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[Brian T]

You are making a very old fashioned stain which is actually iron acetate. It binds to the tannin in wood for a dark gray color. Woods which have very little tannin, such as basswood and birch, just look "dirty." You can jack up the binding and deepen the color by painting the wood with...

[Brian T]

Here's an example of exactly what Ed cautions about the wood grain direction in a glue up.

This dish was a nightmare to carve. I bought a stick of Yellow Cedar, about 3" x 6" x 6' long.
Rough saw-cut, well seasoned, the best piece in a lift of maybe 60 boards.
...

[Brian T]

Here are some good illustrations of the transition from the original carving to the massive opus that sits in the rotunda of the UBC/MOA. They took the roof off to install it.

Like the original, it is Yellow Cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis). It's a glue-up of 144 pieces of wood, I am...

[Brian T]

Excellent information. I would add only to do one joint at a time in a big glue-up. Glue and clamp 2 pieces together. Tomorrow or the next day, add another piece, and so on. I have had middle pieces shift when I turned my back on the pile.
Sure, it's tedious. But, it's reliable.

[Brian T]

What did come to mind immediately was the huge body of log carving work done by the Italian, Giuseppe Penone.

Maybe 6-7 years ago, I was so bold as to bring home a very knotty tree top junk log, about 12" x 96".
My idea was to mimic a typical piece from Penone. I was determined...

[Brian T]

This is just the second time in my life that I have ever seen that Pfeil gouge set.
The price brought tears to my eyes.

I hope the tools are not so badly rust-pitted that it has run into the bevels.
Citric acid or oxalic(?) acid baths can clean off the rust.

[Brian T]

pallin: do you remember the British carver, years ago, who carved things in pencil leads and the like?
Tiny bits of stone and ivory? Pity his images were lost.

[Brian T]

With so many knots, nobody here would call that instrument "tone wood" in the industry sense of the word. Solid electric guitar body with a clear finish, by all means yes.

Tone wood is harvested here, maybe some 2,000^3 meters per year.
Martin, National, Yamahahahaha and...

[Brian T]

What does the artist and author, Lora Irish, have to say about the ropes?

I have 4 different sizes of round bamboo satay skewers in my kitchen.
Just pick the size you need, if that works.

The flat ones cook better, the meat and veg cannot roll around.

[Brian T]

Those graceful spoon profiles are impossible to carve fast enough to be cost-effective to sell.
One of a kind, for shere elegance? Of course. Bring it on.
Mine had to be straight. In batches of a dozen, each one still took about 90 minutes of solid carving....

[Brian T]

Absolutely wonderful wood and design.
The very first thought that popped into my head on seeing the thumbnail pictures:
This is NEVER gong to get tipped over.
There are places for the cashews, pecans and peanuts. How civilized.

[Brian T]

Martin: can you turn and carve nut-like objects? Things like walnuts, acorns and peanuts?

I have several 48" ceiling fans. Each has 3 pull-chains: on/off, reverse and light intensity.
Of course, the manufacturers supply identical terminating knobby things so you can't easily...

[Brian T]

You're fine. Carve on!
I'm using mixes of CrOx with AlOx which work very well for
my Pacific Northwest style adzes and crooked knives.

I do have some straight AlOx spread on denim which was glued to Baltic birch plywood.
Wonderful hard strop for flat knife edges. Rick...

[Brian T]

I like those, especially the tropical sun set.
I like the added pastel color. Is that common with pyro?

[Brian T]

Look at a Stihl with a 12" bar and a dime* tip. Even maybe a quarter* tip.
The chain is about as narrow (1/4") as you will ever find on a top brand saw.
*North American coin sizes.

I have a gas Poulan with a 16" bar and a Remington electric with a 16" bar....

[Brian T]

I guess wood isn't easy to come by where you live. Must be the cost of transportation.
I was paying $3.00/board for birch and cutting 20 blanks from that, about 5 years ago.
5" x 5"x 64" is $5.00 each and you get to pick and chose.

Go to estate sales if you have...

[Brian T]

Plus they are an absolute rip off for price. $4+ for a spoon blank? Dreamer!

Back in the day when I was carving spoons and forks, good quality 14" birch blanks
cost me exactly $0.15 each. That's right, 15 cents apiece.

[Brian T]

How satisfying. The design looks really good.

[Brian T]

Good for you, Squid. Joint the edge and remake the entire bevel.
It might not have been fun but you certainly learned a lot to do it more easily next time.

[Brian T]

Dileon: Thank you for the picture in #9. It reminds me of my kitchen but in color.