1. MonikaDesign
5. kissadesign
7. civilized
8. romyandclare
10. SuiteOneStudio
We are so excited to invite these new shops to the Artisans Gallery Team, please help us welcome them to our artisan handcrafted community team.
Showing posts with label wood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wood. Show all posts
11/02/2010
Tuesday tools of trade
This tuesday we are headed to St Louis, Missouri to meet Mark from Holzfurhaus . Holzfurhaus was created as a creative outlet, a means to learn, nurture, generate and share a vision from within. Mark specializes in unique, one of a kind, artistic turned items and he's giving us an indepth overview of the tools he uses to create these wooden works of art.
The most important tool is sketching. I do tons of sketching. Then I completely leave the sketch behind and go to the freedom of the shop. The above sketch is one of the rare sketches I tape up on the shop wall. This one is here because I have started doing Christmas ornaments. I have done six ornaments and I only see two of them on this piece of paper. So it is really just a loose guide or a subliminal suggestion.
Chainsaw is used to get the wood from the log to the lathe. I have two. I discovered it was much easier to use an electric chainsaw for one cut rather than spending a day's worth of energy pull starting the gas powered one. With a natural edge bowl, the chainsaw can become the most creative tool I use. My patio is now one big pile of wood.
Band saw is vital in trimming the chunk of wood down to get it balanced for turning. If the piece of wood is not balanced when it is attached to the lathe, the lathe will vibrate, walk across the shop floor then throw the chunk of wood at you. I laughed when I read that somewhere. Then as I progressed into larger more experimental pieces it all came true.
Lathe is where all the time is spent and all the creativity comes to fruition. The lathe turns the wood. I cut away leaving the final product. The piece is shaped, sanded and finished right on the lathe. The lathe tools become the artist brushes. In the background you can see my high tech ventilation system. Just blow the dust away from me.
Grinder is vital because the tools have to be sharp and it is an ongoing, continuous process.
Lathe tools are really just a variety of sharp edges to put against the turning wood. Did I say sharp? I bought 3 sets and modify them to my liking.
What special care and/or cleaning is required to keep your tools in optimal working order?
Mark, can you please take us through the tools that you use in your creative process?
The most important tool is sketching. I do tons of sketching. Then I completely leave the sketch behind and go to the freedom of the shop. The above sketch is one of the rare sketches I tape up on the shop wall. This one is here because I have started doing Christmas ornaments. I have done six ornaments and I only see two of them on this piece of paper. So it is really just a loose guide or a subliminal suggestion.
Chainsaw is used to get the wood from the log to the lathe. I have two. I discovered it was much easier to use an electric chainsaw for one cut rather than spending a day's worth of energy pull starting the gas powered one. With a natural edge bowl, the chainsaw can become the most creative tool I use. My patio is now one big pile of wood.
Band saw is vital in trimming the chunk of wood down to get it balanced for turning. If the piece of wood is not balanced when it is attached to the lathe, the lathe will vibrate, walk across the shop floor then throw the chunk of wood at you. I laughed when I read that somewhere. Then as I progressed into larger more experimental pieces it all came true.
Lathe is where all the time is spent and all the creativity comes to fruition. The lathe turns the wood. I cut away leaving the final product. The piece is shaped, sanded and finished right on the lathe. The lathe tools become the artist brushes. In the background you can see my high tech ventilation system. Just blow the dust away from me.
Grinder is vital because the tools have to be sharp and it is an ongoing, continuous process.
Lathe tools are really just a variety of sharp edges to put against the turning wood. Did I say sharp? I bought 3 sets and modify them to my liking.
What sort of monetary outlay have you had in setting yourself up with the equipment that you have?
My shop was set up for the occasional saturday woodworking project. The tools were accumulated over years of birthdays, Christmases and tax returns. So basically everything I start out to do immediately exceeds the limits of my equipment. I would like to thank my equipment at this point for putting up with me and the abuse I put you through. Total expenditure would be under $2000. I recommend not eating for 4 years or selling your first born and spending about 4 times that amount. That way all the equipment can be the all important, same color.
What special care and/or cleaning is required to keep your tools in optimal working order?
Other than the occasional cleaning from all the dust, most of the equipment requires little maintenance. Special care has to be taken in keeping the lathe tool cutting blades sharp. In the beginning I developed what I call "Turner's Elbow". This is agonizing, continuous pain, caused by bizarre angles with the arm, undue pressure and unnatural vibration. Then I did a little research and found this elbow ailment was common among wood turners. What do you do to fix it? Sharpen your tools. I do that. No, sharpen them all the time. I do that. No, I mean all the time. So I moved the grinder (sharpener) even closer and started doing it subconsciously, almost constantly and the elbow pain, eventually, miraculously went away.
What sort of safety equipment do you need to wear when you are creating your items?
With all the shop equipment, eye protection is very important. Here is where I am lucky. I got glasses when I was in the 5th grade. All that ridicule at an early age has finally paid off. My eye protection is always on. The helmet and full body armor is no longer needed. It has been replaced by experience, common sense and a stand to one side approach. I just told someone recently that I can actually hear bad things approaching. When hollowing out the inside of a bowl it will sometimes crack or I will be carving too deep, there will actually be a different sound in the cutting.
If you could own any kind of tools that aren't related to your own craft what would they be?
There are times when I wish I was a potter, with a wheel and a kiln. Like when a large bowl cracks or loses a side and the bowl immediately becomes a very small plate. I would love to be able to just add more material back on and continue working. Then of course I realize most of the beauty in my work comes from the wood telling me what to do. I don't have this kind of relationship with clay.
