I describe myself as something of a Heinz 57 variety, born in Sri Lanka (Ceylon to the more mature amongst us), from German, Dutch Welsh, and Sri Lankan ancestors.
No wonder my perspective on life is different from almost everyone else.
I have always been fascinated with making things and how things are made. My love of woodworking stems from my earliest foray into making something functional.
In the days when you could, in a different world, the middle east and in a different age; my parents left me in charge of the family home for 6 months and went travelling. I was around 16 at the time and doing my O levels by correspondence, I could not join them.
I was left a budget and strict instructions. When my parents returned, needless to say the budget was gone and only some of the instructions followed.
I had managed to pay the bills, just, crashed my father's car,but to my credit built a nine-foot sailing dinghy from scratch, with a few hand tools and a borrowed jigsaw.
Unfortunately, I built it in my father's boss' parking space so lots of folks were not entirely happy with me. I was forgiven as I hadn't wasted the money but attempted to do something constructive.
I eventually passed seven O levels and spent many happy days sailing that boat with my buddies.
Since then I have enjoyed making things and now that I'm retired can indulge myself.
Wood is my preferred material for turning because one is only limited by one's imagination. Also, as a sailor I appreciate God's gifts such as nature, the wind, and tide, which is so like wood: in that one takes what one is given and makes the best one can with it.
With that in mind, I have a unusual piece of elm that is just about to go on the lathe.
It can sit there for a bit and become climatised and gradually reveal to me what it wants to become. Only then will I start to turn it.
Di.
31/10/24.
The piece of ash is still sitting waiting to be become beautiful. I know what I will do with it but have been busy with other projects.
Talking of wood I had an interesting find of three ash blanks in a antiques yard. These were really interesting pieces of wood. They very clearly directed me on what they wanted to become. I tried very hard to turn the first blank, the midium sized bowl of the three to a standard rounded bowl shape. It refused to remain on the chuck to allow me to shape it thus. Came off about five or six times giving me a good thump in the process.
I was thinking of resigining them back to the fire place, but had a go at shaping the more angular pattern they finally became. It was a transformation. That was the shape they wanted to be.
The cracks you see in the bowls are all part of its natural charm. They have been sanded and polished to a very high degree, but still seem a bit rough in places so I think they will be going back to the workshop. Wee piggys that they are.
13/11/24.
The lump of elm sitting on the late turned into a nice unusual vase.
And I was also able to make these to lovely unusual bowls.
The unusual spiky vase and the odd elm bowl are both now sold.
