I made this piece a couple of years ago, and it has set in the window of a gallery for a couple of months, and has gone lighter and duller than when this photo was taken. I have an artist-rep that is wanting me to send it to use as a sample for selling a number of my other works.
It was from a 113 year old tree that I got from an old someplace which was settled in 1850by a family who brought the family out in a covered wagon.
This tree started life about 40 years later, in 1890.
It probably had some pretty good years where it lived on a little hill just east of the Saline River floodplain. south of Benton AR. That little scar on the lower right side was from a lightning strike in 1927 the year of the great Mississippi River flood. Aside from several streaks of bark blown away by lightning, a good portion of its branches were torn off by strong winds, probably the same as when the lightning hit it. There were some hellacious years of extreme weather around here back then through the thirties.
I had taken a wrong turn that put me on the road that lead to this tree. I realized that I had missed the turn about 2 miles back when I was going through a turn that veered away from the clear-cut where it was laying.
I guess you might say my feelers were tingling when I looked over my shoulder, I could only see a piece about the size of a watermelon rind from behind the stump which was covered with vines and shoots sprouting, and this was imbedded in ragweed chest high.
I don’t know if any of you know when you have found a portion of your destiny or not. I guess you can tell that I take a lot of pride in this. Whenever I walked up to it someone else had cut a couple of cross-sections of the trunk out. There was a hollow in the stump that only went about a foot above where the loggers that did the clearcut, and were not suppose to cut this tree, so they just left it laying. Anyway I have done a bunch of turnings out of it, and this is just one of them.
The reason that I have gone into this lengthy story is that I just got a call from an artist-rep that is interested in buying over 50 of my works, and this is one of the pieces that she wants to use to present my work to the financial end of the…………… anyway, I think I should work on the finish a bunch.
OK Finishing is not my strongest suite. I usually send my furniture to one of my best friends, and usually use oil for the turnings and sculpture. since I may have a lot of work riding on this piece, I am seeking advice from some of you.
I know I can go back over it with a couple of more coats of oil sanding wet and rubbing out with wool and hands etc. I am wondering about darkening / filling the pores with a dark wax, or should I go at it with some kind of paste before the oil?
Oh yea, did I forget to say that I need to send it off by next Monday with a bunch of other photos?
Oh yea, I forgot to tell you that when I found this tree, I climbed upon its trunk and held both fist in the air and roared like a caveman that had just killed a bear with a stone. That is a great feeling, Have any of you ever done that?
Edited 6/29/2005 11:01 pm ET by Keith Newton
Replies
Oops, got so carried away with text , I forgot to attatch the photo.
The other wood is curley koa, and cow leg bone from the back fourty of my brother-inlaw's homeplace.
By the way, this is not MY favorite piece out of this tree, it just happens to be the rep's choice, and I have a lot hanging on this presentation, so it could mean a lot to me if this goes my way.
use the same oil, 1st use 0000 steel wool, wipe clean and use tack cloth, lightly apply oil with a lint free paper towel. 24 hrs dry. apply more if needed. but to freshen up one should be good enough.
I was just thinking that it might be nice to darken the pores of the heartwood, however I know this is risky on the sapwood.
if you apply the oil in 5-6 coats you will get a filled pore look.
But doing a dark filler would take a way from what you have.
Keith,
The piece is b.euatiful and I can understand your feeling at discovering a special piece of wood. To be able to attach a history to it makes the piece(s) even more special. I agree with 3fingers regarding renewing the finish.
Thanks, Doug, and 3fingers. I guess that would be the safest route to take, I just wish I had more time to work it before sending it off this weekend. Later K
keith,
When I look at a piece of furniture that is a replica it's all about the finish. When I look at an artistic piece, such as your, the finish matters little..it's about the art.There was a guy on TV last week who 'refreshed' furniture with a 1/3 mixture each of BLO, Mineral Spirits and Vinegar(white)...
My 2 cents:
Minwax Antique Oil varnish did an awesome job on and old walnut piece I wanted to revive. The wood turned from a dull, UV bathed color to a vivid oily look in two coats. Extremely easy to apply, too....
Very nice work, by the way...
Fat
freshening up oil on walnut? Did you try freshening up walnut oil on walnut?
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