;">Take off the top and bottom and use the band saw again to cut the box interior out of the middle section. I entered near the corner so it would be easier to glue and hide the entry point. The dark lines on the curved corners indicate that I need to change my saw blade. A rubber backed sanding cylinder on my rotary tool will get these marks out without much effort.</span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHneAKLgk-9_hpOkiWhfyTHuNq-fitEC-PjUvh9MfySbffxwAWnr72iaMOsSk9ZUAX68OrvOpXxRhoHhYYmhgXSsPBgVq0fm9mxLTFOJAf79V2fL01_eWe2uLuOdb09adcZlkRvWA_ZIxt/s1600/P1240044.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575233660371576530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHneAKLgk-9_hpOkiWhfyTHuNq-fitEC-PjUvh9MfySbffxwAWnr72iaMOsSk9ZUAX68OrvOpXxRhoHhYYmhgXSsPBgVq0fm9mxLTFOJAf79V2fL01_eWe2uLuOdb09adcZlkRvWA_ZIxt/s200/P1240044.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 159px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">Gluing. I use Tightbond II. First glue the center section of the box together at the saw blade entry point. An elastic band clamp works fine for this. Make sure the alignment is exact.</span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span></div><br />
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<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPv7p8YiWghYL5t8gYEFdhVJERygQhtysLOgeqBS1nzUZq1gyq60dgVYxc3fe8OQ8h7QCA6gwJnkivliURwLZWFA9P4TRzygjYbh85GOdPataHWgODz-Tl4ak-t3OY7XyPvAnSClaIFA8/s1600/P1240045.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575235061746994098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPv7p8YiWghYL5t8gYEFdhVJERygQhtysLOgeqBS1nzUZq1gyq60dgVYxc3fe8OQ8h7QCA6gwJnkivliURwLZWFA9P4TRzygjYbh85GOdPataHWgODz-Tl4ak-t3OY7XyPvAnSClaIFA8/s200/P1240045.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">The next step is to glue the bottom to the box side section. Use good clamps for this. Once clamped, I usually lightly sand the outer surface at the glued joint. The fine saw dust will stick to the glue and fill up any voids in the intersection.</span></div><br />
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<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlXg4qEVOzRQm9xVEoHsTGjj079J4_ELD3N55lBX0TsHKMdt4CiYoEgibMhXPZ6THtBeBzvreevHjHTaH57ADeIVHrmdC4vIg0oPW_ugzkqPVQ5VLNi6xAdGTUkVSUHmYjnbIfZKsxaU-/s1600/P1240051.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575236274772320610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlXg4qEVOzRQm9xVEoHsTGjj079J4_ELD3N55lBX0TsHKMdt4CiYoEgibMhXPZ6THtBeBzvreevHjHTaH57ADeIVHrmdC4vIg0oPW_ugzkqPVQ5VLNi6xAdGTUkVSUHmYjnbIfZKsxaU-/s200/P1240051.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">Now comes the sanding, and lots of it. Notice how the box lid slightly overhands the side of the box. This is caused by gluing together the kerf void on the perimeter section. One side is now a bit shorter. To the belt sander! At this point I am also still forming the waves on top of the box with power carving burs and rotary sanding tools. Hand gouges were also used. Anything that works and is within reach. I mark areas that need wood taken away with a red pencil. I do this regularly during the forming process. Shape. Stop and take a look. Mark. Shape some more. A lot of patience and a lot of sawdust.</span></div></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-dfhtAMW-wHFXBtfgyKPCxkzBUFw74WsnVX9Kj9mPKRwvoLY-ptyT92ZM2LZNTl-d2BxoZdgYZSfdm6czqnkZpO3oh7FPMmS80HnUomg8VGmHx3Qm1jPbl8sUzKRAWPidJdWuOdvqGrx/s1600/P1270058.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575455884802996082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-dfhtAMW-wHFXBtfgyKPCxkzBUFw74WsnVX9Kj9mPKRwvoLY-ptyT92ZM2LZNTl-d2BxoZdgYZSfdm6czqnkZpO3oh7FPMmS80HnUomg8VGmHx3Qm1jPbl8sUzKRAWPidJdWuOdvqGrx/s200/P1270058.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a> <br />
<div><span style="font-size: 85%;">Next, I gave the whole box a light coat of wipe-on polyurethane varnish. In this photo of the back of the box, notice how the 45 degree cut is precisely at the center of the barrel hinge hole. I use epoxy to secure the barrel hinges and open and close the box severall times during the 5 minutes it takes the epoxy to set to make sure the cover sets and opens correctly. After fine sanding, I put a few coats of satin poly varnish on the box as a finish coat.</span></div><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczuGmVjHsZlcBNt_EIYQLRSPqJTfaEGsigHhFh4R22MjZglWTZfTAfjD8JXWIzxGEqzWFbgrb6WmFmdIzc1LBmrme9Hcqf4a0iB510GIGKJTDCs_k7WMgZJpKAlsfqipFArEE0xg39aLT/s1600/P1270059.JPG"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575242798677520866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczuGmVjHsZlcBNt_EIYQLRSPqJTfaEGsigHhFh4R22MjZglWTZfTAfjD8JXWIzxGEqzWFbgrb6WmFmdIzc1LBmrme9Hcqf4a0iB510GIGKJTDCs_k7WMgZJpKAlsfqipFArEE0xg39aLT/s200/P1270059.