The Carvery

Yeah so ... I Bin slack ..

2008-03-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

Well I have as far as this is concerned.

Still ... never fear there are more horses to come.

Now a sneak peek at the coming joy joy for Scrapbooking types ....

You will of course remember the A4 Books I have done befor e... well now they can be gotten in a nude form (if you will excuse the notion!) Now they also come with the new interscrews I have been able to source making them more sexiful than ever! These are a standard Inch long (2.5 cm) which can be exteneded to about 3.2 centimeters. To give you some idea of how much this means a 500 80 gsm ream is about 4.5 cm thick from memory.

The Details are: 2 x 30 x 1.8 cms 663 gms

For those sticklers I will also be working up a range of others.

here is an 8' x 8'. Details are: 22 x 22 x 1.5 cms 472 gms

And last but certainly not least a funny wee notebook doodad which my three year old son thinks is the bees knees .....

Deatils: 8.3 x 22 x 1.5cm 185gms

Here you can see the length of the interscrews demonstrated against the thickness of the MDF. The reason it looks wonkey is because the MDF is not as thick as the Interscrew which is here as tight as it will go. As I said earlier, considering they can be extended out to three centimeters that is a lot of memories!

Front Entrance

2007-05-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

Stickbits

2007-05-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

The Carvery

2006-03-09T21:27:00.000-08:00

Well I am back for a brief scratch to let you all know what I have been up to.

Contrary to popular opinion I am NEVER at a loss for things to do!

Consider these two lovelies .. they were a commission for a place up in Mareeba - one of the places I grew up! *Waves* Pluggity plug ... so if you are up on the Tablelands or in Mareeba and feelin' inclined you may wish to drop in on the place and sign the guestbook!!

As their website says:
(http://www.jaquescoffee.com/)

"The Jaques Coffee Plantation, located 8km east Mareeba, Queensland, Australia, 4.5km off the Kennedy Highway and at the end of Leotta Road. It is a pleasant 45 minute drive west of Cairns on the Cairns Highlands (formerly, and also known by the locals as the Atherton Tablelands)."

Of course there was "Kitten's" very dark stain plain book which she is going to airbrush, (when I get a shot of the final product I will post a plug for her work in here too!)the usual sort of books for to be snapped up like the Triquetra or the Swirl books.

Now don't get me wrong .. I love these little beauties but I must say that they do pale beside commission pieces that are that bit different. It is infinately worthwhile to my mind to say "Oh hell yeah I can do that ... you wnat it when ... sure no problems at all..." then sneak off thinking "Ok now that I have said I will do it I should probably work out HOW THE HELL TO DO IT!"

I really enjoyed doing this A3 beauty for a private commission for this reason. Several redesigns were required before it all came together in such a way that didn't make the whole piece look totally crowded. It was also nice to be doing something than a plain pentagram.

On this note I will also include the lovely student traveller boxes. One of these has been finished and sent up to the Tablelands and the other is all but finished and ready to join it's sibling. They are awesomely wonderful and I am very proud of them even if they do work out a bit expensive for my tastes.

As you can see there is ample room for papers and whatnot on the inside and the bases holds one of the books I make (in this case the celt swirl). Now the only way that I think I personally would have this done differently is that I would have it mounted with a shoulder strap rather than a handle because it really can get heavy if you have to cart it about by the handle alone. Still none the less a handle was asked for and a handle I dutifully found!

Due to it being quite a bit of fiddling around (I reckon I will just have to come up with a template and make these all of one shot as opposed to altering an existing box) and they have a book included as well as all the rest these came out at an exorbitant $80. That is a fact that I would hope tp rectify by altering the practice. (I know you wouldn't get anything like it anywhere else and hand made and all the other arguments that I had before I relented to the price but sheesh ... we'll just have to see if we can't make it more accessible!)

Well all that being said I should really get back to the pieces I have out there in the garage ... hell they don't make themselves and it certainly doesn't ALL happen by magic ... just a bit of it. I am looking forward to doing some more different stuff soon so keep your eyes peeled and I will try to get in here more often to tell you about the latest!!

