Wood is Good

[nineclaws]

It hit me today. I’ve gone hardcore. I’ve been procrastinating so hard I started working a piece of sterling silver for a moldavite pendant; anything to avoid having to write.

Silver is my least favourite metal to work. I stopped making jewelry years ago. Stone and metal working tools are mostly packed away. Proof of Hardcore Procrastination. I forced myself to stop. I’m not writing because __________________. Too many reasons; some excuses, some annoyances, some serious big girl stuff, as someone not 1mportant to you said one possibly purple lemon orange haze smoky day. ‘Nough said ‘bout my reasons this summer season while I try not to choke on smoke smells like plastic eyes burning trees fires a toxic haze too many Canada Inc. days weather forecast ”Smoke”. Literally. Forecast, spellcast, overcast, no diff, cough…cough…cough…

I choked on what I was going to say.

Wait… lemme go check the title……

Something about wood………wood chips???
I remember now.
I like to get physical, get down dirty and sweaty. Sitting in front of a black mirror screen, any form, any raisin reason season spider web length of time stirs repeat restlessness in me. Can’t focus. Can’t siphon my attention. Can’t keep me locked down lost in it. Don’t know why. Must be the way I’m wired, coded, and scripted in this show.Here is where I got my vise grip hard on, on hard maple that is. It’s the first time in a long time working on a large piece of wood again. Frustrations transmuted through a big fishtail gouge and a mallet branded with “Wood is Good”. Tell me the manufacturer of that mallet didn’t have a sense of humour. That heavy duty vise of mine has a fourteen inch throat. Good luck trying to escape if I clamp you in it.

I’m going to give you a little in-process show of my current wood carving romance. This is something I really dislike doing; in-process documentation of a creation, never mind posting about it. Thanks to @kesityu.fashion for the inspiration and encouragement or this wouldn’t have happened. She has this unique way of showing her in-process work so that each image becomes its own work of art.

By now, you’re wondering, what is this thing the claws are carving? No, @dandays, before you fingerspeak, it’s not a human femur. I’m not carving bone.........this time.A little bitty backstory on this piece of wood. Somewhere in summertime 2018 I had it in mind to carve a walking stick for myself in a stylized raven theme. Not long after, an arborist was cutting pieces off of a large hard maple tree, also known as sugar maple, the kind that produces that liquid dark gold delicious syrup worth drowning in.

One wood appendage just the right size, diameter, and as close to straight as a tree limb can grow, was lying on the ground. The arborist gave me the go head to take it. One less limb to haul to the dump to decay. Got it home, de-barked it, skipped using log sealer on the end grain and stored it. Removing all bark and sealing the end grain (prevents checking) are necessary for air curing green wood as evenly as possible.

That piece of maple has been sitting in my stockpile of woods, gathering dust, long dried out and no longer fresh juicy wet. I had forgotten all about it while riding life’s rollercoaster until the day of the dog walker with nine dogs (nine, ironic). I was surrounded, twice, by a pack of dogs off leash in the bowels of the ravine where I was tucked away in one of my off-trail hidey holes.

Dogs never seem to be my issue. Irresponsible self-centred humans are often an issue. It’s precisely why I was hidden away in the ravine getting a bit of respite from all that stuff.

I paused. Considered my response for a few minutes. Then I yelled, "The creek isn’t a fugging off leash dog park”. On it went. I’ll spare you those details. I left the area to seek solitude in another spot after the dog walker and his herd went by. Twenty-five minutes later, I’m surrounded a second time. I’m sitting low on a stone, drinking from a water bottle. I’m at a disadvantage if there’s an incident. Dog walker dude starts in on me with a verbal lashing.

