[CarverRog]

This is an abstract that I started a while back. It was a piece of basswood 3 1/2" X 3 1/2" X 24" . There are 9 ribbions that interlace and twist from the bottom up to the top.

[Irishman]

"Holy Mackeral" as my Mother used to say! What a fantastic...and challenging looking carving. What a time you must have had getting that carved out in the center.
Patrick

[mikeGinSC]

Dude!!...That is absolutely wild. Kudos to you.

Mike G. in SC

[Jim OH]

Good grief, how did ya do that? Excellent! Let's see ya chip carve that'un ;O).I am at a loss for suggestions, but will give it some thought perhaps a lamp to illuminate just how much work that was! Excellent, excellent sculpture!
Jim OH

[pallin]

It looks really great! My opinion is: leave it as a work of art or conversation piece. Due to the graceful curves of the ribbons, it should be sanded smooth and finished natural. It makes me want to try a similar project.

[xsailer]

Geeze CarverRog, how did you say you filled your days?
Pretty neat.

[doris]

wow, amazing... and i thought my 4 holes in mary poppins were difficult to carve...how did you do that ? i cant imagine at all ! i really would like know... i assume you wokr with chisel and gouges ? ... are you a mathematician btw ? since i am, and a design like that could have been from my math work... to your question, i personally would do nothing to the piece, ecept finish the lower part as the pencis indicate, and then make a beautiful base for it, put a nice natural finish on it, and display it just for amazement of everybody seeing it...i would not degrade it in making a lamp or such out of it...just my opinion

[CarverRog]

OK, I see this has some interest. Up to this point I have used a combination of chisels and a Foredom to cut this out. My plans are to sand smooth and seal only. This isn't hard to do because all I did was made cylinders and after I get them all separated then I flatten them out into ribbons which allows me to twist them any way I want.

[doris]

i still cant see it quite, so i ask more, if you not mind... is that to say the thin cylinders were much longer than what we see ow as the height of the piece ? why does the wood not broke when you flattened the cylinders (i understand "flatten" that you hammer them flat ?? and where are the loose ends ? i cant find any, but for doing this interlacing, you need have loose ends, right ?

[tucker1931]

WOW, you must be a very patient fellow to complete that difficult piece. So far you have done a marvelous job. Now for the sanding, clean up and finish, I would say the toughest part is still ahead of you, good luck my friend it's a super piece, Should make for an intersting table lamp.
Cliff