About those books ...

2006-02-23T18:27:00.000-08:00

On the subject of Books ....

There are several different sorts of hand made books on the market these days. Some of them are actually quite beautiful in my opinion however there are a couple of things about them that get under my skin.

Firstly many of them are ridiculously expensive. Yes they are catering for a somewhat exclusive market, but I ask you - haven't you thought it too? Some of them are simply wood painted and the prices are outrageous. I know how much wood can cost and how much paint can cost - where the rest of teh cash goes I don't know!

Some of them have bits and doodads stuck on all over and well besides looking a bit odd to me and virtually impossible to put on a shelf with anything else – they too are still outrageously priced.

Then of course there are the ones imported from overseas … well I have a problem with paying an artisan virtually nix for their work and then profiting greatly there from *shrugs*.

Secondly, I may be a bluff old traditionalist but well they mostly strike me as being .. well just TOO damn perfect. If I am going to shell out extra hard-core dollars for a handmade book I want it to bloody well LOOK HAND MADE!

Thirdly, many of them are so damn huge that they become the sort of thing you can only put on a dais for effect. They are so thick that you could sprain your wrist trying to pick it up (it has happened!!) – let alone carting the thing about like a notebook … forget that!

Well obviously by that screed you can surmise that ours tend to be thinner, not so perfect and a damn site cheaper! We also can carve on your book whatever YOU would like there – something that puts us, frankly not actually in competition with the other sorts of books on the market at all.

On the Virtues of MDF ...

Right from the beginning I settled on MDF as my medium. Now some people have expressed concern about this and I have decided here to once and for all state my reasons for this.

To begin with it is a medium that if treated well will result in a fairly fine edge and this makes it good for the sort of work I do. It is fairly light and fairly cheap which means the product remains at a reasonable end price.

Secondly, the use of MDF is so that the pieces remained affordable. I wanted pieces that I could produce that people could afford. The simple fact is that had I done pieces in exotic woods, they would have cost more and been harder to do.

The wood costs more, the scouting costs more, the work to re-thickness/clean up the wood found costs, the work is more arduous and takes longer (more cost) and well then it is defined totally and only really useful for one thing (see next paragraph). This means either the price goes up and less people can afford them or I start ripping myself off and neither option is acceptable to me.

Thirdly, virtually all of the pieces I did were for the Pagan/Occult/Witch market and the practical upshot of this is that if they were of any specific wood they would be useful only in certain ways. Specific wood = specific purpose.

What I wanted was something that did not have any hidden loading (so to speak); something that could be bought “clean” of past associations and literally be used for anything that the owner desired. A man made material composed of various types of wood is ideal to this end.

The fact that it tends to take stains outrageously well is a side effect I don't mind either! I have been constantly amused when asked: "What kind of wood is it?" to see the reactions on faces when I say: "Just MDF mate! It works fine for me (I actually DO use them!!) and so say all my customers – not one complaint yet!"

I can and have done pieces for people using wood that they have. It is understandably something that costs more but well at the end of the day it depends on how much of a stickler one is for exactly what one wants.

Putting New Paper in your Hand Carved Book – Tutorial

2005-12-07T16:43:00.000-08:00

Ok so it is not brain surgery BUT there are a few things that can be pit falls and mar an other wise good job. TRUST ME – I have DONE THEM ALL!!

So here I am going to do a wee "step by step" with pictures (pretty Flash eh!?!) on the “how to” of replacing the pages. If you do these steps carefully, theoretically you should get a good job each time.

Ok then, here we are at step one.

You may think at first glance that this would be all you would need in order to change the paper over in your book but you’d be WRONG. Hell yes you can do it this way but it is dodgy and there is every reason that you may stuff it up.

You will also need some small clamps. Failing this get someone else to help you. Someone you can TRUST to hold stuff together and down without moving it.

