Thought I'd posted this already but apparently not. ============ I've been frustrated by the fact that turning is very dynamic and yet the resulting piece is static. So I've been playing with the idea of a Movement Movement. When I found this slick little tethered power pack thing - for four bucks and played with it - I went back and bought out their stock - at $3 each. Knex.com, the folks who make these things list it at $17.57
Here's what I'm talking about
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SO - I'm looking for a volunteeror two to incorporate this into a turning - and post pics of the piece or e-mail it to me and I'll put it up on the web pages about this thing. And If you can do a short video - say up to about 1Mb or so - send it along and I'll get it to you tube - with your permission of course. If you're interested e-mail me with a mailiing address and what you might do with it - and I'll send you one - free - if it looks like you'll actually use it - in a piece.
Offer limited to the continental USA (postage to NH was $3.75 - for a $3 item)
> > SO - I'm looking for a volunteeror two to incorporate this into a > turning - and post pics of the piece or e-mail it to me and I'll put > it up on the web pages about this thing. And If you can do a short > video - say up to about 1Mb or so - send it along and I'll get it to > you tube - with your permission of course. >
You have me intrigued, I am thinking of a toy soldier (1800's style), or maybe a doll of some sort but the size of the moter and power supply might be a problem. How about a bank with a pressure switch or contact switch that would would activate the motor and cause it to spin when money was put in? I am working on a fruit bowel inspired by one of your posts and will have it finished as soon as I get time to play and not make orders (orders come first and may they keep coming) I am looking forward to seeing what comes out of this one.
Hi Charlie! Ever since you first posted this, I've wanted to reply, but life keeps getting in the way!
Your statement. "yet the resulting piece is static.". really got me to thinking about all the pieces I have here in the house. While the piece itself IS static, I see in many of my pieces what I'll have to call "static movement". As I stand still viewing the piece, it is very static, however, as I begin to move around the piece, there is movement. In particular, a few pieces I've created with angled horizontal dividing lines between the dominant wood being used. For instance, I have a small footed bowl (about 5
1/2" diam x 4" tall) made from Mahogany with a white pine line running thru the bowl portion at an angle. I did this on the lathe as a sort of "what if I..." challenge to myself.
I mounted a 6"diam piece of 3/4 Mahogany to the lathe using a 2 1/8" forstner bit to drill the mounting hole for my chuck. Rather than set the piece flat against the back of the chuck, I allowed it to remain slightly "cocked" and then turned the face flat. To this, while still in the chuck, I glued a 3/4" piece of white pine and turned it down to approx 1/4" on the face side. Next came another piece of 3/4" Mahogany and it's face was turned flat as well. I then loosened the chuck and reset the piece flat against the back of the chuck, turned the face flat and the outside edge round.
At this point I was considering making the piece a footed hollow form, but after some further thought about that diagonal, almost pure white line, it occurred to me that, as a hollow form, the viewer would only see the line from the edge they were facing. The solution was a bowl. Viewing from a slightly elevated position, the contrasting line is visible from the outside as well as the inside and, being "cocked", as the viewer moves around the piece, or rotates it in their hand, the line actually appears to move.
The base was a segmented effort using the mahogany and pine cutoffs from the original squares and the piece was finished using a weak aniline dye mixture of red and black with a lacquer final finish. I'll get some pics up if anyone is interested.
I love your movement "movement" effort Charlie, just thought I'd offer a different viewpoint.
As usual, there's always more than one way to skin a cat. Your line, inside and out encourages that the viewer add the movement to get the line movement effect. How about putting the piece on a slowly rotating turntable - battery powered so no power cord or outlet required?
Yes! I have considered that, and more. For instance...
for a piece, say 6" in diameter, building an 8"x8" square (or round) pedestal, perhaps 4-6 inches in height (black lacquer would be my choice of finish here). Flush into the top of this would be a 6-7 inch turntable with the top made of opaque white plastic. Below this would be a small (7 watt or so?) light. One of the new CF bulbs would be great, good output w/little heat. I've had this idea in my head for a few months now. It will get done this year, I hope!
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