[makinchips]

Hey Mark,

I just checked out your location and you are not too far from from a show I'll be doing. What do you say we get together for a pizza and a beer some time next week.....my treat! The show runs from June 28 thru July 6.

Joe,

Make Chips!

[makinchips]

Great talking with you Mark.......I'll give you a call next week!

Joe,

Make Chips~

[mark yundt]

HAAA,,,no sooner did I send the post that I got your call! I didn't know today was next week already! Of course I live in an alternate universe and time warp.

I'm looking forward to meeting you and I'm sure we'll have a good time. Pizza and beer,,,sounds great. Wait till you see how well I carve after hoisting a few!
Wow,,,this is neat!

[makinchips]

Joe,

Make Chips!

[mark yundt]

Quick note. I've got all the turnings done as well as the two "capitals" that go on the large base columns which get carved with a saw tooth pattern. One is completely finished. I also got all the moldings laid out and the patterns drawn on the pieces. It was fun (?) getting all the sequences to line up according to the Architects specs. For example,,7 equal spacings on the returns and 8 on the faces,,40 across the main run,,,geez,,but it's done.

The first shot is a closeup of the drawing so you can see how the pattern will look and how the spacings have to fall.
The second you can see all the pieces ,the main run and all the mitered pieces.
The third is the template I made...as it is it's pretty close to get all the repeated patterns that he asked for. With some slight adjustments I was able to make them all fit perfectly.I used one of the mitered pieces to use as a guide for the template as the design has to fit the miters,,,so this made it quite simple for me.
Fourth you can see the miters and how 1/2 of the design has to wrap around the miter and still match up. This applies to inside as well as outside miters. Every joint now will match exactly.
The last is the molding upside down to better show how the design wraps under the molding and how the corners match up. I've also done some samples to see how this will go. I'm able to use a router to relieve much of the wood,,,but just consider how many stop cuts to clean the lines will be needed. My mallet will get a workout.

Neat huh?

[makinchips]

Doing that kinda work would just drive me NUTS!!!!! I'm happy to see you out there keeping the craft alive.

I'm looking foward to seeing much of this job done next week.

(It's a bummer to visit someone's shop when it's void of projects.)

Joe,

Make Chips!

[mark yundt]

I used to think it would drive me nuts as well,,,I never thought I'd have the patience. Now it's the challenge of seeing just how accurately you can do it. I also dreaded the thought that any mistake would naturally show up so you have no room for error. One mistake could ruin the entire section of moldings.There is no wood to "buy back" as everything has only one level,one defined shape and can't be pushed a bit deeper or moved a bit over one way or another. Also with this design ,as well as some of the others I've posted,,is the beauty and challenge lays in having each pattern match perfectly and each section and line on the design cannot have any wobbles or crookedness in them or it shows right up.

Funny,,,if all the lines are smooth and flow nicely your eye keeps moving and all is well,,but put just one kink in the line somewhere and that's where your eye stops and focuses. Or a pattern doesn't quite match the way it should.

As simple as this stuff looks it's deceiving. There is quite a bit of fudge factor in most other carvings,,,not on this stuff. You can't hide anything.

Funny too is how all my other carvings seem to go fast and smoother after doing this type of stuff as well as being more accurate,precise,and fewer wasted motions. They then become a piece of cake. Better mallet control,,,You can't leave any marks from too heavy a hit,,ability to follow lines cleanly,,perfect stop and shear cuts,,who in their right mind wants to try and sand all those edges to try and get out the fuzzies or try picking and poking around to get them?

Doing this seemingly boring and simple stuff shows up your weakness and strengths real quick. I think it makes you a better carver if you can do it consistently and fast.

[makinchips]

Everything you say is absolutley true and you just stated all the reasons I don't do this kinda work and........I LOVE fudge!! Even carving letters is too structured for me......but hey, it does pay the bills!

Viva la different! lol

Joe,

Make Chips!

[mark yundt]

Yeah Joe,,you know exactly what I'm talking about,,,Letters...that's another one to do well accuracy reins supreme. Otherwise they're just sort of ,,,letters.

[makinchips]

HEY!!!! I resemble that remark!!!

Joe,

Make Chips!