Maple burl inlaid with turquoise

Scott O.

Scott O.

Well-known member
I was working on another burl piece using an idea I saw out in Portland OR.

Maybe the woodworkers in here might like it or have some ideas to improve it.

I think the flash washed out the blue of the turquoise a little...its actually pretty bright

burlstump1.jpg
 
This one has the big "waterfall" shape on the right and I plan to do some turquoise and malachite inlay over there then put an irregular shaped plate glass top

burlstump2.jpg
 
Scott,
I've been doing that with Knife handles for a while , Has a really cool look to it !
I need to upload a few pics of knives I need to sell , one has the inlay.
 
Scott,
I've been doing that with Knife handles for a while , Has a really cool look to it !
I need to upload a few pics of knives I need to sell , one has the inlay.
Click to expand...

What kind of knives are you selling? If there carving knives, I'd be interested in seeing some!



Zach
 
Jeff - I was thinking about selling the inlaid tabletop just to raise some gas money for another trip to the U.P. to stock up on some more burl...wouldn't know what to charge though. Might be fun to put on the great equalizer and value setter, E Bay.
 
Zach,
no carving knives yet but I'm working on it....
I do just about everything else , all in Damascus.

Scott,
ah e-bay , shipping cost is gonna be a booger on that !!!!
 
Scott Those are really unique. Price wise. I was in New hope New Jersey back in the middle sixty's One of the artist shops there was selling table tops for around $ 600 - $1500 Now there has been a little bit of inflation since then. So depending on the market you sell to. People will pay more for one of a kind. Two ways to go retail or whole sale. If you go whole sale the retailer has to mark it up 100 - 200 percent Myself I would whole sale it. To me it's less hassle. Find several up scale shops Detroit Chicago or the burbs. Look at what they are selling. If you think what you have fits, find the owner or buyer. Tell him or show him what you have and after he has seen it. You quote your price. It's either yes or no If it's no, thank him for his time and more on. All sales shouldn't be more than five minutes. Otherwise he's wasting your time or your wasting his. If he buys it, he probably ask if you have more. You know the answer, Ya sure. There selling like hot cakes and you will keep him in mind.
 
Buff the snot out of that waterfall to shine it up...then have the flat top as a lake with the water running out and down the falls. That would really look cool with a thick piece of plate glass on it. People like shiny logs. You need to go to Westlake and see some of the stuff those guys make..or at the Flats show. Couple K I would say.
 
Then people can see the waterfall that I am imagining...I was wondering if I could mix turquoise right in with the poly and let it run down that track the way water would...I also thought about using the taxidermist trick of running clear lacquer(?) down fine fishing line to make a waterfall...I dont want it to look cheezy so I may just keep it simple



but I am still thinking about it
 
It occured to me that I never posted pics of the first table I did...I walk by it everyday so I forget.

This one has a 5/8" plate top, screws down in the middle using table screws, felt washers etc.(four holes drilled before tempering)

I cut the flats on the burl nodes to show the figured grain




table.jpg
 
Nice. Have you considered sandblasting? It blows the wood out of the grain and could mimic whitewater with a bit of the blue in there. I don't think you want a bunch of straight lines in a waterfall...which in your wood is more of a "watershed" than a "Falls"...if we are seeing the same thing. On stuff like this, minimal is more as it requires the imagination. A couple years ago at Westlake, someone had a big slab of walnut that had waves and divers on it...wish I'd taken a pic of that, cool as hell.
 
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I agree with the idea that minimal is better so I really want to use the natural lines of the wood. I could sandblast that area, but I think you can see in this pic that the wood is "rough" in a "burly" sort of way. I a wondering how to best get a blue, water-like effect in there without cheesing the whole thing up. Maybe some crushed turquoise, maybe a little inlay...not sure yet. I counted the rings the other day because I do things like that and see that the stump has been around for about 130 years so I guess I have a little more time to think up a plan.

:-)


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Wow, nice job Scott......I'm surprised......I mean, impressed. Very cool. I'd be proud to spill a Sapphire & Tonic on that. ;)
Lou
 
That's a better shot at it. I see what you have there now. I bet just polished way up it would look good without anything. That black on the slope may turn ebony colored.
 
That going to be way to cool. Be sure to show pictures when done.$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Your going to be rich. A few MM for sure.
 
You guys in Wisconsin sure must like chocolate...in Michigan, you can get a whole bag of M&Ms for like... two bucks.

:-)

(I have already 'sperimented' with an idea for the waterfall that looks pretty cool)

I'll post some pics maybe on Sunday when its dry. I think its going to work. And Pete, if you know someone who wants a very unique 250lb dining room table for a coupla grand, let me know, theres a 10% commission in there for the sales staff.
 
I got another one about 300lbs worth... I was going to just paint it up like an Old Squaw and drop it in your front yard one rainy night
 
Yeah, right. Like you could paint anything to look like an Oldsquaw. I believe I'm safe there. ;) Too funny. But, even if it showed up as an Oldsquaw on my front lawn, I still wouldn't believe it was from you.....knowing how you avoid painting OS. ;0
Hmmmmmmmmm, a 300 pound Oldsquaw. What do they eat? Anything they darn well please.
Later partner,
Lou


I got another one about 300lbs worth... I was going to just paint it up like an Old Squaw and drop it in your front yard one rainy night
Click to expand...
 
All of my nearsighted friends think I am a FANTASTIC decoy painter, you are just a little too picky because you own a flipping decoy company.

Besides...if its important we use your decoys anyway.

Which its never that important anyway seeing as how, we are such superior duck hunters.

Whatever...

:-)
 
I wanted to keep the waterfall concept as minimal as possible and since I was going to inlay the surface with turquoise, I decided to stay with the theme. Powdered, crushed turquoise, lightly sprinkled on a coat of wet poly.

I think I like it...I don't think I have a choice anymore anyway. Next step is to continue adding coats of poly onto the world's most uneven surfaces until I think I am done.

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