Pondering whether the old fella would look better if I had a fly a couple of inches above it's nose.
Modelled on "Fachan's" trout of a couple of years ago - before it's demise.
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Very nice. I think a fly would make it even better.
A traditional Peter Ross would set it off nicely... :crap
A Peter Ross I'll be damned... it's crying out for a kickass Cascade! :lol:
Quote from: Alan on August 22, 2012, 02:47:34 PM
i was thinking of you could get some purple heart and tap it through a dowel, then match the dowel to a drill bit you could make reddish spots by just drilling and tapping 3mm of the coloured dowel in and trimming flush, bit of ebony would do the eye, if you wanted a white round black halo effect just do the white then re drill to put the black spots on.
I would not decorate it Alan, it does not need spots and the like.
Its colour reminds me of a photo I have of an NZ trout Alex caught on our first trip there together that was coloured like a tench. I think it's great.
I really have to get into some hobby like that for the drear days of winter that are rapidly bearing down upon us. Fly tying is just not in this kind of league. We have so many superbly talented people in this community to learn from.
Well to me that fish looks like it's leaping, so I'd say no the the fly, unless in it's mouth, and suggest having a think about some water drops falling from the fish, made from glass beads or something similar.
You are going to get more differing answers than you can deal with Malcolm.
Firstly it is a very, very fine piece of work indeed.
Now my tuppence worth.
It don't need spots, but I do think it could do with an eye- not drilled or plugged just carved.
I'd go with the fly argument to provide focus, the grain of the mount gives an excellent impression of water and a leap so it makes sense.
But as you have acheived the entire effect in wood, even the addition of a pefectly tied Peter Ross would (pun intended) upset the balance and draw the eye from the subject. Carving a fly to proportion is going to be a heck of a task, but probably not beyond you.
I'd cheat by turning a dragonfly body from wood on the lathe and cutting the wings from a suitably figured veneer.
But what do I know- hee haw.
Fred- you could take up knitting, bridge or golf through the winter.....
Quote from: Inchlaggan on August 22, 2012, 04:20:40 PM
Fred- you could take up knitting, bridge or golf through the winter.....
Of the three options kitting seems the most attractive. :D
Malcolm,
That excellent piece of work of yours NEEDS nothing more and certainly not a fly. Amateurs, Malcolm, always overdo things . Pay no heed. If you feel persuaded by Inchlaggan's suggestion for an eye do it the way he suggests -and keep it very simple. For me, I think there's already enough there to suggest an eye. As for dots and spots ... proposals of that kind come from the dotty !! :)
As for what the fish is doing ... leave the viewer to speculate for himself. Encouraging imagination is one of the prime exciters in any art form.
T
If you do decide to put a fly in Malcolm I would carve it into the corner just above its head and make it quite small so that the observer has to move in closer to see it :8) Small things like that draw the viewer into the work. You could even carve it just above and behind the head and as the viewer comes in closer to view it they begin to think, 'is it going for that fly', 'has it just missed it', or 'is it turning to take it' , that all adds to the mystery of the piece.
I really think an eye would "set it off"
Well done
Thanks for the replies. I think I'll leave it unless I can think of a way to make a fly out of wood and it would be incredibly fragile.
Alan It actually has an eye - for some reason the light of the photograph seems to have blanked it out. The other side of the fish is more finely detailed but I decided to display it the way it is.
I like to have a few projects on the go at the same time and I have a few already for the winter. I've been asked to build a heirloom quality wading staff made out of real lignum vitae with a burl handle. What makes the project more interesting is that it should be splittable with a second, much shorter, bottom section so that it can be used as a walking stick. Raises a lot of questions: do I use a snooker cue type of screw in join? Even more important where the hell can I get two 1 metre x 35 mm strips of Lignum vitae.
I haven't agreed to that project yet, there's a lot of research to be done.
What about two locking brass ferrules from an old salmon rod?
