Shadrach's Lamps

[Shadrach]

It's taken a while to work out exactly what I'm doing with this. It's very easy to slip into 'I'm making a Mandolin', but I'm not. I'm trying to make something that might be seen to be a Mandolin and that makes an enormous difference to what one does. What will kill the sculpture dead is to get what one is making confused half way through. I almost did that.
Having to split the piece made things far more complicated. When working on one half one has to bear in mind that it has to fit to the other half. This sounds simple and for a while as the piece progresses the occasional error can be blended in. There does come a point when quite a small error means majotr reshaping and if one half is nearly there it can be a problem.

 

[bruceha2000]

When working on one half one has to bear in mind that it has to fit to the other half. This sounds simple and for a while as the piece progresses the occasional error can be blended in.

Not simple at all!!! Unless the 2 pieces are connected and being shaped as a unit, small amount of extra shaping on one could have a big impact on how it fits with the other.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

I started making lamps three years ago.
In the National Park where I live and the surrounding area hundreds of hardwood trees are cut for firewood every year. All the lamps and other wooden items are made from pieces of firewood that would otherwise have got burned.
Most of these items are made from various types of hardwood that grow locally; Alzina (Holm Oak) Alzina Surera (Cork Oak) and a fruit bearing tree called Arboc, Boix (Box) and Pollancre The Beech used comes from another area.

All these items are hand made using traditional woodworking hand tools. The only machine used is an electric drill for the cable and lamp stem holes.
I do the rough work outside and the engraving and fine work on my kitchen table.
The designs in black are carved into the wood and the voids are then filled with a paste made from slate dust and adhesive; these are sanded and refilled until flush with the wood.
No paints or varnishes or wood dyes are used. The finish is achieved with various mineral and wood based oils and beeswax.
They really are hand made.

I have a product name which is Llenya Art (Llenya, means firewood in Catalan) and I sell a few each year from commissions, or through the local arts and crafts fair. I seem to give quite a few away.

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The pictures below are from an arts and crafts fair last year.
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Wow. Those are gorgeous!

 

[Shadrach]

Wow. Those are gorgeous!

Thank you.

 

[Shadrach]

Getting there at last. Most of the slate paste filling is done. Finished the rough sanding.
Need to get the base done next. Tired of propping the thing up with pieces of wood.
I'm going to use a bit of that cherry for the base.
Once the base is roughed out I can permanently join the two halves together.
Then there are dowels for the screw holes and the sound box cutout to do.
Then I'll be able to work on the finish.

 

[Ribh]

I like it.

Me too.

 

[bruceha2000]

Are you going to add strings so it can be played?

Tired of propping the thing up with pieces of wood.

Isn't the base a piece of wood that will also prop it up?

Another well crafted piece Shad, can't wait to see it finished.

 

[Shadrach]

Are you going to add strings so it can be played?

I did think about it momentarily. I got so carried away I was thinking of making machine heads as well.

 

[RoyalChick]

Me too.

Me three

 

[Shadrach]

Base made. Scrapped the first one. Made it too small.
Body medium sanded and oiled.
There are still a few cracks to fill. Going to soften the edges in the mandolin neck a bit I think.
Made plugs for the fixing holes; the cut out will be filled with slate paste when the two halves are permanently joined.