Thread: Trying to get a handle on things

A grinder you say ? Shouldn't this thread be in the carving forum ?

It's a bit too nice for the garden Paul. Amongst the potted strawberry runners on the patio maybe but not in the grubby rows of carrots and beans.

I like it a lot.

Good job Paul, although you may have gained more satisfaction by shaping it with a nice rasp......

Hard to beat good ol' Spotty as a workhorse timber isn't it? I'm a big fan of gum lines and such myself, as long as the potential instability doesn't get in the way of things (e.g. my Spotty drill press table has significant veins but they matter not.

Certainly much better than a bought one!

I'll be the dissenting voice on one aspect. I would have tried to avoid any gum veins in a handle - it is a line of weakness, after all, though I suppose it's unlikely to be a big concern in this particular case unless your better half takes to using her new trowel as a demolition tool. I just can't look on gum veins as anything but 'defects', I'm afraid, probably as a result of early indoctrination from my dad. I had to chuckle when Forestry Tasmania was touting extensively gum-veined wood as "Natural Feature Grade", or NFG, for short. "NFG" was just what I thought, it was. Someone in their ad department must've twigged, finally, 'cos I haven't seen ads for wood that's NFG, lately....

Cheers,

Ian

You are quite right. There are a couple of comments I would add. It is only a garden trowel and it was going to be hoisted otherwise.

In timber grading there is reference to tight gum veins as opposed to loose veins and these are acceptable within certain parameters even for structural timbers. I looked at this piece and decided that it was not going to split on me particularly as it doesn't go all the way through the handle. I do like the look of it too.

It was in fact my second attempt. The first split when I forced the handle onto the oval shaped tang. I had reduced the handle wall thickness too much and it split out as it passed over the barbs on the tang. In the second attttempt I shaped the handle after it was on the trowel.

I have to agree with you on the NFG tag in that it was a way to use material that had formerly been condemned. Marketing has a way of trying to slip such deceptions into our everyday life.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by IanW

Certainly much better than a bought one!

I'll be the dissenting voice on one aspect. I would have tried to avoid any gum veins in a handle - it is a line of weakness, after all, though I suppose it's unlikely to be a big concern in this particular case unless your better half takes to using her new trowel as a demolition tool. I just can't look on gum veins as anything but 'defects', I'm afraid, probably as a result of early indoctrination from my dad. I had to chuckle when Forestry Tasmania was touting extensively gum-veined wood as "Natural Feature Grade", or NFG, for short. "NFG" was just what I thought, it was. Someone in their ad department must've twigged, finally, 'cos I haven't seen ads for wood that's NFG, lately....

Cheers,

They call it Value Adding now. I have clients that request it.

you did this with an angle grinder! you could take up ice or wood sculpting . i havnt seen them for a while but they are probably still available, there used to be special blades (quite aggressive looking) you could fit to the angle grinder that were made to sculpt wood or ice, dangerous looking things but so are chain saws (not that i would do this job with one of them, a rasp instead for me)

the 'defect' adds some interest, if it was something special (furniture or whatever) filling the vein with a resin or something so it still looks interesting but doesn't feel uncomfortable to the touch can be useful . of course a defect is only a defect related to its intended purposes. timber is graded for various purposes , live knots ok for many jobs , dead knots not, only clear timber is suited for some work, other times the same specie can be rated better even though it has some knots, so long as the defect doesn't undermine its integrity for the intended use then it adds interest, whether you want the added distraction is a matter of personal preference


cheers
chippy

Originally Posted by IanW

... I just can't look on gum veins as anything but 'defects', I'm afraid, probably as a result of early indoctrination from my dad.

Stay away from Marri then, Ian

(Marri Cascade Riverstone Coffee Table )

Originally Posted by pmcgee

Stay away from Marri then, Ian

Paul

Realistically that is a tree in the shape of a coffee table . Even though it is impressive, I don't think you will see one in Ian's lounge!

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by

They call it Value Adding now. I have clients that request it.

I am sure they do. In some cases it is the difference between looking ordinary and sensational.

An example of this is my son's didgeridoos which are fashioned from ironbark. They have many flaws in the timber, but in this case they add character. Sometimes he disguises them, but more often highlights the defects.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

....... Even though it is impressive, I don't think you will see one in Ian's lounge!

Both Pauls are right on the money. You won't ever see anything like that in my house (unless the minister for war, finance & interior decvoration decides there will be.. )

And I will stary away from Marri - I'm about about 4,000 Ks away as the crow flies, & not planning to get any closer right now.

Cheers,