Recent content by head_cutter

I'm up in Harry's age group but a little younger. I also moved to Vietnam a few years ago so it's like landing in a toystore of Bonsai. However...I'm a worker not a 'tweeker' or an appreciater so I have bought big cheap (by US standards) stuff to work on. 99% of my enjoyment of the art is in the...

facebook Ya I'm on too, good way to keep in touch and show some of the new collection i'm building as well as doing the work on it... Bob Johnston, Tuy Hoa, Vietnam

About 1.5 years along from an overgrown piece of nursery material here. There were some bad cuts made in the beginning so I'm working around them and may eventually grind them out. All of the wire is finally off and it will be a few years of clip-and-grow to finish the styling. Finally removed...

Hmmmmm AX-ually thanks Tom, not only has this been a very interesting thread but, Jerry and I have been discussing what the H to do to preserve or protect the big carved areas on my Water Jasmine. I wanted it to look as natural as possible, and the wood is pretty soft. You may have given me/us...

Set up and ready to continue working Pretty much stabalized, pond full, fish and water lettuce in. It will take a while to get the styling/wiring and the rest of the grinding finished but I have time. Right now it's drawing crowds at the gate off and on. Yes, although it's big ugly and heavy I...

Hi, I did about the same thing but for mine used the base of an old metal office chair which was also adjustable. 3 legs so it was never rocking, rigged my own 'lock' to stop it from turning. Used 3/4" plywood for the table. Total cost was around $5, lasted for years. Bob

Hey Mort, I'll let you know in about a year. I didn't completly hollow it but just finished creating some huge areas of shari on a big Water Jasmine. Jerry Milsick and I chatted about it for a while because I can't get any lime sulphur here and they are about as soft as a FR. I have a problem...

I assume you do have a set-up for growing indoors because you grow indoors? Probably a nice one. You may just think about an oversized training box rather than the ground. This is almost as effective for what you want. I'd go 4 or 5 times larger than the present pot and just a little deeper...

Depending on the size of the branch I've always found a 'Spanish Windless' the best way to go about it. Safest too. Each time you 'wrench' it you are only taking up the slack it gives you plus a little more. Also pretty easy. Bob

Loved it Mortalis, want you to come measure and weigh my 'welcome' tree. I always had way too many trees on the benches to do that, would have been an all day job for two people. Always believed in the right pot and the right soil mix to handle the hard part. When I was in the states I used a...

Yep, looks exactly like a common Privet, except for getting a closer look. Don't worry, they can make very nice Bonsai and take a lot of abuse. Bob (too)

A very hot day but it's in the pot--now it's time to go to work on it. Potting day turned out to be 100 deg. and about 150% humidity by 9AM, everything/everyone under mist till it was done.

thanks rockm, it's layed-up by hand, concrete with re-bar in the horizontal parts. I helped move both parts when it was delivered and figure it weighs around half a ton at least. I found cement coloring after i had them start the pot, if i'd found it before I could have had a nice clay color...

A decent beginning Potting day, started out a nice cool 90 deg, by the time the 'crew' arrived it was 100+ and getting worse. I needed 4 guys to lift one side of the pot to level it, about 10 min work but well worth it to make the pond look level. The first pic shows two old guys straining to...

I wanted to make it look like some very old trees I've seen along streams and rivers here in the mountains, there were a few design problems so I tried to just work with the flaws. It will never be a real good specimin just unique. Nope, no fish...yet ha ha. Bob