Here you can see the sort of clamps I mean. They are small and you can get them at any two dollar shop or Big W – they are cheap and you should make sure you get four of them. Also take care that the workspace is nice and flat. You can see here that the border on mine is flat aluminium bordering and that is perfect. Easy to clean and flat with no ambiguous bumps. It is also worth having two bits for your drill. Certainly have the one that fits the bolt holes – but also if you are not too sure about your drilling prowess get a teeny thin one for guide holes.

Step two is the easy bit. Unscrew the bolts and lay out the whole piece as you see it here. This way you can’t loose bits and it is all clear. This may not seem too difficult but you’d be surprised how quickly bolts and nuts roll off the bench, get lost in the dust, go in the wrong holes – whatever! If you get into the habit of a clean and ordered workspace it will help you a lot.

Step Three.

Now that everything is clean and clear, open up your paper and lay it out on the back piece as show. This is the first reason why everything has to be clean and orderly. You are dealing with whatever nice paper you have decided to put it there and nothing will ruin that quite like getting grease or dirt all over your papers.

Lay it flat as shown and see to it that there is a bit of an equal border between the edge of the paper and the top of the back. Ensure this for the bottom also.

Here you can see why this is necessary. The book cover is made bigger than A4 so as to protect the paper inside. If the space around the paper at top and bottom is not equal it looks STUPID and WE DON’T WANT THAT!

Also note the next step is to put the front cover on. Do ensure at this point that you have put it back together correctly. All the bolt holes should be on the same side. There can be little worse than redrilling only to find that because you haven’t put it back together right you have drilled through the wrong side of the cover!! (And YES I HAVE done this!!)

In this case make it the bottom. Jiggle it a bit to ensure the paper sits flush at the spine and all together as you see here. It also must remain equally spaced at top and bottom. If you have a flat surface as I have it helps make sure that the paper sits flush and all in one form. Nothing worse than having pages in the middle misaligned!

This is what I mean. You can see between this and the previous picture that the cover has been replaced properly, the paper is flush at the spine and has been spaced at the top and bottom correctly. If you get that spine flush it gives a lovely look and helps with your re-drilling IMMESURABLY.

It is worth taking your time to get this right. Re-do as many times as necessary for you to be happy with it.

The next step is to clamp it. Put one clam either side of the bolt hole taking care that all your hard work lining it all up doesn’t slip away. If you place one clamp either side it gives you the maximum amount of stability and you will want it when you are drilling. Once you have clamped it – check that all your lining hasn’t gone awry. Check also that the paper hasn’t slipped on itself and is now uneven somewhere. (This often can occur in the middle and as we have already explores … make it look STOOPID!)

Ok here we go – time to start drilling!!

Now I have mentioned this before. If you are unsure as to your ability to just drill straight on through and perfectly match both sides, use a small tiny drill bit to put some guide holes through. What this means is that if you place the drill bit right in the center of the bolt hole it will give you some room all the way round. Hold your drill firmly and upright and allow the weight of the drill to push the bit down. Drill through to about half way and then flip the book over and drill through from the other side. This way you have a MUCH reduced chance of going off at an angle and through the cover on the far side or simply making a hash of it!

(And YES AGAIN – I have done this one much to my dismay on a finished item. It gives two overlapped holes on the far side and looks…? You guessed it! It looks STOOPID!!)

One thing to watch out for in using the smaller drill bits it that with all that extra space it is easy to move just a bit and before you know it you are drilling down RIGHT BESIDE the edge as you see here. Ok so it will only be a small hole and with the bit at that size it is more than likely to correct itself on the other side when it hits the wood BUT I ASSURE YOU … the one time you don’t want it to mess up it WILL mess up – so don’t get into the habit of it! Get into the right habits in the first place and you will be grateful in the long run that you did.

Ok so you have your small holes nicely in the center and you have checked out both sides to make sure it goes all the way through to where it should … what now?

