Sculpting Wood by Mark Lindquist

[Paul39]

I saw the above book in a used book store last week. The part about turning spalted wood and burls caught my eye, so I bought it.

There is a section about using a die grinder for difficult, easy to tear wood.

Today I tried the technique of using a die grinder on a piece of pine where two branches had abraded and then grown together. I roughed it and had lots of tear outs. I used a die grinder and a course, then medium, abrasive plastic disk.

What would have taken hours with sandpaper and the bowl on the lathe took minutes to be ready for final sanding and finishing.

The book is out of print, but used are reasonable:

Amazon.com: Sculpting Wood: Contemporary Tools & Techniques (9780871922281): Mark Lindquist, Bill Byers: Books

See table of contents here:

Amazon.com: Sculpting Wood: Contemporary Tools & Techniques (9780871922281): Mark Lindquist, Bill Byers: Books

Lots of what he does is not where I'm ready to go, but there is lots of good information in the book.

His idea of accepting a crack and using it as part of the design I am ready to use. I have several pieces that are too good to burn, but not good enough to keep.

[GrinlingGibbons]

I read Mark Lindquist's books about five years ago when I was just getting interested in wood carving. He was an inspiration to me. He gave me a whole different perspective on wood and what kinds of wood that I carve. I never disregard a piece of wood because it has a defect. I look at it as a challenge and think about what opportunities or challenges that defect might pose for me.

Inspired by mark Lindquist I started had started a series of carved eggs. The first in the series was an egg that I carved from walnut. The piece of wood that I carved had a prominent crack in it. I incorporated the crack into the carving. The result was a cracked egg. A corny joke i might add but it does work. Another egg that I made out of a piece of cedar has a large nail hole in it. After I finished carving the egg the hole looked like a bullet hole. I called it, "death by egg". Not everyone will see the humor in my egg series but I find it amusing.

I also carve wood that would normally be thrown away as trash. Again, about five years ago I dug up a row or ancient boxwoods that had been neglected for years. I noticed that there was a lot of mass in the roots, the bushes were over fifty years old. I decided to cut off the tops of the bushes and compost them but i kept the roots. I have carved two of three of the roots. One became a male character that I called the master. Roots are extremely hard to carve and the they are constantly a source of surprise by the wood itself is full of character and often very beautiful when it is sanded and polished to a high degree.

There is a lot more I could say about Mark Lindquist but i have said enough already.

[Paul39]

Mark,

I love crazy grain and roots. I seldom make a turning of straight grained wood.

Using the die grinder and course sand paper has cut down the sanding time by 70 - 80 %.

Lindquist's book moved me farther down the path and made me look at cracks differently.

[GrinlingGibbons]

Paul,

I have never tried turning a root. I have to admit, I am more a carver than a turner. Do you know about Stephen Hogbin? He is a wood turner/wood worker in Canada. He has done the most amazing things with wood.

Thanks to you, I have started thinking about Mark Lindquist again. It struck me that Marl Lindquist has had a significant impact on my approach to carving. I think I am going to do an entire blog, http://bayshorewoods.blogspot.com (http://bayshorewoods.blogspot.com/), on Mark Linquist and the influence that he has had on my carving.


GG

[Paul39]

GrinlingGibbons,

Thanks for the Hogbin pdf. He does some wild stuff.

Sorry about addressing you as Mark in a previous post, sometime I type faster than I think.

[underfoot]

There is a lot more I could say about Mark Lindquist but i have said enough already.
Yep..I blame Mark Lindquist's book as a major influence in my woodworking career..
The other one was "Woodworking, the new wave" published in 1981...I've yet to come across more adventurous woodwork than found in that book...:2tsup:
(highly recomended)

btw ..Grinling Gibbons is a VERY BIG forum pseudonym to live up to..

[GrinlingGibbons]

Paul,

I'm glad that you liked the article on Hogbin. He is a pretty amazing guy. When I look at his work I always feel inspired to try something even more adventurous.

Don't worry about the typo. I've been called worse that.

There is a interesting young wood turner, a friend of my oldest daughter. I will send you a link to his site. He also does interesting work.

[GrinlingGibbons]

Yep..I blame Mark Lindquist's book as a major influence in my woodworking career..
The other one was "Woodworking, the new wave" published in 1981...I've yet to come across more adventurous woodwork than found in that book...:2tsup:
(highly recomended)

btw ..Grinling Gibbons is a VERY BIG forum pseudonym to live up to..

Do you have the name of the author for "Woodworking, the new wave", I would like to look it up?

As for the name Grinling Gibbons, I could not agree with you more. It is a very big name, which is the reason I chose it. It is not only the name that I use on this forum but it is the name that I use on my Blog as well, Bayshorewoods.blogspot.com. I use the name Grinling Gibbons for two reasons. The first is out of admiration for his work and the legacy that he has left to all the carvers who have come after him. I do not think that there is a single wood carver who does not acknowledge and admire the artistry, design and execution of Grinling Gibbon's work. One of my dreams is to go to England one day to see and study his work. The second reason that I chose his name was to inspire and motivate myself. If I can achieve even half of level of skill in execution and design and artistry then I would truly consider myself to be a good wood carver.

It is not out of arrogance that I chose this name, just the opposite. I feel humbled by Grinling Gibbons. I makes me try to do the best that can every time I put knife to wood.

[GrinlingGibbons]

Paul,

Here is the link to the website of my daughter's friend. He does some interesting work. Take a look, Matthew Hutchinson Wood Artist (http://www.mhwoodart.com).

[Paul39]

Paul,

Here is the link to the website of my daughter's friend. He does some interesting work. Take a look, Matthew Hutchinson Wood Artist (http://www.mhwoodart.com).


Thanks,

He does nice work. The cherry log vase is beautiful. I lust after the big steady rest.