He’s got the dogs between him and me. He’s about eight feet away. I stand up while putting the lid on my water bottle. Somehow that’s interpreted by him as me preparing to attack “his” dogs, not. Next thing I know he’s brandishing a big stick and the verbal threat, “You better watch yourself”. The guy is taller than me, is threatening me with a weapon, and has me surrounded with a nine pack of dogs. Who’s got the advantage here? Certainly not me but he’s scared for some reason I can’t fathom. I don’t look scary. Maybe it’s because I’m not backing down cowering on the ground. Sooo not my style.

Two city by-law violations and two criminal law violations later, he finally clues in that I’ll match him blow for blow if he wants to go, but he better be ready to go the distance if he starts some shite. It’s why I pack a knife. It’s why my key ring isn’t a ring. Do not offer me invitations.

Back home, next day, I’m thinking about sticks. I remember that chunk of oh so sweet sugar maple. I decide now is the time to carve that walking stick. No shots before I began the process. Wasn’t originally going to post about this at all.

I went at it with a large fishtail gouge and mallet. As I did, the phrase, “In times of war, carry a big stick and walk unseen”, dropped into my thoughts from nowhere.

I carved the bulk of wood off with the gouge after deciding my hatchet was unnecessary overkill for something this size. Original size of the maple tree limb was two thirds larger in diameter than what is in these photos and about five feet in length.I sawed four inches off the bottom end using a bow saw. That removed a check that occurred during drying. I cut off another chunk on the top at an angle. Using a gouge for detail work across end grain requires a slow hand and careful cutting to not pull the grain which damages the wood. This brought the walking stick to the right length for me, which is just over four feet.

Typically, I limit use of power tools when I’m carving, with the exception of when I’m working with stone. I’m short on time though. Decided to pull out a fav babe, my angle grinder, the thing I know how to make dance on any project, name the material, I’ve ground it down since I was seventeen.Safety glasses are must, now covered in finger printed maple wood dust.An hour and a half later, the walking stick isn’t walking yet, but I’ve got it where I want it. All major roughing out is finished. Approximately eight to ten hours work and a massive mess to bring it up to this point. Four feet, two inches in length, stick portion is one and a half inches in diameter.Shot a short video clip and turned it into a gif. I’m still finding my feet with video, tech challenged in terms of editing it, and really reluctant to talk on video. This is when I need a nineclaws stand-in while I stay behind the camera where I belong.Some closer shots of the top. Most of the detailing will be done on this part. I may/may not carve a spiral down the length and inlay a spiral of copper wire down to the bottom. I haven’t decided yet. The bottom I want to finish off with some sort of end cap, possibly this.What’s the design? What about drawings to show where I’m going with this thing? There are none. I don’t work that way. It’s far faster and easier for me to do all of that work in my mind. I use my imagination to visualize, design, and alter whatever I’m working on as I do it. I can’t show you that though, so you’re just going to have to take my word for it when I say I know what I’m doing. I work intuitively like the well-honed tool that I am.

Best description I can give of the design in my mind right now is this…...

• Something birdy, raven or hawk (go ahead @corvidae crow lady fingersay it) done in a stylized manner; carved to fit both left and right hands because I’m ambidextrous.

• Carved spiral down the length, maybe/maybe not (time issue)

• Inlay of copper in a spiral down the length, maybe/maybe not (time issue)

• Addition of end cap to the tip

• Quartz sphere inlay in the top, maybe/maybe not

  Original walking stick design idea included an inlay of a quartz sphere, one inch in diameter in the top. It took me months to find the right sized quartz sphere that is clear and almost flawless, meaning almost free of internal inclusions. This same sphere has already shown up in other photos.

I’m undecided as to where in the top of the walking stick I’ll inlay it and exactly how I want to do that. It depends on the way the bird wants to perch/fly around on the top of the stick. I’ll know what that will be when I get there with my gouge.~~~~~~~~~

We interrupt this romantic wood whale of a tale that goes on and on and on to bring you a brief newsflash update.

@brandt, You Were Warned. Now you have been turned to stone using diamond. Seems I caught you with a mouthful of broken quartz crystal teeth.

