[Colin_Partridge]

Hi Gang,
Sorry I am not around much but I am really busy I would really like to retire some day but people just wont let me. I have just recieved a commission for some woodspirit benches four of them in fact. The gentleman has just had his house built and in the back of his house is a large forrest. He is the same customer who commissioned me to do the two live tree carvings. These benches are for his fire pit in the forrest. He wants them to put around his camp fire. This is just the the rough out stages of one of the benches I will update as I go. They are made out of eastern white cedar the carvings for the end of the benches are four feet high by thirteen inches in diameter. The seat will be five feet long. I have had the slabs cut on a mill for the seats they are two inches thick.
Here are three pictures just roughing out one log in the raw form and the other skinned and roughed out. I know they dont look much but this is only fifteen minutes with a chain saw now to put the detail in. I will probaby rough out the second after I skin the log this afternoon if I am not too tired I will post a picture of the roughed out logs a little later tonight.
Colin

[GeorgiaCarver]

Fifteen minutes! You put me to shame.... What type of chainsaw do you use to rough out? I have been using a Poulan Pro 20". Really does not seam like enough power. Thinking of a Sthil or a Husqi.

Anyway, really nice job. I look forward to seeing your benches progress. I had a heck of a time connecting my bench board to the carving. I did use a mortise joint and a bolt but it was a difficult process. Look forward to seeing your technique.

Thanks for sharing!

Greg

[Kenny_S]

Let me first say, Nice spirits Colin. And waiting on the bench progress.
Secondly, It is up to YOU when you want to retire, no others.
Maybe you are like me, You don't say NO!

[Colin_Partridge]

You are right Kenny I cannot say no not in my vocabulary my T shirt says it all "Eat, Sleep, Carve but most of the time it is Sleep Carve I forget to eat.
Greg you are right the hard part is the connecting of the seat to the bench. I use just a mortice and tenor joint and no bolt. Believe it or not I just fill the joint with "Liquid Nails" place the seat in and let it set for a good four days and I defy you to break that seat out of there. I will show you what I do when I assemble the bench for sure. I did get ambitious this afternoon and roughed out the other half of the bench. Same dimensions in fact same tree. As for chainsaw there is only one as far as I am concerned the little "Redmax" made by Komatsu. It is designed specifically for chainsaw carving light weight and a dream to work with. It is available in the US thru "Master's of the Chainsaw" in fact I had to wait until I went to the Open House at Fox Chapel to get mine. I dont know what I did without it. Mind you it is a detail saw and not for roughing out. For roughing out I use a Stihl.
Her are some more pictures of the bench in very rough form and a picture of the little "Redmax". I will keep you posted on the progress.
Colin

[Coffeeman]

Colin, They are going to be just beautiful, can't wait to see the completed bench. Your client has a fantastic design mind too, what a concept to sit around on next to the nightly fire, great idea. Hope you get a picture of them all set up near the firepit, would love to see the finished complete design. Bill

[Colin_Partridge]

Just a quick update. I found a little time today to work on the benches and put some detail into one side of the bench. Looks as if I wont get back to it for a couple of days have some other commissions to work on.
Colin

[GeorgiaCarver]

Excellent progress,

I wondered about gorilla glue or liquid nails if it would work. I will have to try that. On my first bench I did not get the joint tight enough. Next time I will need to spend more time making sure the joint is tight.

Greg

[bygeorge]

Colin, I'm enjoying (again) watching the progress on these fellows. How is the eastern white cedar to carve? Is there a lot of difference in the white and the red as far as carving?

Thanks
Chuck

[Banjo]

Colin, those are looking so COOL! Can't wait to see them all finished.

[squbrigg]

What a great idea for his yard Colin. They are looking great! Well done son!

Bob