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Out In The Woods Wood...
Saturday, October
25th, 2009
There was a time years ago in which I wouldn't build
anything unless it was from the clearest,
straightest grained lumber available. I would
rummage through stacks of lumber to find that
elusive board; the perfect specimen of woodworker's
dreams. My...how times have changed!!
My most recent project didn't start out as
anything except a lesson in turning techniques. I
was practicing some lathe techniques on a section of
a dead Aspen log I had discovered in the forest.
After turning it round I noticed the start of what
appeared to be a large worn hole or insect burrow.
Since I had nothing to lose I laid out some lines
and resumed turning.
Figure
1
Figure 2
Figure 3
The end result is a beautiful artifact of nature
that has become the focal point of this lamp base
(Figures 1-3). The black trough created by insects
could never be duplicated in the shop and provides
a wonderful contrast to the warm colors of the
Aspen. The unpredictable grain patterns of the
Aspen and tight knots are accentuated by the
polyurethane finish.
Years ago this log would have never made it past the
wood burning stove. However, I have come to
appreciate wood for what it is; namely, a material
that comes in many sizes, shapes and forms. I
work with the wood rather than against the wood and
don't try to hide what nature spent years
developing.
If you have any
questions or comments about this blog entry please
do not hesitate to
send me an e-mail. Thanks and be
safe when working with tools!!!
Burgie
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Robert Burgoyne, also known as "Burgie",
has been doing woodworking for nearly 30
years. He started learning at an early
age in his grandfather's garage and
continued while working with his father
in construction. The hobby has now
become a business with Creative
Landscape Accents. Burgie builds
high quality woodworking projects for
the outdoors and also enjoys making
decorative accent pieces for inside the
house. While not working in his shop
doing woodworking Burgie enjoys
computers, restoring his old
1964
Chevy C60 2-ton dump truck and
riding his Harley-Davidson Road King
throughout beautiful Colorado.
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