Wow, amazing blanks! Anyone know who makes these?

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
jrista

jrista

Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2021
Messages
2,595
Location
Colorado
I have been researching various ways to make segmented blanks. Mostly Celtic knots, but other stuff as well. I came across this image, just in an image search, but the link was to a defunct site that no longer exists. It seemed to be the only reference to this image I could find...and wow, these are amazing!

Does anyone know who designed and made these? I really like the chaotic loops, but just the overall designs, I've never seen anything quite like them before, I don't think, and they are truly exceptional. The chaotic loops seem fairly strait forward, and I'm experimenting with that in some of my own segmented blanks, but the whole overall design of these...singularly out there and unique!! Wonderful work, whoever the creator was!

b0cc7b723ac6b13ea0e0b98c10980afc--small-wood-projects-pen-blanks-4078962035.jpg
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Those are my designs . Thanks for the kind words . I am currently working with a few students in my shop, designing and constructing segmented pen blanks. Mark James visited my shop some years back and had a great time . He even brought me some beautiful pieces of wood !!! Remember that trip Mark ? A couple of pictures of my more recent blanks.
IMG_0929 - Copy.JPG
IMG_0838.JPG
P1010008.JPG
 

Attachments

  • P1010009.JPG
    P1010009.JPG
    337.8 KB · Views: 29
  • IMG_0929.JPG
    IMG_0929.JPG
    303.8 KB · Views: 27
jrista said:
I have been researching various ways to make segmented blanks. Mostly Celtic knots, but other stuff as well. I came across this image, just in an image search, but the link was to a defunct site that no longer exists. It seemed to be the only reference to this image I could find...and wow, these are amazing!

Does anyone know who designed and made these? I really like the chaotic loops, but just the overall designs, I've never seen anything quite like them before, I don't think, and they are truly exceptional. The chaotic loops seem fairly strait forward, and I'm experimenting with that in some of my own segmented blanks, but the whole overall design of these...singularly out there and unique!! Wonderful work, whoever the creator was!

View attachment 382634
Click to expand...
These are very cool, remarkable segmenting.
 
wood128 said:
Those are my designs . Thanks for the kind words . I am currently working with a few students in my shop, designing and constructing segmented pen blanks. Mark James visited my shop some years back and had a great time . He even brought me some beautiful pieces of wood !!! Remember that trip Mark ? A couple of pictures of my more recent blanks.View attachment 382640View attachment 382641View attachment 382642
Click to expand...
All I can say is wow! what a huge amount of precise work you must have put into those pen blanks. I have problems with a simple Celtic knot! You sir, are a true master of the craft!
 
Those are incredible Joe!

I have purchased some wood blanks from you but never knew I was purchasing wood from the stores of a Master Segmenter!
 
wood128 said:
Those are my designs . Thanks for the kind words . I am currently working with a few students in my shop, designing and constructing segmented pen blanks. Mark James visited my shop some years back and had a great time . He even brought me some beautiful pieces of wood !!! Remember that trip Mark ? A couple of pictures of my more recent blanks.View attachment 382640View attachment 382641View attachment 382642
Click to expand...

Your blanks are incredible! I am truly impressed. So colorful, so detailed, yet everything still seems to go together so well. I am only getting into segmenting here...but your work certainly puts a marker way out there to aspire to. I love your use of resins, too. Not a lot, just enough, adds a unique element.
 
wood128 said:
Ed , #38 , #39 and #40 blanks are octogon shapped ( 8 sided ) all reversed spiral . Did you invent that word "octogeniarian "??????
Click to expand...
I think he is referring to your age. ;) In other words, you've been at it for a long time, acquired exceptional skill, and your work is second to...well, no one alive, at the very least?
 
@wood128 Do you mind if I ask, where you source some of your materials? In the original photo I shared, some of the thin "chaotic loops" were made from some brighter colored materials, like a bright reddish-pink and bright aqua blue. What materials were those made from? I don't think I've ever seen plastic or styrene in those colors. I think I once saw a veneer pack with red, white and blue in it...maybe they are dyed veneer? In any case, I really like how those unusual colors stand out like that.

Since coming across your blanks, I've been experimenting with thin layers like that using some veneer packs I purchased some time ago. I originally intended to use them for veneering boxes, but have not been able to break into that arena yet (lacking some tools). Some of the veneers are burl and I'll save them for boxes in the future, but others are fairly strait forward woods, like Padauk, Walnut, Cherry, etc. that I think have made for some nice layering material. The biggest challenge I've run into so far is glue open time. I originally intended to use epoxy, but keeping everything in place and clamped was not a happy process with that long of an open time. I then switched to CA, which wasn't my plan, but that worked better. However, I do seem to run into oddities in open time...sometimes I have 10+ seconds to position all the layers so they align with each other. Other times the glue seems to dry in about 2 seconds, and if that happens (I can't figure out why it happens) then I get misalignments in those fine layers. Curious what kind(s) of glue you use for your segmenting, especially when it involves very fine details, thin layers of wood, etc.
 
jrista said:
@wood128 Do you mind if I ask, where you source some of your materials? In the original photo I shared, some of the thin "chaotic loops" were made from some brighter colored materials, like a bright reddish-pink and bright aqua blue. What materials were those made from? I don't think I've ever seen plastic or styrene in those colors. I think I once saw a veneer pack with red, white and blue in it...maybe they are dyed veneer? In any case, I really like how those unusual colors stand out like that.

Since coming across your blanks, I've been experimenting with thin layers like that using some veneer packs I purchased some time ago. I originally intended to use them for veneering boxes, but have not been able to break into that arena yet (lacking some tools). Some of the veneers are burl and I'll save them for boxes in the future, but others are fairly strait forward woods, like Padauk, Walnut, Cherry, etc. that I think have made for some nice layering material. The biggest challenge I've run into so far is glue open time. I originally intended to use epoxy, but keeping everything in place and clamped was not a happy process with that long of an open time. I then switched to CA, which wasn't my plan, but that worked better. However, I do seem to run into oddities in open time...sometimes I have 10+ seconds to position all the layers so they align with each other. Other times the glue seems to dry in about 2 seconds, and if that happens (I can't figure out why it happens) then I get misalignments in those fine layers. Curious what kind(s) of glue you use for your segmenting, especially when it involves very fine details, thin layers of wood, etc.
Click to expand...
I get my veneer from a shop in Colorado . It is imported from Italy . I use a small saw blade on the scrowl saw ( variable speed )to get the pieces cut , then glue the veneer between the cut pieces and clamp . The veneer will easily bend to the shape of the cut.
I use mostly Titebond Glue because it will get on your fingers !!! Easily removed with a wet rag. You get CA glue on your fingers .........BEWARE !!!! lose a little skin !!! Send me a PM if you have any questions . Glad to help. Kronewi and I are going to make several tutorials here shortly . All my segmented blanks are based mostly on 30 -60 triangles , equilaterial triangles , right triangles . parallelagrams and trapizoids geometric designs .Excuse my spelling !!! used with contrasting woods. One note to all .........For constructing a herringbone blank , the thicker the pieces used , the easier the construction. Most people know this after they make a few. The thiner the pieces used , the better the finished blank looks . Higher degree of difficultity produces the better product . Oh well . Enough said for now .
 
Wow! The next time I am pleased with a piece that I made I will think of your amazing work, and know exactly where I stand in the "blank pecking order" - I am so far behind that I am out of sight :).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom