Shady's Stumps; or What To Do With Your Dead Wood?

[ShadyStump]

Happy New Year, everyone!

So, I once threatened to take up wood carving so I wouldn't have to feel so bad about the trees I've killed.
Well it's not a tree I killed, but my dad had a dead English walnut in his yard that needed to come down over the summer.
That story is here if you're up for a chuckle.

Fπ©> TREES!!!!

Spent the day on this project at my dad's. An old English walnut that died a couple years ago. We kept hoping to bring it back from the suckers, but every winter they would just freeze. Finally a tall branch broke and fell on the roof, so was time for it to go. We were able to cut down...

www.bonsainut.com

I've started working chunks of it here and there, and Christmas was a big motivator to finally jump in both feet.

After the third or fourth attempt, my five year old got her flying camel for Christmas...

And her little brother his cement truck.


My younger sister sells odd ball knick nacks on the local fair circuit, so I made her a little display shelf.



They look better in pictures than in person. Craftsmanship leaves much to be desired still. It's been well over 20 years since high school shop class, but seeing as how I can't look at a stick without seeing a possible tool in it, I figured it's about time I made something of it.

 

[Carol 83]

Nice job! Home-made gifts show how much you care.

 

[ShadyStump]

They're also fun.
Something amazing about watching a stick or a log turn into something entirely different.

Have a project in the works for my brother too, just running behind.
I also will need a new handle for my hatchet after all the work it's seen.

 

[ShadyStump]

A scrap from turning the drum of my son's cement truck.
My kids found it and asked if I was making a salt shaker.

I then began contemplating how I'd go about it, and quickly discovered how much we take for granted such mundane things as the anatomy of a salt shaker.

 

[ShadyStump]

Finally getting around to completing my brother's Christmas present.
Only I decided I hated the stain I already had on the pieces, so I sanded them down to expose more of the wood grain and refinished them.

Any game nerds want to take a guess what it is?

 

[HorseloverFat]

Finally getting around to completing my brother's Christmas present.
Only I decided I hated the stain I already had on the pieces, so I sanded them down to expose more of the wood grain and refinished them.
View attachment 416781
Any game nerds want to take a guess what it is?

(Sorry I missed this thread, Nate!)

Hmmm... are those ALL the pieces...

Is it a character or item?

 

[HorseloverFat]

quickly discovered how much we take for granted such mundane things as the anatomy of a salt shaker.

These thoughts lead to inventiveness...

If that's a word.

 

[ShadyStump]

(Sorry I missed this thread, Nate!)

Hmmm... are those ALL the pieces...

Is it a character or item?

Item
And those are all the pieces besides the hardware.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Then it's OBVIOUSLY a Rupee!

Just kidding.. I was just discussing Legend of Zelda with my son.

..i'm not sure...

 

[ShadyStump]

Then it's OBVIOUSLY a Rupee!

Just kidding.. I was just discussing Legend of Zelda with my son.

..i'm not sure...

Not an electronic game.
Gotta get uber-nerdy now, don't ya?

 

[HorseloverFat]

Ooooooooh! NOW it's easy.

We've TALKED about this game, before..

I won't answer out loud!

 

[ShadyStump]

Totally missed updating this thread.
I'll look for the finished pic from the last guessing game later, but for now it seems Christmas put me on the hook with my son. He turns 4 tomorrow and asked me to make him another toy.
I'm way behind.

Is it a dragon yet?

 

[Carol 83]

Totally missed updating this thread.
I'll look for the finished pic from the last guessing game later, but for now it seems Christmas put me on the hook with my son. He turns 4 tomorrow and asked me to make him another toy.
I'm way behind.
View attachment 448632
Is it a dragon yet?

It's going to be a long night........

 

[nuttiest]

is it that game where you press one chip with the edge of another chip and go for a goal or the end of a table?

 

[ShadyStump]

is it that game where you press one chip with the edge of another chip and go for a goal or the end of a table?

No, it was the trading card game Magic the Gathering. My brother is a big gaming nerd, and for Christmas my sister bought him a rare card that cost $240. That gave me the idea to make him something based on the rarest card in the history of the game, the Black Lotus.
Unfortunately, it appears I didn't remember to get a picture of the finished product. I'll have to ask my brother if he can send me one.

 

[ShadyStump]

It's going to be a long night........

Luckily (?) I have to go back to work tomorrow, which means his birthday isn't going to be until this weekend. Gives me some extra time.
Fitting enough, my dad has offered to treat everyone to the Renaissance Festival on Saturday, and my little Arthur will have a dragon to bring along.

 

[nuttiest]

Okay I see the shapes you were making a 3d black lotus. Like anyone was ever going to guess that lol

 

[ShadyStump]

Okay I see the shapes you were making a 3d black lotus. Like anyone was ever going to guess that lol

Yeah, probably not. Still a fun project, though. Got a big chunk of the learning curve of woodworking out of the way. Not easy when it's been more than 20 years since highschool woodshop.

 

[TinyArt]

View attachment 414455
A scrap from turning the drum of my son's cement truck.
My kids found it and asked if I was making a salt shaker.

I then began contemplating how I'd go about it, and quickly discovered how much we take for granted such mundane things as the anatomy of a salt shaker.

Listing by a UK seller, nice work, but ship cost is awful, so I have no guilt about using as an example!

Print Baren - Etsy

The beautiful timber used to make this Print Baren came from a London Plane tree which grew on the Brahan Estate near the town of Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands. It was said to have been the furthest north tree of its species. Unfortunately, (or fortunately depending on your outlook) the tree

www.etsy.com

In case you know any art teachers who do linoleum block printing!

 

[ShadyStump]

Listing by a UK seller, nice work, but ship cost is awful, so I have no guilt about using as an example!

Print Baren - Etsy

The beautiful timber used to make this Print Baren came from a London Plane tree which grew on the Brahan Estate near the town of Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands. It was said to have been the furthest north tree of its species. Unfortunately, (or fortunately depending on your outlook) the tree

www.etsy.com

In case you know any art teachers who do linoleum block printing!

Our art program is essentially non-existent except for what gets included in our regular student activities, but this is one I'm sure they'd all love to try.