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></span></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">As any artisan will tell you, you have to know when to stop improving what you have and call the piece "finished". I had a perfect reminder of this on this box. I kept on sanding away on the wave grooves until I sanded right through the wood. Yikes! After hours and hours of work, I now had a hole right in the key focus spot of the piece. A tiny hole, but to me it seemed like you could drive a truck through it. Of course I panicked and thought it was the end of the world. But a little wood filler and some very precise staining and you can hardly notice the flaw. Look at the second groove from the left.</span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">So that's how I made the box. I probably could have included another 8 or 9 photos, but it is very lengthy as it is. I hope these instructions and personal tips will be of help to you. Let me know if they were.</span></div>John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-35597722395826288952011-02-12T12:02:00.005-05:002011-11-26T21:11:33.441-05:00Molten Wood<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJtP-LxCUQo3IAQbQBeOmVqEhc0eNIeKMcc2eNfndqsvX2pFaURN-vhiEgq_b8Ukh7Cr6QUZDrzTUGZuyFB4EdwKbRBCFxYExJw6bab3sJJ1bEs6OPcPEnzdz3daT_xoDGNCoLELE_aAk/s1600/P2100076.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572850096533164946" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJtP-LxCUQo3IAQbQBeOmVqEhc0eNIeKMcc2eNfndqsvX2pFaURN-vhiEgq_b8Ukh7Cr6QUZDrzTUGZuyFB4EdwKbRBCFxYExJw6bab3sJJ1bEs6OPcPEnzdz3daT_xoDGNCoLELE_aAk/s320/P2100076.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Ask any kid. Sculpting with clay is fun. Playing with Silly Putty is even more fun. If you let it sit on an edge, it would ooze and flow over time. Sculpting with wood is a lot harder. You can’t just push the wood around like clay to change the shape. You can’t just let it ooze over the edge. But maybe you can make the wood look like you just formed it like clay. Maybe you could make the wood look like it was melting. This is what I have tried to accomplish in my latest experiment with hinged-lid band saw boxes.<br />
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The light rectangular box is made out of spalted maple from my yard. The darker, squarer shaped box is made of canary wood. Each is cut from a solid piece of wood using band saw box techniques. Each uses small barrel hinges for the lid, so it remains attached.<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572850543365865330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mgcd8WkoI0Ut0HrdhwKAf8EWNqP7U5rURbPsY1Selyh8xQzWHYNl0FC7ACN-8y9EqH0XZjYTJxU-xxH33J6sv4THv85QYxm-7t-rGPKCYaeplW4hR61YEUajbRHYLBOEW6vSD7UDqt2J/s320/P2100065.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
I took pictures during the entire process of making the canary wood box. I will show them with step-by-step instructions in my next post for anyone who is interested.John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857290979632815572.post-71075819546031967712011-02-04T17:46:00.014-05:002011-02-05T12:59:47.321-05:00Trees With Names<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqoaL8kMInIfRmq25vxLbgTC-NwBU3bUgd_TnaAAmHB1jjOTROAVrXfukB1BwZHa5eRI5Bzp75QKOmUb3aXT8AtBYx2zh2fSyQByqu_dp6d3TAqeaGOf6RJVvtZqriK9cQ68PRk7fmsST/s1600/94556717_23f803a6e2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569971704022751634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqoaL8kMInIfRmq25vxLbgTC-NwBU3bUgd_TnaAAmHB1jjOTROAVrXfukB1BwZHa5eRI5Bzp75QKOmUb3aXT8AtBYx2zh2fSyQByqu_dp6d3TAqeaGOf6RJVvtZqriK9cQ68PRk7fmsST/s320/94556717_23f803a6e2.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">Chapman's Baobab</span><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">Some trees are important enough to have names. I don’t mean their biological species names like <em>quercus rubra</em> for red oak, or <em>acer rubrum</em> for red maple. I mean real names given to them mostly out of reverence and respect. A few posts back, I mentioned Herbie the oldest elm in New England. During my research I found out there are many more important elm trees. Just look up “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elm">elm</a>” on Wikipedia. There was the Metaxades Elm of Greece, the Biscarrosse