I've Finished the Koru Quaver

Well, I finally did it. Actually, it wasn't a big ask really. I get most of my carving done by 'chipping away' at it. Or rather, if I have a spare hour I do a bit of work on it. Anyway, I'm happy with it. There are a few little things I'd improve for next time, like getting the Koru curves smoother. It's now on the wall just before you enter my project recording studio and well, I guess it looks pretty good. Here are some pics from different angles.

I've been working on a few other projects lately. Once again, I usually find a spare hour here and there and dive down into 'the cave' (the garage) and work on stuff. It's a great distraction. I listen to cheesey music and drink cups of tea and simply immerse myself in it all. Other things I've been working on are a 'stage' for the recording studio and a design for a guitar amp enclosure. Here's a bit of background:

The Stage
My studio recording area is carpeted and carpet deadens the sound of recorded instruments in the high frequency region. Constructing a stage creates a hard surface on the floor that reflects the high frequencies and give what's called a 'live' sound character. Is it worth the hassle? Well, hell yes! Recently I recorded drums for a single I'm working on and I slotted sheets of particle board under the drummer's snare and tom and it was by far the best drum recording I've ever done. It created a nice solid, crisp snap to the snare and tom and brightened the cymbals. So, the stage is simply a hard surface that a recording artist plays their instrument on. I've made my stage using 18mm thick particle board. I've used 3 sheets that make up an overall finished size of 1.8m x 1.2m. It also massively improves the tone of acoustic guitars, bongos etc. I went the extra mile and routered the edges of the sheets and stained them into a checker-board pattern. There was a particular process I used to get the best results but I won't bore anyone with this unless they want to know the detail. Here is a pic of these during construction. There are 3 of these each measuring 1200mm x 600mm. I'll be adding a lighter shade stain to the 'light' squares, then a couple more coats of semi-gloss polyurethane and then they'll live on the floor in the studio. The holes are to stop them sliding on the carpet and to make them easier to pick up and move around.

Oh well, that's all for now. Thanks for stopping by. And as usual, I'm happy for any requests for more info on how I do things.

Cheerio
Amos

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I'm Busy, Honest!

Hi again
Well, things have been quiet on the blog front. It'd be a reasonable assumption that I've been doing pretty much ZERO since my last blog, but not so! I've finished the Koru Quaver and that's looking rather salubrious. But lately, my time's been eaten up by the hungry animal that happens to be my recording studio. I've been panelling the walls and making acoustic panels to improve the acoustics. I spent the weekend on this wee project and am 90% done. So next post will have pics of the studio and the KQ.

That's about it for now. I've got another really exciting project coming up when I've finished these.

Adios and take care.

Amos

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

The Dream

Hi, well, I’m making progress! Work is still crazy but I’ve reached the point where I’ve almost finished THE MIRROR for her loveliness, The Queen. I have to admit that I got a wee tinsy bit lazy and when it came to doing the cross-bar: I used the flowery ornate one instead of coming up with a more appropriate design. But the very nice thing, Ladies and Gentleman, is that I’m almost at the point of assembly! I know, please, stop the applause. Here is the almost completed mirror ready for assembly:

Almost Ready for Assembly

You know, I forgot to show you guys the vertical leg. After much consternation and navel gazing, I decided to use a banister and carve the top. Since I’ve absolutely committed to the flower design concept for Her Highness, it was an easy decision to come up with the grand idea to carve a, ummm...flower on the top. The banisters are made from pine and being a soft wood, was a little more difficult to carve but here it is:

Flower Leg

As of this very moment, the cross-bar has had several coats of stain and has been ‘antiqued’. Once that’s dry, it’ll get a couple of coats of clear polyurethane and then it’s time for assembly and getting measured for a mirror.

But, here’s my next project: Gandalf’s staff! Or at least, Gandalf’s distant cousin’s staff who perhaps has little or no magical wizardry powers whatsoever.

The Staff

Sorry this pic is not that clear. So here’s the scoop. I was trimming some Pittosporum trees on my property a while back and ended up with a number of branches that I couldn’t throw away. I figured they’d be useful for something...like a wigwam or for beating off stray dogs in the neighbourhood. Anywaaay, I started carving one. Once again, I used ye ol’ angle grinder with a sanding wheel and cut out the rough design you see right here. I spent more time carving the handle and other bits. As of right now, it’s sitting in my garage collecting stray spells and drying from the coat of stain I put on it yesterday. I know you’re all angsting to see the details, as am I. So, in a couple of days, I’ll post some more detailed images of the carving work and I’ll explain what I did and how I did it. As it happens, a mischiefous elf appeared in a dream last night and strongly urged me to pull a sicky at work and finish the staff so that its full power could be released. But since there are no kingdoms to banish anyone to, I figured I’d just savour the experience of slowly and patiently finishing this thing of power.

I think my coffee is too strong. I’ll see you in a couple of days with an update.

Thanks for stopping by.

Amos

Cave Time

Well, work is crazy 
and I don't seem able to do my usual thing after a day at work, which is walking in the front door, making coffee and then hacking away at particle board with my angle grinder, but I've got ideas. In fact, I've got a whole lot of exciting projects up my sleeve and I'm happy to share the love good people. To be honest, I've done bugger all on the mirror since my last post, however, I thought I'd put a few more pics up for you to look at.