Well this is where you get the drill bit that fits the hole. Lock it in and check everything. This is another reason that the small guide holes are useful. If you have them nice and centered, then the tip of your proper size bit should sit in it nice and snug. It should bite into the paper properly with a minimum of mess and disturbance to the way it sits in the cover and there will be a lesser chance of the bit slipping out and scoring a ruddy great line across your lovely finish. (You would not BELIEVE how crap that looks – or how irritatingly difficult it is to sand back and fix properly!!)

You can see here how important the clamps are to stability, how important a good straight vertical drill is and why you let the weight of the drill do the work. All this ensures a good even descent that goes where it should and disturbs as little as possible so that there is no unwanted movement between page and page or page and cover.

Ok now you will be tempted at this stage to take the clamps off – DON’T!!! Drill each hole one at a time and leave the clamps where they are!!

Carefully blow away any slough and check the piece and the holes. When it is clear and clean you may proceed to put the bolt in. It is ok to simply let it sit in the hole – it will keep everything where it should be.

When you have put the bolt in, THEN you can drill the second hole. Place the second bolt in – leaving the clamps well alone. These clamps are the only thing that stands between you and and the odious chore of having to fit every sheet singly. This is NOT recommended!!
If the clamps aren’t holding it together then the pages can fall out and you will have to put them in one at a time because there is literally no way on heaven or earth that you will be able to line all the raggedly drilled pages up adequately to get them back in any other way. I have tried.

Now here is another really basic tip that is invaluable. Leaving the book where it is, carefully remove the clamps from around ONE of the bolts. Place the nut on your finger as shown and then use the screwdriver to join the two. You may be tempted to pick the book up – DON’T the bolts fall out and we are back in the wonderful world of “Oh Crap”. Just use the screwdriver and they will go together. Screw it nice and tight.

Again you will be tempted to pick up the book. DON’T.

Having done one of the bolts, do the other in the same fashion. Only when both are nice and tight should you pick up the job to drool over …. Oops I mean inspect it.

Something in the pipes

2005-11-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

And NO I DON'T mean I have been at the "Party Pies" again!!

I have a current commission on the way and thought the few people that actually swan by to see what's doing here could have a gander too as it is something that I reckon is way cool. It is I think in some ways the natural progression from the books I have done and would be just perfect for the travelling mystic or witch on the move. See if you don't know what I mean!

So here we have the prototype in all it's hideous glory. It's alive! It's ALIIIIVE! MUAHHAHAH

Some of the more astute may have noticed that I am cannibalising the old writing box I did and then made a hash of by trying to be overly clever. Yes, even the dead serve a purpose!

Here is another view of it. You can clearly see that the slant on the top lid is just right for writing table-y goodness.

Open SEZ-ME!

The inside of this is actually quite deep given the subject and can hold quite a bit if you are that way inclined. Books, notes, scrolls, cards, you name it!

The wee string with the toggle is useful not only for keeping the lid shut but also for getting the book out nice and easily!

Obviously the future owner of such a masterpiece would need to decide how many pages they want their book to have before construction so this gap can be gotten just right .. but hey is that a small problem or what?!?

That all being done, it's on the hip and away! Here I have a long shoe lace to keep it over the shoulder - naturally we will come up with something a bit more prosaic and legendary .... but hey for the now it proves it can be done!!

Coming Attractions

2005-10-29T23:44:00.000-07:00

Ok now is the time to get sexy.

That wonderful consumer holiday is fast approaching and I have the most sexiful wares in town .. and I mean SEXY!!!

Those of you who have been around for a bit may remember this post I did, where you may remember the sneaky peek I did at the end of a long piece that was carved. I have been sitting on that ever since so that I could have the final piece just the way I wanted it. By that I mean, sexy deep and dark finish that is smooth and silky to the touch. Well here you see what I have finally arrived at!

(The originally posted pic can be found @: http://bissekart.blogspot.com/2005/03/easter-doings.html )

The same could be said for a couple of other pieces that are about to go up for sale. Those of you who have actually had a good long look about the website (Bissekart.com) may remember the table tops I did. I was never happy with the finish I got on the legs. Yes I KNOW you don't actually tend to SEE the legs but I was never happy with them none the less. That is now a thing of the past.

ALSO in the category of "never quite what I wanted" was the top that looked like this ...

My gripe with it was that while it was carved in ... it always looked like it was done in a drunken stupor with a damn tick Nikko marker!!

While it had a certain stark simplicity to it ... oh let's face it - I thought it looked damn awful.

So what do you do in that case? Well you sit and wait and then you redo it ... and if you are very lucky then you have learnt a thing or two since then and you apply those new skills to the job at hand. If you are VERY lucky you may even wind up getting the finished product to look like you would have dearly wished in the first place!!

What does it look like now? Well feast the eyes on this beauty.

While this is a table top, I would strongly urge that it be put on the wall. It is very tactile and well ... the effect is better!

Am I having fun yet or what!??!

And I haven't even begun talking about the many books that will be going up in the near future ... the motto here is that if you want the most sexiful stuff around at the very best price around ... the Rough Cuts shop on eBay is the place to go.

Do yourself a favour...

I can give you two minutes!

2005-10-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

Well I really don’t have time to chat right now – am just way too damn busy playing with my new toy.

Oh yes indeedy the finishes I want are now within my reach …….

Watch this space they used to say and so I repeat it … largely because I don’t have any creativity to spare right now …

Hmmm well - in the meantime here are some commish bitz and a couple o wee treasure boxes ... just so as you can see ...

The New Thing ...

2005-09-13T16:50:00.002-07:00

Well now we all know that I always strive to make my books as sexiful and "Bond-San" would like and that I don't let stuff sell unless I like the look of it.

But what about how it feels?

Well I have been learning a bit here and there and am now proud to release the first pix of the new style of book.
(Click on the Pix for close views!)

These come in A4 and A3 for the moment but some A5 are not far off!

Not only are they "plentiful long time sexy" to look at .... they are also "yumbo tingle smile day-times" to touch. Oh yes indeedy I was sold on this new finish on feel alone!

These feel every bit as smoothly satin as they look!

You will find these up on the ebay store REAL SOON ...

In Fact ... perhaps you should go look NOW ...

(Click banner above for directions!)

Busy Days Crazy Nights

2005-07-31T17:00:00.001-07:00

Busy Days Crazy Nights

It sometimes seems I imagine that not much happens in this place but you'd be wrong.

I'll Begin with these stunning A3 Books that were commissioned recently for a new business that will be coming out in a little bit. By the by these guys do the most awesome stuff with clothes - we even had them do our wedding outfits! As soon as they have their site up I shall put an easy link for all and sundry to follow.

They were heaps of fun on account of the fact that it is so difficult to get them done when it BLOODY WELL RAINS! None the less they came up all right in the end and were very well received and that is the main thing. What does this mean for you oh humble reader? It means there will be more books pronto! More A5, more A4, more A3! Keep your eyes peeled!!

The Black and Red is so fiddly! I HATE doing hand painting like this - it is just so damn fiddly. Of course the end result always makes me know it was worth it.

Then of course there is the favoured effect of the moment which is the distressed or antique look. Gods I love doing this - it just looks so damn good!.

I must say however that in this case it also had the curious effect of making the book distinctly "Wild West"!

I don't quite know what the go is with that but well hell pardner's!
How can 'ee go wrong!?!

Sometimes the coolest effects just happen all on their lonesome!

Immediately prior to these works were some books made for a local practitioner who then in view of the previous work commissioned some boxes for his cards.

Did it rain all through these as well?

Of course it did. I must say I was some worried about the finishes but again, the consumer is happy and so am I.

Have I been slack? Not bloody likely!

Back on Track!

2005-07-15T18:07:00.000-07:00

What does it mean when someone leaves a lovely big table saw like this one unescorted in my presence when I have some time?

Well it means we are back on track!

Expect to see some new books up on the ebay real soon!

New Books! New Looks!

Buy New NOW - all the popular kids will touch you ... THERE!

