Thread: carvers gallery - questions and answers.

Hi all, pictures of what I'm working on now wouldn't give much of an idea of where they are going or what they will be. One small piece in 82 bits the other in about 600, both progressing slowly, a bit like making a dinning table out of match sticks and probably just as interesting. Anyway, in response to SPIRIT: 1st pic is a weird digital camera effect more than anything but it's the only one I have that gives an over all view of a piece called "Strange Sails", the second is another view and more true to colour. The sticks are of local Tea Tree, oil painted and finished in Damar vanish, what their sticking into is a branch of a huge Coastal Banksia, the other things depict a boat, a group of Koori and the smoke from their fires. This piece got away from me a bit/alot and I was dissapointed with it in the end, but plan to revisit the whole thing one day.
Attachment 46702
Attachment 46703

Originally Posted by Lignum

Need someone with workshop space, and run a workshop on a saturday or sunday for 4 or 5 hours 3 weeks out of every month using the creative and talented people on this forum - you can do the carving, Martix the veneering blah blah blah

Lignum thats sound like a great idea l have been blown away how much work there is in doing something like this and im just at the bottom end of things seems like my ear is stuck to the phone get my team at the start of the new term ,

harry im biulding a list of things to do when l start working
like the idea of using teatree ,easy to get l have heeps in the back yard
how long do you dry it for ,what do you use to get the bark off ,looking at 16yo boys and girls doing something with it

Originally Posted by SPIRIT

harry im biulding a list of things to do when l start working
like the idea of using teatree ,easy to get l have heeps in the back yard
how long do you dry it for ,what do you use to get the bark off ,looking at 16yo boys and girls doing something with it

Hi Spirit, the Tea Tree I used was mostly found washed up and down on the beach and some other which I found in the dunes was dead. The sticks I used are about 30mm in diameter and collected over about 3 years, nearly all of them were what you would call bone dry.

If it's a concern, I would allow a year and a half or so for similar diameter sticks to dry out if you do use "green" wood. I stored mine suspended about a half metre under a gal. iron roof which gets plenty of air circulation under it and sun in summer. Seal the ends with wax or paint to minimise cracking.

The bark was removed easily by stripping it with a weighty bladed knife, but that's the easy bit, cleaning out the indentations or "eyes" is the time consuming bit assuming you want a completly "nude" result. I used a small pointy ended pocket knife to scrap and pick the hollows. The debarking process is time consuming and enjoyable if you have the time.

Because the plan was to paint them, I sanded them smooth and rubbed a linseed oil and mineral turps mix into them.

You could try scorching/burning them to remove the bark but you will still need to get into the nooks and crannys.

All of the above maybe a recipe for disaster for 16 year olds to do but I'll let you make the decision knowing better who your dealing with. Sand blasting could also be an option, the Tea Tree that is.

All that said, with some work Tea Tree is a great material to work with, being very strong under stress, it's good for chair and table legs and durable outside as long as its feet don't sit in the wet. I'd say it would also be good for tool handles. It was once used as wooden nails in boat building. It is hard on tool edges, has an oily feel and tends to clog sand paper quickly.

Hope this helps.

...I've also thought about some sought of acid might be able to be used to debark or etch a piece of wood, anyone tryed acid on wood?

thanks harry that was a great run down on tea trees,, thanks again how about a walking stick let them pick at it let them take thier time or make a handle for a carving knife when they have finsh the handle they will almost have thier oun carving knife ummm better check out the safty of them all haveing a knife

Originally Posted by Harry II

...I've also thought about some sought of acid might be able to be used to debark or etch a piece of wood, anyone tryed acid on wood?

NOt as yet but i might look into it. I've been planning too test out acids on organic materials as a possible method for creating inlays in jewellery.

I'll let you know if i have any luck

Originally Posted by ohno

NOt as yet but i might look into it. I've been planning too test out acids on organic materials as a possible method for creating inlays in jewellery.

I'll let you know if i have any luck

Thanks ohno

Originally Posted by watson

G'day Spirit,
Got all the tools...even got some nice chunks of wood.....love the concept........alas, I am totally incompetent. Love looking though.

how about we talk you though a carving wood spirit there easy
we need some more photos to look at

Harry that would be cool if you paint it and the bark fell off

OK.I'll have the camera in the shed tomorrow day........I'll post some pics.

Originally Posted by SPIRIT

how about we talk you though a carving wood spirit there easy
we need some more photos to look at

Harry that would be cool if you paint it and the bark fell off

don't like my chances Spirit and I feel there's something wrong with doing it too. I've got more pics to give, maybe some in a month or two?

have to wait a whole month to see some of your great carvings


good one wato what is it going to be then ??

Lord Knows!!!!!,,,,,,,,at the moment it is officially " a stick"

well show us your stick then (you dirty little boy) the stick that you are going to carve