Top Of Mirror Frame

I didn't give much of an explanation of this in the last post so here goes.
So we've got this Hibiscus tree outside our bedroom window and I used this as the central theme for the mirror. The big flower in the middle is my rendition of the very lovely, the very beautiful Hibiscus. "So what about the curly corners?" I hear you asking. Well, when you live in New Zealand it's difficult NOT putting some sort of curly Koru design on something when you're trying to be arty-farty. The Koru represents the New Zealand fern, which is a bit curly when it's young and tender and you see versions of it on almost everything piece of NZ marketing. Yes! We're proud of our curly wee fern. Anyway....back to the mirror. I decided to draw a flower and curly green tendrils to add a bit more interest. I sketched these with a pencil first, then drew the outline with a marker pen. Then I coloured them with food dye! Food dye is amazing - really strong colours and doesn't come off - wear old clothes because it's very splashy and seems to get on everything. The little carved flower in the corner of the frame is part of the frame. I used a plunge router to rebate the face of it so it's lower than the frame itself.

I carved these little round flowers

Carved Flower

These flowers are about 40mm diameter and I made 2 of them. They were a bit fiddly to carve, but once I got the hang of it, it was fairly easy. Made from 9mm mdf and with an antique finish as described in my previous post. The design on the frame is hand-drawn using permanent markers.

Well, my coffee is finished so I think that's a heavenly sign for me to finish.
The next post will probably be about the cross bar, which is the final piece to finish before I assemble the whole thing. And lastly, I had a dream about Gandalf the other night and the Pittosporum (native NZ tree) branches drying in my garage. My next post might be about that...yes, I know...cryptic. So come back and see what I'm up to.

Adios good people

The Mirror

Nikki had wanted a full length mirror for a long time, but it was one of those things that you think of when you’re nowhere near one, and then when you see one you want, they want silly money for it. Anyway good people, this is where my relationship with carving began. One afternoon I was sitting around daydreaming about things I wanted to do but never seemed to have time for. I found myself sketching ideas for a full length dressing mirror for Nikki. Here are the sketches I did. 

[Concept sketches for the mirror]

There came a point where I decided I’d have a crack at making it and I was fascinated, once again, with some of the beautiful mdf carvings I’d seen recently (Unitec Marae). The day I started using powertools to carve was the day I started carving. Ha! I can guess what some of you might be thinking. And yes, I had originally thought of keeping it real, doing it the old fashioned way etc. But inversely, I decided, rightly or wrongly, that had the artisans had access to power tools back in the dark ages, they would have been firing up their jigsaws and angle grinders before you could say ‘architrave’. I also have so many ideas that impatience got the better of me, and I found that speeding up the process meant I could manifest more ideas more quickly.

All pieces are made mostly from mdf (medium density fibreboard). Other parts are made from pine.  I’m predominantly using a handheld jig-saw and angle grinder to create and carve the initial shapes ( I don’t have any specialist or large format pro tools). Anyway, they’re then sanded, stained and polyurethaned. I always sketch the design first, usually directly onto the raw board before cutting. I’ve made a couple of pieces that weren’t right, which I’ve shelved. Here's a photo of the feet.

[Mirror foot]

Both feet were carved from mdf sheet. The top one is ready for staining. The bottom foot is shown in the state before sanding.

Here is the frame itself. This was constructed from one complete piece of mdf sheet. The 1200mm x 600mm sheet cost about $11(NZD) at the local hardware store. This was the first part of the mirror that I made.  Congratulations, you guessed it, a flower theme! We have a Hibiscus tree outside our bedroom window, hence the central flower at the top. I quickly discovered that before you start hacking away at your first carving, you need a design theme. That design theme needs to flow through the entire project. I decided that sketching the entire project was the best thing to do. BUT, I also discovered that as I got further into it, I had new ideas to try that I hadn’t considered at the outset. I decided early on, to allow myself to deviate from the initial design, so that it gave me the freedom to develop new ideas and techniques.

So this is the finished frame. Obviously, it needs a sheet of mirror glass which I’ll add as the last thing. Note the profiled vertical sides done with a handheld plunge router. The drawn flowers didn’t turn out the way I wanted - a bit of a bummer! However, as a first carving project, I’m actually really pretty stoked with how it’s turning out.

Below is an image of the finished foot. The design is my own. It’s no claim to fame, but as it’s the first heavily carved thing I’ve made in my life, I’m generally pleased with it. It has 2 different coloured stains to achieve the ‘antique’ look, and a couple of brushed coats of semi-gloss clear polyurethane.

[Finished mirror foot]

A Tip to improve your relationship and general well-being

For those guys who struggle to get enough cave time to satisfy those primal carving urges:  

Make something nice for your wife/girlfriend/partner.

It’s a bit sneaky, I know, and my project didn’t start out like that. I quickly realised that the times when Nikki poked her nose into the garage to see what I was doing, she’d become quite excited. “Look what I made you”, I’d say, waving around a finished mirror foot. “It’s got a flower theme, what do you think”? I always get a fairly generous helping of “ooohs” and “aaahs” and general ‘A level’ compliments. There you are you see, everyone’s happy!

So, you’re still with me? Great! If you haven’t guessed already, this is a work in progress. I’m pondering the cross-bar. The cross-bar joins to the verticals at the bass. The first one I made (shown below) was too elaborate, but it is evident that I’m now able to carve more interestingly than I could 6 weeks ago when I started this. This is the last piece to make before I put it all together. I’ll have to update this on the next blog. I’m going to make something less elaborate but not sure what yet.

Thanks for hanging in there with me on this fairly long blog. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve got a lot of other project ideas in the wings and these will be the focus of following blogs. I wanted to add one final thing. Dreaming and creating in this manner is an extremely satisfying pastime. Why? Because I work at my own pace and it’s a fantastic stress release after a shitty day at work. It also requires patience, and patience is something I need more practise on J. But there’s more than that. You can create something beautiful, which you can then pass on to someone else if you want. Finally, I’m doing this blog because I’ve never kept a diary on anything in my life! When I first got interested in this several months ago, I struggled to find helpful information on the web. So, if you’re digging this, then I hope this is helpful information. Feel free to post questions and I’ll reply in my subsequent posts.

Amos