You will have to watch the length of the walking stick section though and take a measurement from the user. Too long and it is uncomfortable to use; too short and it swings in the air half the time or they will have to bend to the side so it meets the ground :)
lignum vitae
http://www.exotichardwoods.co.uk/Woods_List/Lignum_Vitae-PaloSantowood.asp (http://www.exotichardwoods.co.uk/Woods_List/Lignum_Vitae-PaloSantowood.asp)
Quote from: guest on August 23, 2012, 02:10:23 PM
I'm currently chainsawing my way though tonnes of greenheart timber - firewood unless anyone can use it
Put me down for some, please.
Quote from: Alan on August 23, 2012, 01:28:42 PM
never seen lignum vitae in long lengths
Until today I thought it was some kind of muscular disorder. :lol: This place is a gold mine of information. What is so special about it compared to ither wid? I am now assuming it is wid?
Lignum vitae-
The strength and oil content, used for ships' propellor bushes and bearings- it has three times the life of bronze or steel.
It's what bowling balls (woods) are made of .
Very pretty to look and can be finished to a fine polish.
I didn't know a great deal about it until a couple of days ago - just that it was used for the heads of top quality woodworking mallets and bowling balls and other applications requiring an incredibly strong, impervious and heavy material.
However I'm coming to the view that it is not the most suitable wood for the wading staff. It's apparently terrible for taking glue, the original is virtually impossible to come by and the subsitute which Inchlaggan has linked to doesn't seem to come in suitable lengths. However the guy knows exactly what he wants and when I made him a bespoke canoe paddle last year he paid me precisely twice the price we agreed so I'll do a bit more research!
Not found anything long enough at my usual suppliers of exotics. You won't get the original anymore, not at a price you can afford. Can't find any references to it being used for sticks or staffs either- but the customer is always right.
You won't bend it and even epoxy will not hold well.
The Stickman is a pretty good place to start.
http://thestickman.co.uk/shanks.htm (http://thestickman.co.uk/shanks.htm)
so it is wid then? :lol:
Alan, a wading staff is probably best if not overly light. Only thing is practicality, they are a hassle to carry when you are no using them. That's where the collapsible ones score.
Well I'm going to have a trial run at this - three piece wading staff with a carved handle. I've been thinking that I could make the staff with interchangeable sections almost from the start however the bottom section made of lignum vitae filled with lead would be a given. So I'd probably make the first sections totally from the Argentine LV which is incredibly close to the spec of the original LV - so close that the wood specs for hardness, durability and density overlap.
"Wood Identification and use" by Terry Porter has this to say about Lignum Vitae, Guaiacum officinale.
Firstly that "G. sanctum is now the most important commercial species, as G. officinale is in short supply."
Dry weight 77lb per cubic foot. Specific gravity 1.23.
Very difficult to work with hand tools and very hard to saw and mchine.
Gluing and sanding are liable to be difficult because of the oil content.
The tree itself has a typical height of 20ft with a 1ft diamter trunk- which will explain why longer lengths are not available.
I look forward to hearing how you get on.
Well Alan, I'll be finding out about it soon. I've made contact about a small order.
As far as weight is concerned you do need a lot of weight on a big river. I have a Whitlock staff but although it feels heavy in the hand it is very difficult to actually get it on the bottom in deep fast water. Standard practice amongst fishers of these type of rivers is to add anything between one a two pounds of lead wrap just above the foot.
Just like Ken...the outcome of my highly reluctant entry into the local village craft fair and horticulture show:
1st in woodwork class (£1.50 prize) and best art and craft exhibit (£5 prize)!
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Well done Malky.
Looks like you're on the beers up at Dundonnel. :lol:
Quote from: admin on September 02, 2012, 08:15:56 PM
Well done Malky.
Looks like you're on the beers up at Dundonnel. :lol:
Well done Malcolm.
Fred, only thing is it will still be in the raw Hops stage, that's a Dobbies voucher :)
Whee! Result! I'm gubbed. Nae money in the Glengarry Show prizes, sadly.
Two award-winning woodworkers on the forum, time to rename it the The Wild Woodworkers Fishing Forum I think.
Congratulations, I look forward to meeting you at the Scottish Finals.