Waves Hello!

**amanda_wa** · 8th January 2009, 10:56 PM

First up I'm going to admit that I'm not a wood person... (ducks) and I'm terrified of the power tools (duck again). That means that I don't know what things are called and have to go to the hardware to my wave hands around trying to explain what I'm trying to do. Or I can draw them a picture...

Having got that out of the way...

My name is Amanda. I'm a sculptor living and working in the lovely (but very hot right now) Chittering Valley - a rural area to the north east of Perth. I work with wood quite a lot (as well as plaster, clay and metal...) but mostly wood. And paint. Lots of paint.

My workshop (so far) has a Triton table saw - which hates me - and shows it by intermittently throwing bits of wood at me! (That's why I believe my fear of power tools is entirely reasonable.) Plus there's a drill press, mitre saw (which I hardly use because it has been known to throw bits of wood too) and Santa just chipped in to add a band saw... which so far I love. Oh, and a scroll saw which was the love of my life until the band saw arrived.

I've been lurking a bit mainly looking for ways to make the Triton play nice... and am now really looking forward to getting to know you all.

Amanda

**tea lady** · 8th January 2009, 11:05 PM

Hi Amanda. Welcome. There is always someone here who knows The answer.Looking forward to seeing some of your work.

**Woodwould** · 8th January 2009, 11:13 PM

Welcome Amanda!

I've found if you chuck stuff back at them, the ill-mannered machines soon fall into line.

**munruben** · 8th January 2009, 11:14 PM

Welcome Amanda, Great to have you aboard.

**masoth** · 9th January 2009, 12:03 AM

G'day Amanda, and welcome from me too. You have more power tools then some other forumites!!! I hope you will show (pics) some of your work - you never know with the wide interest on this board you could have a dedicated forum opened for your particular interest. I know others do more than only wood work. What do you call your art?

soth

**amanda_wa** · 9th January 2009, 01:24 AM

Hi all, thanks for the warm welcome,

My workshop/studio has kind of grown as needed. The Triton is just the table saw kind that comes with a saw - very reasonable price at the time - and has been a darn good thing for cutting down mdf or masonite panels for painting. (I don't use canvas.) Doing that job it's been great - I never expected to use it for much else.

But then the past couple of years I've been using more and more wood and have added more tools - it wasn't planned - just kind of happened bit by bit. Mostly toward the bottom of the range.

I've been making sets for animating & filming puppets, forms for casting all sorts of odd shapes in plaster or concrete and supports for bigger plaster moulds. I'm now working on a series of sculptures that are all wood. Bigger too, mostly a metre or so high (which is why I'm now having to stare down the Triton). Then there's another bigger set coming up. So just lots of odd stuff and one thing kind of leads to another. It's a really bad case of a little knowledge being dangerous...

**Old farmer** · 9th January 2009, 06:49 AM

Amanda, I too, another newbie, welcome you. I smiled as I read your post. You have a great way with words.

You are quite correct to be cautious when using your tools and please continue to be careful.

**jerryc** · 9th January 2009, 08:11 AM

Warm welcome Amanda,

Two good things to start your learning process, Stay light on your feet so you can duck easily. The second is look carefully at the safety forum and ask questions. Sculpture becomes more difficult with each finger you lose.

. Push sticks and hold downs ( even simple ones) are sacrificial, fingers are not.

Jerry

**artme** · 9th January 2009, 10:48 AM

G'day Amanda and welcome aboard.

You have plenty of toys, don't you?

Fear not good lady. If you can find some Woodworkers in your area they may be able to help. Books from libraries will help a lot or you can buy your own.

combing the forums here is great, or you can ask specific questions. All of our answers will be slightly different but correct.So get stuck in!

**rod1949** · 9th January 2009, 11:01 AM

Welcome Amanda.

Speaking of being Hot, the other night the weather man on the ABC TV news said that the longest recorded hot spell was at Marble Bar in the summer of 1922/23 with 123 days continuously over 100 degrees.

**Ed Reiss** · 9th January 2009, 01:44 PM

Amanda, don't let the machines intimidate you. Show them whos boss. If that don't work threaten them with playing Barry Manilow

**amanda_wa** · 9th January 2009, 02:14 PM

Barry who?

This studio rocks to Bob Dylan - loud, of course - to get heard over the toys. Uh, just read the safety section; so that should read: to be heard over the sound of toys when not wearing ear muffs... but when Dylan's been cranked up that much, for that long, the ear protection is a moot point.

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