Carved shohin display stands

[Soldano666]

I've spent some of my winter down time carving these pressure treated blocks, I was hoping it would be easy but found out, nothing that takes hard work is. I had planned on making a bunch and trying to sell them but I think I'll start small. By the time I finish hand sanding and carving all the details, stained, shellacked, I'll be about 8-10 hours into each one. the blocks are only about 4x6 inches so I figure a stone can set on the top and the pot can set on that

 

[Soldano666]

They are far from traditional by any means. But if I did do some of these for sale would there be any interest in owning one? and is the $150-200 range too steep for a modern display stand... I'm simply basing my pricing on time involved, and expense of materials, while still trying to be fair

 

[Soldano666]

Maybe I should have waited to finish one before exposing price. These ones pictured are the very early stages of creation

 

[Smoke]

If I were you I would not be using pressure treated wood around power tools or sanders. There are some really bad chemicals in them and they also impregnate the wood with a cyanide chemical for bugs. This wood should never be burned in a fireplace as the fumes are toxic. Fins some basswood blocks or redwood 4x4 would be easy to carve and better grain then crappy hem/fir.

Those cracks and checks in the wood also detract from the finished product and with so many cuts against the grain, as this dries more in the home one may find small pieces actually falling away as it opens further. Hem fir is a very straight grained wood and not very good for carving as it tends to be stringy and does not hold a sanded finish well.

I have been building bonsai stands for over 30 years and 150.00 to 200.00 is ridiculous but P.T. Barnum made a living at it.

Based on this thinking I would have to charge well over a $1000.00 to make this profitable building this box stand.

 

[Soldano666]

Thank you smoke. That why I posted here I wasn't sure if they were worth a shit, or I was shooting for the stars. I was also ready to be shut down. I'm pretty well geared up with a paint suit, cartridge mask and face sheild, but yes thank for the heads up.on the pressure treated, I had it laying around so id figure I'd give it a run. I will defo look into better wood and a way to shave some production time down

 

[Adair M]

If I were you I would not be using pressure treated wood around power tools or sanders. There are some really bad chemicals in them and they also impregnate the wood with a cyanide chemical for bugs. This would should never be burned in a fireplace as the fumes are toxic. Fins some basswood blocks or redwood 4x4 would be easy to carve and better grain then crappy hem/fir.

Those cracks and checks in the wood also detract from the finished product and with so many cuts against the grain, as this dries more in the home one may find small pieces actually falling away as it opens further. Hem fir is a very straight grained wood and not very good for carving as it tends to be stringy and does not hold a sanded finish well.

I have been building bonsai stands for over 30 years and 150.00 to 200.00 is ridiculous but P.T. Barnum made a living at it.

View attachment 128010 Based on this thinking I would have to charge well over a $1000.00 to make this profitable building this box stand.
View attachment 128011 View attachment 128012 View attachment 128014 View attachment 128015 View attachment 128016

Smoke, your stands are beautiful! First rate!

 

[Soldano666]

They are real nice @Smoke

 

[Smoke]

Thank you smoke. That why I posted here I wasn't sure if they were worth a shit, or I was shooting for the stars. I was also ready to be shut down. I'm pretty well geared up with a paint suit, cartridge mask and face sheild, but yes thank for the heads up.on the pressure treated, I had it laying around so id figure I'd give it a run. I will defo look into better wood and a way to shave some production time down

I happen to think they are worth a shit. Just not sure they are worth 200.00 dollars worth of shit. I think the carving lines in the sort of technical geometric pattern is kinda 2016. When you get them dialed in ebay or facebook auctions never cease to amaze me for what stuff sells for.

 

[Smoke]

This is the only one I ever tried. After this I never wanted to do it again.

 

[LanceMac10]

If I were you I would not be using pressure treated wood around power tools or sanders. There are some really bad chemicals in them and they also impregnate the wood with a cyanide chemical for bugs. This wood should never be burned in a fireplace as the fumes are toxic. Fins some basswood blocks or redwood 4x4 would be easy to carve and better grain then crappy hem/fir.

Those cracks and checks in the wood also detract from the finished product and with so many cuts against the grain, as this dries more in the home one may find small pieces actually falling away as it opens further. Hem fir is a very straight grained wood and not very good for carving as it tends to be stringy and does not hold a sanded finish well.

I have been building bonsai stands for over 30 years and 150.00 to 200.00 is ridiculous but P.T. Barnum made a living at it.

View attachment 128010 Based on this thinking I would have to charge well over a $1000.00 to make this profitable building this box stand.
View attachment 128011 View attachment 128012 View attachment 128014 View attachment 128015 View attachment 128016

Are you not charging more than a grand for this type of work?

 

[Rusty Davis]

Sounds like a great winter play thing.

 

[TomB]

Fins some basswood blocks or redwood 4x4 would be easy to carve and better grain then crappy hem/fir.

I carved a large-ish stand from redwood recently, and it was actually very difficult to work. The wood itself is soft but the widely spaced growth rings are a problem - the wood texture is uneven and you end up with ridges in it. It's not terrible, but it constrains what you can do creatively. Finishing (stain etc) is also difficult due to variations in the absorption / texture of the wood across the piece. I'll avoid using redwood again for that reason.

Basswood is a much better bet. Ideally for these you need something that has a close grain and a consistent texture while still being relatively easy to cut. I also like tulip poplar.

 

[sorce]

Sounds like a great winter play thing.

Who said Sasquatch?

Oh...never mind...

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

Sasquatch

Where?!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Beautiful tables and stands Al. Let me know when you're ready to make America (bonsai) Great Again by building one of those shohin boxes for me, right here in the USA.

 

[AZbonsai]

Where?!

I can smell it!

 

[M. Frary]

I can smell it!

Everyone knows there are no Squatches in Arizona.

 

[AZbonsai]

Everyone knows there are no Squatches in Arizona.

I beg to differ my friend!
http://www.bfro.net/gdb/state_listing.asp?state=az

We have seen its goat sucking dog as well La Chupacabra

 

[M. Frary]

I beg to differ my friend!
http://www.bfro.net/gdb/state_listing.asp?state=az

We have seen its goat sucking dog as well La Chupacabra

Excellent!
I never checked Arizona because I thought it was desert.
He's everywhere!

 

[Wilson]

@Soldano666 nice carving dude! I imagine in the north east you can cut some white cedar, poplar, and other natural wood like @Smoke mentioned. Always good to use that creative energy bro, keep it up!