I’m not sorry.

~~~~~~~~~_{All photos taken by Nine with a Pentax digital 35mm camera and a 90mm Tamron macro lens. Video clip was shot with an ancient android cell phone. All sound effects in this post have been created and recorded by Nine. Yes, that really is the sound of my claws scratching a piece of bone. Note; no humans were harmed during the creation of that specific audio.}

Comments

[dandays]

It's not a Fema (in a failed attempted Arnold voice)!

I literally love it when people use literally properly.

I use a Bubba Stik, ever hear of it? The handle piece like you're talking is the brass handle thing from a saddle. Real heavy.. And legal.

Good call making that gif. Only way to know the size of that thing. Very nice.

Yeah, dog owners are fuckin assholes.

---

---

PS - You called yourself a tool.

[nineclaws]

😂 I got a visual with that first line.

I literally love it when people use literally properly.

I literally unlove it when people literally love it when people use literally properly not. What did I just say...? Smoke got in my eyes. Literally.

I use a Bubba Stik, ever hear of it?

I have not but it totally looks like your style stick. Brass, eh? How hard are you trying to encourage me to smash in skulls here?

Dude, I already got a rep where I live. Got spotted outside with that walking stick (taking it to show a friend) and got asked, "Who are you going to bash in the head with that?" How this happens when I've never been in a fight, not ever, let alone hit someone in the head with a bludgeon, I'll never, ever understand how anyone could make a mistaken impression of me like that.

Very nice.

Glad you like my stick, thank you.

PS - You called yourself a tool.

Well-honed tool I am. A diamond hone works best, daily.

ps - Atlas is turning you into a dogpornstar photographer.

[dandays]

Honed. Like, hollowed-out, yeah I get it, tool. = }

Cool you finally posted again. It's fun isn't it? Balancing censorship and authenticity on a family channel where producers hide their content from friends irl.

[nineclaws]

Yup, hollowed-out covers it these days. Very little left to go now.

Cool you finally posted again. It's fun isn't it?

Please kill me. Make it fast and permanent.

Balancing censorship and authenticity on a family channel where producers hide their content from friends irl.

I notice that happens A LOT. Freaky weird behaviour to me. If you're hiding what you do online from those in your life offline, I have to question what kind of person you really are.

[dandays]

That cover image is sofa king cool. I fuggin forgot to say that ish last time.

[nineclaws]

Well you best get that flock togetherish.

This one's only for you and all that you do. Thank you.

!heartdropsparkly

[kesityu.fashion]

A stick seems to be needed... can't stand those random dogs and/or humans interrupting peace.

I cant wait too see that bird! Or it looking at me?
...I see you picked up the camera while hitting that wood, well I enjoyed it:)

Wood, Stones, Fabric, Photos, is there anything you don't do? Impressed!

I guess my woodcarving experiences never went over the stage of collecting the wood with big plans...or enjoying the smell of it😅

[nineclaws]

A herd was overwhelming. Dogs are only allowed off-leash in designated dog parks, not that people bother with that until there's a problem that teaches them to do so.

I cant wait too see that bird! Or it looking at me?

It might be but it hasn't told me. 😂

Thanks for inspiring me to give this a go. I wouldn't have done it otherwise.

Wood, Stones, Fabric, Photos, is there anything you don't do? Impressed!

Thank you! Some things I don't do; glass, performance art, singing, and languages other than english for a sampling.

collecting the wood with big plans...or enjoying the smell of it😅

I do that too. I specialized in carving sculptures (20 plus years), did it professionally, then left the professional arena once I accomplished my goal. The last while I've been doing whatever I want creatively. I've been enjoying that freedom very much.

[kesityu.fashion]

It's like every dog owner thinks everyone else also has to love their dog too...nah

💛(another yellow heart)😊

The more I get to know about you and your skills the more I would love to see them or have some tour of you creation archives:) ...well I will be satisfied with what you'll share here!

[nineclaws]

It's like every dog owner thinks everyone else also has to love their dog too...nah

