This week I started a larger project for a friend but still had time to play and do a little futzin'. Not that building the upcoming kitchen bench is not playing, but there is a little more math and planning involved in that project. More on that later...
The theme for this week involved spheres. The bench is all straight lines so maybe there needs to be a yin to the yang and the spheres balance that out. Or maybe that is just where the creative muse wanted to play this week. Either way there were two projects coming out of the shop this week.
First is a baseball and accompanying stand created by Jack. I had the pleasure of spending time with this talented, spunky young man in the shop this week. I loved showing him the shop and sharing a geek out moment over all the tools. I then asked if he wanted to build anything and he asked if it was possible to build a sphere, his words. I explained that we could do that on the lathe. What went through my head right at that moment was "oh darn, please don't throw me in the briar patch" - a little reference from one of my favorite books. Translated for those of you not familiar with Uncle Remus nursery rhymes, it means "oh darn, I have to use my favorite tool in the shop". I'm so excited.
So a little back story, a sphere or ball is something that is very hard to master freehand. There are countless jigs and tools sold to make this a possibility or it takes years to master, both of which we did not have. But in talking with him, we knew the fun would come from just trying. So we chucked up a block of wood and let it spin.
I have to say that the project came out really well. I, and I hope Jack, was completely impressed. It was so much fun teaching and seeing the look on his face with the finished project. I think he might of even had as much fun as I did.
The second sphere inspired item is a juxtaposition box out of cedar. Last summer a friend noticed two blocks of wood that were off cuts from a decking project happening in his neighborhood. I have to say how touched I am that he thought of me in the first place and then went out of his way to not only stop and pick them up but also deliver them to me. After sitting in the shop for almost a year gathering dust, the time was right. I cut them roughly in half and put a bowl in the base. I decided to leave the outside square in its rough form. The lid is from the other half and turned into the shape of the corresponding dome then topped with a walnut finial. The walnut complements the color of the grain and the weathered cedar cube very well. Mixed textures and contrasting shapes make me happy.
