Woodshop

final construction - in miniature Post and beam construction assembled... even at this scaled down version it's a massive, heavy item.

somethimes it's fun to go up-scale... a fancy mechanical kit, a bit of gold and sterling silver bling, some "different" body materials to turn... Yes, that 2nd one is really turned from a compressed resin block filled with shredded currency ;-)

Spalted woods are a wood workers' bonus surprise... you never know when you will encounter those fine black veins. ...spalting is when wood has fallen to the ground… and opposing clans of mushroom families try to claim the wood as their food source… they set up war zones… depositing these fine black lines of spores that stop the opposing gang from claiming any turf. You get these wonderful patterns formed in among the grain of the wood… if you can find and harvest the wood before the mushrooms turn it to soft punk pulp. These are completely inert and sealed at this point… no allergy issues.

top to bottom: elm burl juniper curly maple osage orage All native woods for Ontario

White oak... straight cut, quarter-sawn, and some from old whiskey barrel staves...

I use smaller, gnarly knots and burls to turn as toppers for bottle stoppers. These stoppers are solid stainless steel - so fine with highly acidic things… wine, vinegars, oils, salts… osage orange, rosewood, espalier pear, espalier pear, juniper, apple, espalier pear