It's an attitude of self-centred entitlement where I live; a dog or dogs may/may not be included in that picture.

In person is more fun, or it was. No one gets a tour now, not since I stopped being in the professional fine art world. What I've shared on this platform is less than five percent of what I create. There are many reasons for that; the most important one being that I have little motivation to do so and at this point down to none. Colour me world weary for the last ten years.

!heartdropyellow

[kesityu.fashion]

What I've shared on this platform is less than five percent of what I create.

Sounds like it:)
No point to expose it all, or too much, especially if it doesn't feel right!

[strega.azure]

I like to get physical, get down dirty and sweaty. Sitting in front of a black mirror screen, any form, any raisin reason season spider web length of time stirs repeat restlessness in me. Can’t focus. Can’t siphon my attention. Can’t keep me locked down lost in it. Don’t know why. Must be the way I’m wired, coded, and scripted in this show.

Totally can relate. I have to work very hard physically from time to time, to the point where my legs and back completely refuse to obey me. I always thought it was because I grew up in the countryside and hard work was in my blood. :D

Even though I live in the city, from time to time I invent some ridiculous activity that tires me out in the way I need it to.

I like to scrub my hands endlessly with a sharp brush afterwards:)

I really admire your woodworking skills. I did some woodworking in in linden wood at the academy but it turns out I'm allergic to it :D Is sugar maple much harder than linden?

What chisels do you use? Most woodcarvers I know make their own tools, mostly from metal car parts.

What you said about working without drawing - it's almost a necessity when carving. I know a few people who 'draw' on the clay or wood as they work, but it would be minority. If you don't have a spatial imagination - even the best drawing is of little use. Unless you use a milling machine ;)

Walking stick(I genuinely wish it will be just that!!) looks great and comfortable for a hand so far. I hope you will break free from the clutches of procrastination and show further progress, or at least the final result.

What do you use to finish the wood? Some varnish or linseed oil?

Nine(!) dogs?
What on earth was this dude thinking? I had no clue that Canada can go so Wild West sort of way :D I hope this was a one off situation.

What metal do you like to work with? Well, and why not with silver?

I have plenty more questions to ask, but let's start here:)

[wrestlingdesires]

That's going to be a magnificent walking stick :) ... I can't say I'd recommend it for nine dogs, unless you can get your back against something, though... Bear spray and one of those sonic things might be good investments.

This post has been manually curated by the VYB curation project

[nineclaws]

Thank you @wrestlingdesires! It's a walking stick with a three-fold purpose. Three-in-one. Never for dogs. Those nine dogs couldn't figure out why all the yelling. They looked puzzled.

Bear spray means a criminal charge in Canada Inc., unless you are in bear country and using it on bear. I checked. I'm a stickler for knowing what constitutes a criminal charge.

I don't know anything about sonic things, but it sounds like something I wouldn't want to rely on. I prefer to rely on what I have training and experience with.

[wrestlingdesires]

I'm glad the encounter ended safely, and the dogs knew he wasn't in need of their protection! The sonic thing is supposed to hurt their ears, but I've never tried one. The idea seems sound, though...

Definitely go for the crystal and spiral :)

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[thepimpdistrict]

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You earned 1.000 PIMP for the strong hand.
They're getting a workout and slapped 1/1 possible people today.}

---

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[nineclaws]

The sonic thing is supposed to hurt their ears, but I've never tried one.

To me, using such a thing on any animal is cruel torture. Not something I'd ever use now that I know what it is. Besides, people are the problem, not dogs. Dogs just be dogs. It is people that know how to cause problems. I hold people responsible for their behaviour, especially when they have no concept of self-responsibility themselves. I also hold myself responsible for all of my own behaviour, so that rule applies to myself as well.