Exhaulted Spalted II Decorative Vessel
Exhaulted Spalted II Decorative Vessel8/27/2010
Friday: What are you working on now?
This week we have variety as well as a twist on 'What are you working on now?' First lets start with a block of color and texture from Ingermaaike. She posted this grouping and has this to say about it:
"It starts out as fluffy white tops, as it is called. To dye it you need to get it wet, a good soak will do. Then I blend my colors in a ziploc bag, I use red,yellow,blue and black. These form all the colors I need. Once blended to the color I want I drop in my pre-soaked wool and close up the bag. This I then place in a pot with simmering water and leave till all the colorant has been absorbed. Once fully dyed it is time to rinse and hang to dry. My house is full of colorful wool at the moment."
Above is a headband I picked from her shop to show off her skill in getting the wool to look natural and earthy and still have zest to it!
Next we have a collaboration involving Sewnnatural (Jen) and Imaginationkids (Erin). These artists are pairing woodworking with doll making. Jen is working on an organic baby cuddle and teether dolls. Inspired by Waldorf doll making and geared for parents who choose all-natural organic toys for their children, these dolls are also a teething toy.
"The wooden teethers are all natural and have just two ingredients: red oak + local beeswax. Each teether is traced onto wood and then hand cut and sanded until silky smooth. Then we added a bit of local beeswax to bring out the natural beauty of the wood."
2) Working on the intricate heads by needle felting Canadian wool into tight round balls, then molding the heads inside gauze and then various organic cotton knit head skins, then embroidering the features and adding carefully braided wool hair, and sewing on organic bamboo velours caps.
3) As a full time mom, my studio is often wherever i happen to be - in this case, our vintage 1960s Danish teak dining room table, my tiny oak square table bought at a yard sale from a priest's home around 100 years ago, or my little sewing machine table corner upstairs.
Kathi Roussel shares a twist with us on what she is working on in her studio. Literally, her studio!
Above: before, cleared out tons of junk that was stored up in the front of our place, then patched and painted--now time to haul.
Left: my sturdy rolling mill and hydraulic press-- no girl should be without heavy equipment... a bitch to get up to the second story!
Center: work tables and shelving--everything just fit -- a small but efficient space.
Right: a view of tools-- hammers and pliers--trusty and well loved friends.
And finally, we have Jean of 3Squares showing us a detailed look at the putting together of one of her metal/fabric necklaces:
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organic waldorf teether tolls in process:
1) They will hug a handmade natural wooden triangle teether made by Imaginationkids. The triangle teether is quite original, we think - and the hugging arms will make it very secure
2) Working on the intricate heads by needle felting Canadian wool into tight round balls, then molding the heads inside gauze and then various organic cotton knit head skins, then embroidering the features and adding carefully braided wool hair, and sewing on organic bamboo velours caps.
3) As a full time mom, my studio is often wherever i happen to be - in this case, our vintage 1960s Danish teak dining room table, my tiny oak square table bought at a yard sale from a priest's home around 100 years ago, or my little sewing machine table corner upstairs.
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Kathi Roussel shares a twist with us on what she is working on in her studio. Literally, her studio!
new studio
Left: my sturdy rolling mill and hydraulic press-- no girl should be without heavy equipment... a bitch to get up to the second story!
Center: work tables and shelving--everything just fit -- a small but efficient space.
Right: a view of tools-- hammers and pliers--trusty and well loved friends.
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And finally, we have Jean of 3Squares showing us a detailed look at the putting together of one of her metal/fabric necklaces:
1) Saw: Cutting out the squares (rectangles really) and peek-a-boo holes.2) Drill: The holes need to be exact, so I match up a specific front to a specific back and number them. Holes have been cut in the fronts, but still need to be cut in the backs.
3) Oxidize: Smelly process, but I like the aging effect.
4) Fabrics: Love these brightly colored burlaps.
5) Trim: I can't decide, so I cut a square from each piece of burlap.
6) Assemble: Rivets, bolts, and chain.
4) Fabrics: Love these brightly colored burlaps.
6) Assemble: Rivets, bolts, and chain.
Tada! the finished product
You can see her other metal/fabric necklaces here.
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Thank you ladies for sharing your work, your studio and your process with us! What are YOU working on? Team members please share detailed photos and descriptions on our flickr forum to be included in the coming Friday posts!
7/10/2010
wood toys for wee ones (and a giveaway)
Imaginationkids, an Artisans Gallery team member, is one of those shops that catches your eye and never gives it back. A year and a half ago, a little girl sitting on my knee spotted Erin's rainbow stacker toy online, and we had our own version a few weeks later. It's still a very important part of creative play at our house.
It is used as a rainbow, tunnel, set of building blocks, doll hats, pieces for color matching games, gnome homes, playground equipment for toy babies, and much more.
Along with the rainbow stacker, Erin creates modern, colorful wooden toys that are wonderful learning tools for imaginative, open-ended play. Mister Rogers once said that the most important work of childhood is play, and I think he's absolutely right (clearly, so does Imaginationkids!).
We have recently embarked upon a series of collaborations together, pairing our SewnNatural work with her wooden pieces to create textured, multi-sensory sets. Our matryoshka nesting dolls quilt is paired with a handcrafted wooden dolls teether. A wood swan teether travels to families along with our organic bamboo swan appliqued blanket. Our newest collaboration is our version of a modern woodland fairy: a gingham dress paired with a toadstool magic wand.
Working together on these projects has been a joy and we look forward to many more projects before the holidays arrive.
Oh, and Imaginationkids is giving away a double set of beautiful wooden toys on our blog here - come visit for your chance to win a large sun stacker (pictured above) and a large rolling hedgehog toy!
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