The making of lutes, lyres and zithers seems to have ground to a halt for the time being.
The craft known as woodturning has me by the throat at the moment. I had intended that woodturning would be just one more skill to use in my pursuit of a usable musical instrument. But for some reason I find great satisfaction in taking a perfectly good piece of timber and reducing it shavings and dust.
And that is woodturning for you.
It does have it’s uses though. The photos herewith are of three items I salvaged from the debris on the floor, and which provided a cheapskates birthday present for my favourite arts student.
The little bowl (more of a saucer really - it started out much bigger) is from a nameless tree my back fence neighbour gave me after he had chopped it down. The thing that looks like a miniature beer barrel is a miniature beer barrel, and is turned from a 20 year old lump of Oregon, that was at one time part of a post holding up my pergola. These were made in my back-yard on the world’s cheapest lathe.
The biggest of the three I made in the timber workshop I attend once a week. This workshop should be called “Woodworker’s Heaven”. It smells of new and old timber, sawdust and glue, and the lathes whirr instead of clanking and rattling, and the chisels and gouges are sharp.
Anyway, this bowl is made from a piece of timber I rescued from a park after the city council had been lopping some trees. I was convinced it was a piece of black wattle, but Ian, the guru from the workshop, says it’s Raintree. He’s the expert, so it’s Raintree.
A nice bit of timber anyway, and I’ve got enough left to produce two more things.
Happy birthday my love.
Vsquared.
1 comment:
to anyone who reads this and thinks, 'hey that might be fun,': NO! DON'T DO IT! STEP AWAY FROM THE TURNY THING! you will get addicted and your loved ones will never see you again unless they too become addicted!
no seriously, it's fun.
and seriously? thank you. a lot. my jewellery thanks you too.
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