Definitely go for the crystal and spiral :)

Maybe it will facilitate my journey. 😁

On a personal note; thank you for all of your support and engagement. I really do appreciate it. All the best, cheers!

[wrestlingdesires]

Besides, people are the problem, not dogs. Dogs just be dogs.

Exactly :) Unfortunately some people either teach or encourage them to act in dangerous ways. If a dog badly injured you, you might not be offered the option to have it go to a good home? It's not their fault, but the animals always get the worst of it :( That's why I mentioned the idea of the non violent method of making them back off if there's an incident. Yes it would be uncomfortable, but assuming they're free to move away it shouldn't last but an instant. But it sounds like that guy's dogs know you're good :)

[nineclaws]

So you think I should blame and harm dogs when it's a human (not sure if he was) that was waving a large stick at me and threatening to harm me? I'll add here that he stalked me and waited to catch me off-guard a third time that day, which I avoided because I was paying attention. Still think it's the dogs I should have been concerned about?

[wrestlingdesires]

No of course not, in this case the dogs were harmless. I meant if he had been someone sick enough to teach them to hurt the people he stalks (which would be similar to causing a kid to help in a crime, in my opinion). The man should be behind bars, and his dogs given to people who will care for them. It's just sad what some people will do :( I hate to think what his intentions were in deliberately trying to catch you alone and intimidate you...

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[nineclaws]

Thank you @ninahaskin, much appreciated!

[ninahaskin]

You're welcome! @nineclaws😊

[nineclaws]

!heartdroppink

[ninahaskin]

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[nineclaws]

😁

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[corvidae]

That dog dude is crazy. You got a lotta nutballs living in your metropolis.

I can't wait to see the bird!

[nineclaws]

Big city gone on speed crazy. I'm sure the owners of those dogs would be really impressed to know the dogwalker they trust with their dogs is walking them in a creek bed of broken glass, loads of rusted fence wire, leftover stuff from drug addicts getting a fix, and a myriad of other garbage. I only know because I've been picking all of that out of the creek for the last three years.

I can't wait to see the bird!

Which bird can't you wait to see?

[corvidae]

WHichever bird manifests themself on your staff.

Hey autocorrect recognizes the singular of they/them, now!

I just can't stand to refer to birds as "it," even when they're moderately inanimate carvings.

[nineclaws]

Well that's no fun, no fun at all, but these are those kind of days, so it can't be what it isn't.

[pizzabot]

PIZZA!

$PIZZA slices delivered:
@wrestlingdesires_(5/15) tipped @nineclaws (x3)

[anitahorvatirl]

Tnx for unfollow..

[nineclaws]

It's not about you.

[anitahorvatirl]

All good. Enjoy

[eolianpariah2]

it was never any match. he may have had nine dogggsssss but you are nine claws

[eflin-essie]

Wow What an informative article.

[nineclaws]

Thank you 😊

[makorirobinson]

I did not anything about growing and replenishing the forests. Remember the most beautiful wood grains are because of the years they have been growing-infact the grain layers that create the beauty you see reflect the number of years.

[nickydee]

You should write more 👍

[nineclaws]

Thanks for leaving me a fully human note of encouragement. Still writing, still debating, finally decided to post something this week. Again, thanks for the encouragement, I do appreciate it.

[nickydee]

Hah.

All good. I know full well how it goes. I also have massive periods of silence.

It can get hard to unstick though. Glad a nudge helped a bit :)

[nineclaws]

It can get hard to unstick though. Glad a nudge helped a bit :)

It can, thank you, otherwise, who cares... 😂

[nickydee]

I once saw a meme that said "Nobody cares" with two different halves.

One half had a person looking all said that nobody cared.

The other half had a person skipping along with delight because nobody cared.

I guess it's all a matter of perspective again :D

[nineclaws]

😂 Duality wrapped into one mug, all the same, despite two seemingly different halves. It is all a matter of perspective.

[nickydee]

One hand in my pocket :)