Would love to see some progress photos, David! I'll learn with you 
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What’s on your carving/embellishing bench?
- Thread starter Ted Pelfrey
- Start date
Loving it!
These are fantastic! Great forms!
This was the first process for me. I’ll try to post some progress pictures, if I’m happy with itWould love to see some progress photos, David! I'll learn with you
.Need to clean up the bottom carving, define the flowers more, add a couple more flowers, and figure out what I want to do with the band around the middle. Pyro will take a while to complete.
Estimated completion date summer of ‘26. Still long ways to go. Have not completely decided on the band embellishment and if I will add color to the flowers and bottom half.
. Still long ways to go. Have not completely decided on the band embellishment and if I will add color to the flowers and bottom half.
Really like your idea about “ dishing “ out the petals. Yeah stippling takes forever! Looking great ! An unfinished band is a good option also.Estimated completion date summer of ‘26
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Very nice! Love the form. I'll send you my address for shipping. I'm in no hurry...Estimated completion date summer of ‘26
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I'd think carefully about the colors and the band in the middle. To me, the conundrum would be balancing the elegance of the black stippling/natural wood against what might look a bit too busy.
JKJ
Need to go back over the dishing out a little. Still not decided on the band embellishment, if I do anything to it, it won’t be much.
I thought about dishing out around the petals but now that I’ve done the stippling there is no way I’m going to do that and have to start the stippling over
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That’s what I’m trying to avoid. If I use color it would be very light and the band would also have very little embellishment. Since this is my first attempt at this type of carving and embellishment I want to take my time and make the right decision.
A lot of first with this one and it shows, but I’m getting close to being finished. I need to crisp up a few lines and some touch up. Tried texturing the band to see how it would look, okay I guess for my first attempt. Hand is still vibrating!
After spending most of the day with this I need to release some stress, have to turn a bowl for that!
, but I’m getting close to being finished. I need to crisp up a few lines and some touch up. Tried texturing the band to see how it would look, okay I guess for my first attempt. Hand is still vibrating!After spending most of the day with this I need to release some stress, have to turn a bowl for that
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That’s fantastic! Looking toward to the finish!A lot of first with this one and it shows
After spending most of the day with this I need to release some stress, have to turn a bowl for that
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That’s looking amazing! Can’t wait to see the end.
It's been on the go for quite a while, this one is a slow process.
That's looking great! Very creative.
Do you happen to know the species name of the Japanese Maple you have? I can't find a solid reference to the wood although I found a variety of ornamental cultivars with "Japanese Maple" as part of the name. We've had some at our previous houses and one here at the farm but after 20 years the main "trunk" is still less than 2" in diameter.
The color and the lines between the rings in your photos look much like our Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), also quite soft but works well, aromatic, one of my favorites to turn. I wonder if it's related somehow. Does your wood have a pleasant aroma?
A ERC log on my sawmill and a turned piece with spray lacquer finish.
A friend gave me a piece of Japanese Cedar - apparently uncommon, came from a tree that had to be taken down at a University of Tennessee Arboretum. It looks and smells much like ERC.
Regardless, I'll be watching for updates on your "open flower" creation.
JKJ
Oops John its cedar not maple, dunno what I as thinking.
Japanese cedar is a woody, needled evergreen tree in the cypress family (Cupressaceae) that is native to central and southern Japan and China.
My apologies folks.