Mystic's Hearth and the BMF Sign

2005-06-04T01:26:00.000-07:00

Ok you know what I have said about 1300? Well dear Mel of the Mystic’s Hearth also has some of the loveliest things and recently they went to the Mediaeval Fayre where they sported a sign of my making!

Here is a picture of Mel and the infamous sign in question, which I made in three days between hospital visits to see my wife when she had our son. THAT was a busy damn week!

Right at the front gate … does it get any better than that??

Soon she tells me she will have some of my stuff on her site as well .. hmmmm photos need a takin! hehehe

Run, do not walk to Mystic's Hearth ....

http://www.mysticshearth.citymaker.com/main.html

1300 A.D

2005-06-04T01:13:00.000-07:00

The folks @ 1300 came to my attention recently and I am supposed to have gotten back in touch with them - re some sales.

Obviously of late I have been short of time and so I will have to do them up a wee prezzo when I go to see them finally.

I cannot more strongly urge you – go suss their site out because they have the most sexifull stuffs!

By the way Malcolm – let me know what else you’d like on your shop glass!
http://www.1300ad.com/

Lords of the L.H.P Glass

2005-06-04T00:59:00.000-07:00

Anton La Vey. Like him or hate him - those of the New Age OWE him.

I found myself looking at some fan art of his by some C.O.S members recently.
It ranged from the abominable to the sublime (check out the statue from Arkham studios!!).

In the face of it I remembered that I had always wanted to do a glass for him and so I have.

Anton - we will miss you.

Enough of the Missed PIX!

2005-05-31T18:35:00.000-07:00

Hmmm well there I am wrangling with other's ability to host pix for this thing .... the question occurs to me:

"Why Bother?" .... followed quickly by the admonition:

"Perhaps if you had paid proper attention in the first place you might not be in this mess now"

Sigh - This is my life .... well I look forward to things running a bit smoother on the pix front now ...

Thanks for the heads up and the bearing with ....

Hmmm now if I can just figure all this out ... *G* What fun!

The Great(est) Work

2005-05-10T00:56:00.000-07:00

Well things have quiet on the site, on the ebay and on the blog recently but they have been far from quiet on the home front. For some time I have been in collaboration so to speak on what is surely the Magnum Opus.

Yes indeed I feel it is an obvious statement when I say this is my finest work to date ...

In the light of this you will all certainly understand if I am slow to respond to some of the queries that have come my way take a while to respond to. There really is nothing like waking up three to five times a night to let you know that you are alive.

Still, what you see when you do get up makes it all worth while.

"And I will never leave you 'til we can say "this world was just a dream we where sleeping now we are awake..."

Easter Doings

2005-03-28T17:45:00.000-08:00

Yes we are back again and what an Easter it has been.

You may have thought I would be silent forever but not so ... have just been well busy! *G*

I shall get in amongst it all a bit more soon but for the now you will have to be content with some pix..

And now a sneak preview of the next BIG project ...

First Shots for the new Zone

2005-03-18T11:48:00.000-08:00

One thing I am playing about with at present is a pipe.

I must say it is lookin pretty good - and I am chuffed.

What do you think?

Here are some looks!

From the Bottom

.From the front

.
From the Side
.
What the Smoker sees
.

To Clarify

2005-03-17T17:10:00.000-08:00

So you are here now what is this all about I hear some ask?

It is all very well and good if you came here from the website - if you did that you'd say: "Oh I see here he rattles on about the latest thing he is working on. At least then I can get a sneaky peek at the stuff that would be soon in line for sales. But just imagine.... what if you didn't know about the site? What would you think then?

Well I suppose you'd read what I said here and have it explained. Hmmm ...

BUT you might still be thinking: "What the hell is all this about a site?"

Well I do have a link on the profile blah blah bleh ... but well here is another one.

The Site

It Begins Here

2005-03-13T20:10:00.000-08:00

Yes Indeedy It Begins Here!

Do you want to know what will be next to come out of the Carvery?

Looking for that special present that you want to get to before anyone else?

Just want to have a sticky beak?

Well It all starts here .. I look forward to seeing you

Scott