Friday, May 6, 2016

From the paddock - timber that is

This week I have been working on a couple of commissions: one to make cheese boards for official gifts; and the second to make a couple of post sculptural pieces.

As you might know I don't usually make cheese boards but sometimes they come about as byproducts of working with timber for lamps or sculptures. Anyway an artist friend was impressed with my hairy oak cheese boards and asked if I could do a job lot as gifts for a group of folk holding a national meeting on the Sunshine Coast. I still had some timber so I could too this job and make a couple more lamp bases. The boards are complete - ready for tagging.

©2016 Barry Smith - 8 cheese boards - about 180mm square
©2016 Barry Smith - 8 cheese boards - about 180mm square
©2016 Barry Smith 
The sculptural post pieces are being made from a large 300mmX300mm piece of timber milled from a fallen tree that had been in a paddock for about 20 years - salvaged spotted gum.  As you can see from the photos below this is a big piece of timber - weighed 250-300kg. And I had to cut it with a handsaw.

©2016 Barry Smith - About a third of the way through
Making the 4 cuts took about 3-4hours - very hard and dense wood. But as you can see from the photos the pieces i  need (1.6m and .8m) are now cut and I have begun to sand the cut ends to give a good finish.

©2016 Barry Smith - A good feeling!!!!!
©2016 Barry Smith - Two solid posts
©2016 Barry Smith - Square ends
©2016 Barry Smith - End grain - oiled but needs wax
I will need to seal the ends of the timber with timber wax to stop splitting. Sometimes the first steps in creating pieces is just hard work - I think I have earn a glass or two of red.

3 comments:

  1. Hi R - stunning in the grain, colour and, in the case of the posts , size. Peace. B

    ReplyDelete
  2. That hairy oak timber is absolutely stunning!

    ReplyDelete

Comments are welcomed - it is good to connect with fellow travellers.