Gandalf's Dog Beater

Well good people, it’s almost finished. It’s one of those projects that I’ve just been chipping away at – excuse the pun. I’ve never made anything like this before and it’s been a purely spontaneous exercise. If you read my previous post, you’ll know that I’m still looking for a chunky crystal to fix into the top of the handle, to give it that extra bit of ‘zap’ when beating off the stray neighbourhood dogs. Shall I talk a bit about how I made it? OK. Story goes like this:

I’m pruning some Pittosporum trees a few months back and decide that it would be a shame to dump them. No, I’m not a hoarder! I just somehow felt that perhaps in some meagre way I could acknowledge the work that nature had put in. I had about a half dozen branches about 1.5m long and an inch diameter. I made a wigwam garden feature with some of them. They look kinda nice. Anywaaaay...the staff. I had an idea in my head about how a staff might look and after several weeks of drying out the stick, I massaged it with my angle grinder. Most of the basic shape was created with an angle grinder, using a special sanding disc. These discs are awesome as they cut through timber like a knife through butter. I’ve also got this Dremel power tool. It’s a bit like what the dentist uses in as far as you can hold it in one hand and it’s got all these different bits, drills, cutting wheels that you can attach. So I use this thing to cut the detail. Then I sanded it back by hand. It’s got a couple of different colours of stain and a few coats of polyurethane. Here are the pics:

KEY IMAGE

If I made another of these, I’d do it differently: I’d sketch out the detail and plan the design rather than the impulsive approach I took. But hey, after a particularly challenging [shite] day at ‘that happy place’ [my job] it’s a great way to unwind. Yep, who would have known the relaxing power of an power tools.

Well, thanks for stopping buy. My next post will be about progress with the ‘Koru Quaver’, which, if you read my previous post, you’d know it’s actually a semi-quaver. 

The Koru Quaver

I like to think of myself as one of those guys that can see a project through till the end. Some of them take a while and occasionally I’ll have to abandon something due to bad timing, bad weather or simply because it was a rather un-choice idea from the start. One way to get a little success in ‘seeing projects through’ is not to start a new project because I happen to be getting bored with the current one. In saying that, sometimes I feel inspired to just do something new because it’s an idea that’s been kicking around the back allies of my brain and I’ll go a little crazy if I don’t get it out. This is how the ‘Koru Quaver’ happened. Technically, the design is a ‘semi-quaver’ but that didn’t sound as good. Ok, stop the bus. I know what you’re thinking. “Why do all his designs have curly bits”? I’m not feeling particularly Tangata Whenua or anything like that. It’s just that every time I do a sketch the curly ‘Koru’s’ end up in the mix. Huh? Koru? Tangata Whenua?

Tangata Whenua = People of the land or Maori (New Zealand)

Koru = Spiral shape based on the uncurling of a fern frond. Among other things, it symbolises growth, peace and new life.

So yesterday it was a rainy Saturday and there’s only so many things one can do on a rainy Saturday. And since I had an unused piece of mdf and a few power tools nearby, I thought I’d have a crack at an idea I’d been thinking about for a while.

 I mentioned in my profile that I have a recording project studio. I have a steady stream of work involving things such as writing quirky tunes for European fashion companies, through to recording school bands, pop/rock bands and solo artists, and more. My studio is called sHOWpONY and it’s a generously sized, acoustically treated space above our garage. I wanted to make a sign or a symbol for the entry into the studio. So on a rainy Saturday in early spring (umm...yesterday) I did this:

1.     Sketched an idea onto a sheet of 12mm mdf

2.     Cut it out with a powered jig saw

3.     Ground it into shape with an angle grinder

4.     Sanded it down

5.     Finished it with a mix of polyurethane and stain

I suppose I could note that what you see here didn't take all that long to produce. Let's say it was 5 minutes to sketch the design directly on to the board, 15 min's to cut it out, 1 hour with the angle grinder and 'dremel' tool thing to work up the detail, and 1 hour sanding. Add 10 minutes to slap on a clear finish. 2.5 hours all up. Errr, so why am I telling you this? Because these things don't have to take forever to make. I'll probably spend another hour, tops, with the successive stains and clear finishes. Thing is, I'd had this idea in my head for a while and I'd already been thinking about the design and how I'd make it. I do this a lot. It's like I've already made it in my head, and sussed out the steps, so the next thing is to get into action and make it.

Heres’s the Koru Quaver at step 4.

The Koru Quaver

I’m going to finish this so it looks like a piece of carved timber. Right now it’s hanging in the garage, drying out from step 5.

Here’s a detail close-up:

Close Up 1

Close Up 2

            Anywaaaay....my actual current project is Gandalf's cousin's staff (see my earlier post). It’s almost done and I’ll post some pic’s real soon. I had a dream about it the other night. Gandalf’s cousin appeared and told me a wizard’s staff is not a wizard’s staff without a crystal or a gem in it. So I’m looking online for an amethyst or similar to put on the top. I’m thinking of insetting some rubies or other cut gems as I have to ensure I have maximum power when fighting dragons, orcs and other creatures from the underworld :-/

Amethyst

Citrine

Here’s a 19 carat cut amethyst (left) and a 35 carat cut citrine (right).  I’m thinking that an uncut stone might be better – something jaggedy – to suit the organic earthiness of the staff. Anyway, I should stop confusing you because these gems have nothing whatsoever to do with the Koru Quaver. I’ll post again soon with some pics of the completed Koru Quaver and an update on the staff.

Thanks for stopping by.

Amos