Elm<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwr4iil_Oc0VBUIO0Yju84l0Myw_2wxjUeximDs8XV158KocnZQ7m_yEsLGkXeTbjYWgUBx6pcHpC7mgRfpkY-TqRVTbKsx-0WT6sdKWywLLEnikcAt8x8xfCdZxeVJ9Yz6Ymnm9nJBRl/s1600/220px-Biscarrosse_Elm_2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569970827455404594" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 139px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwr4iil_Oc0VBUIO0Yju84l0Myw_2wxjUeximDs8XV158KocnZQ7m_yEsLGkXeTbjYWgUBx6pcHpC7mgRfpkY-TqRVTbKsx-0WT6sdKWywLLEnikcAt8x8xfCdZxeVJ9Yz6Ymnm9nJBRl/s200/220px-Biscarrosse_Elm_2.jpg" border="0" /></a> of France, and “Elmo” the beloved elm on the campus of Brown University. All were old and historical in some way. All succumbed to the dreaded Dutch Elm Disease. </div><br /><div align="left">Of course there were also many famous oak trees throughout history, such as the <a title="Royal Oak (tree)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Oak_(tree)">Royal Oak</a> in Britain and the <a title="Charter Oak" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_Oak">Charter Oak</a> in the United States. There were at least 3 different Treaty Oaks in USA history. Wikipedia even has a listing for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Individual_oak_trees">individual oak trees</a> which lists 44 famous oak trees by name.</div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;">Biscarrosse Elm<br /></div></span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZniAgf5uOwk03qzLAgbOsdBTezAYugpR5mBOhziMaZPKBCxf5eyC1X1w5kNQQQQK0-mSGGKAjDg1lkTUNNNB-p7qUdqkfYASch2nBesJLNLUdWiBcZxLLzp5eoF27nNxJ0PFaej24hQ3/s1600/general-sherman-tree.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569970222718078434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 126px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZniAgf5uOwk03qzLAgbOsdBTezAYugpR5mBOhziMaZPKBCxf5eyC1X1w5kNQQQQK0-mSGGKAjDg1lkTUNNNB-p7qUdqkfYASch2nBesJLNLUdWiBcZxLLzp5eoF27nNxJ0PFaej24hQ3/s200/general-sherman-tree.jpg" border="0" /></a>In the evergreen category, there are a few superlative trees with names. There is General Sherman, a giant sequoia, which is the largest tree by volume in the world; and Hyperion, a coastal redwood, which is the tallest tree in the world at 379 feet. In Africa, several baobab trees, such as the Chapman’s Baobab, compete for record girth and age. All these trees are on a great blog site called <a href="http://ten-thousand-trees.blogspot.com/">Ten Thousand Trees</a>.<br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"> </div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:78%;">General Sherman</span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">One of my favorite named trees is the <a href="http://www.nabasque.org/Pages/gernika_tree.htm">Gernikako Arbola</a> in Basque Country, Spain. It remains a strong symbol of freedom for the Basque people. It is shown on the Basque Country coat of arms, and is the title of a song which has become the Basque anthem. I<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1R01cMZWpxlBEo2aMImUy38nt6uCmvEpnc9Ntr7NrwSt9GDmlhz4QufyG3Q6kY37Udy6vwhXQmb3oNBNKJEVbELVT3bzfuvaqXPmXLP6FQOKswUeMh1EC7ixz9KdJ10Q4XzGsCHNtC_7g/s1600/gernik8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569969679706762098" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 149px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1R01cMZWpxlBEo2aMImUy38nt6uCmvEpnc9Ntr7NrwSt9GDmlhz4QufyG3Q6kY37Udy6vwhXQmb3oNBNKJEVbELVT3bzfuvaqXPmXLP6FQOKswUeMh1EC7ixz9KdJ10Q4XzGsCHNtC_7g/s200/gernik8.jpg" border="0" /></a>t is located in Guernica and survived the terrible bombing of that city by the Nazis in 1937. After the bombing, volunteers formed an armed guard around the tree to protect it against the Falangists, who wanted to destroy it because they knew what a powerful symbol it was to the Basques. The current tree is the “great grandson” of the original old oak planted in the 14th century, each generation grown from an acorn of the prior tree. </div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;">Gernikako Arbola</span></div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span> </div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span> </div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span> </div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Yes, these old trees with names are revered and respected. Perhaps we should give every old tree in Sherwood Forest a name. That way they might not be cut down for commercial lumber or developed into golf resorts as is being considered by the new government of Great Britan as part of their budget austerity program. But that's a story for another day.</div>John M. Castelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01010223609843023080noreply@blogger.com2