I must start by apologizing for the poor quality pictures. My lathe sits in a darker spot, which causes problems, but my camera seems to be malfunctioning as well. However the pictures get the point across, and I’ll make sure the camera is healthy for the final photos. All that is left to do is to apply a finish. I am researching what would be best for the rusted steel and would love any advice, if any is to be had.
I chose spalted maple for the base. I liked the idea of imperfect with imperfect to become perfect. The piece is a good size and fortunately the spalting ran through the entire piece. I felt a little wasteful using the spalted maple for this as so much of it will be unseen, but think that it will make the piece.
The piece of wood that is to be turned is piloted with a 3/8 drill bit and then screwed on to the chuck. The chuck here is already screwed onto the lathe.
Once the chuck it secure and the piece on the chuck, the shaping process begins. Not wanting to have the wood warp, I used a dry blank as you can tell from this photo.
Not wanting to waste any of this beautiful chunk of wood (I’ve got something planned for the rest of it) I used a skew and parted the now shaped and sanded base piece. Once the connecting piece got fairly small, I used a saw to cut the pieces apart.
Without the disc on it you can see that it looks very much like a UFO. The disc will be permanently attached to the base via liquid nails to keep it stable and together. This project feels like it has been sitting in my shop for way to long . . . oh wait, that’s because it has. It is now coming to an end though, and I have another great piece already picked out.
Again if there are anything thoughts on what finish would be the best, let me know, and be sure to check out Darrin’s shirt and get your own.
These are some words that I thought worth sharing that a designer friend, James Kearl, who sent them to me in regards to my Rapid Visualization post. This will interest perhaps more of you in the industry than not, but don’t fret, I’ve got some more good stuff coming for those of you who aren’t. This is what Jimmy James had to say,
“-that’s actually a very astute point- I mean, we all know about design professors… but the idea that training all minions to use the exact same style is diluting the design world is an interesting theory.
In fact what probably made design so eye-opening, world changing, (or whatever you want to call it) in its heyday is that everyone came from different backgrounds, and used that experience to create fantastic designs; beautiful expressions of their various histories. Some were artists, some were engineers, but all had to struggle, had to learn and endure, before they could create something lasting. When we all just sit at the same desk and learn how to make the same perspective cubes, we all come up with the same mp3 players.
Personally I believe that struggle to create is the most crucial component of anything we do. When things get streamlined and synergized, designers become no better than the engineers we mock.
The same thing happens in all forms of art- that’s why rock and roll has sucked since Led Zeppelin, and Law and Order is on every television network.”
After much delay, here is Darrin’s “Pirate Abe” that is available in the store. You can place an order from now until March 14, 2010. From the 14th if you order a shirt it will be shipped to you within two weeks. Sorry no instant gratification, dealing with inventory took up too much time and wasn’t something that I particularly enjoyed. Also for any ladies that want one but don’t want to deal with a small mens size, shoot me an email and we’ll work something out and let you know how much it will run. To recap, go to the store, place an order by buying a shirt, come the 15th your shirt will be printed and then shipped to you. Clear?
Buy yours now and please show your friends and spread the word if you like Darrin’s work. Remember you need to order by the 14th, and for anything special shoot me an email. Also note that Pirate Abe the Bishop Tiger are set images and will not scale with the size of the shirt. Abe is 15″ tall to give you an idea. Thanks Darrin for an awesome design.
Darrin is our next guest designer and has created quite the treat for all of us. Tomorrow the 28th of February I will be posting the shirt and it will be for sale in the store and Spencer’s shirts will be coming down at that time. I hope you’re all really excited because I am and have of course already added my order for one. Perks of running things I guess. Until then here is a little more about Darrin and his Pirate Abe that you will all see tomorrow.
Darrin Martin was born in the outskirts of the Washington D.C. area in 1982. He lived a full childhood. He was a daydreamer; he lived to create. Sure he enjoyed to play video games and wrestle, but he knew when it was time to get down to business. Darrin was no stranger to his imagination, however; he loved to read, play music, and had a passion for illustration. As his years took him to new places and presented him new opportunities, he seized them all. After high school in Langley, VA, he went on to a University where he continued to pursue his passions. He discovered he could put his creative juices to work and entered the field of design. After two long, ambiguously productive years and a “bureaucratic anomaly” of sorts, he was forced to an early retirement from continuing with his education in the field of design. After another few years and several other bureaucratic pitfalls Darrin squeezed through the cracks and graduated with a degree in English. Don’t worry, though, because only weeks after graduation Darrin received a job offer from a company with which he had previously interned. Darrin currently resides in Spokane, WA, where he creates performance automotive parts for Eurojet Development. There he designs, prototypes, and models aftermarket parts for Volkswagens and Audis. For many years he has also been part of several other companies and has had a hand in designing clothing as well. “Pirate Abe” is a reflection of Darrin’s inner self; it also represents the universal battle against the establishment and, of course, convention…
This is a little piece done by Kristofer Strom. Some of you may have seen work of his or possibly even a commercial. Whenever I see these types if videos they get my mind rolling. Lately I have been sketching on a large white board. Easy to change, manipulate, fast, no attachment to the sketch, all in all a great way for exploration. I fancy much of Stroms work and will have to share some more in the future when a little break from reality is needed. Enjoy.
