2 crotch cherry trivets

[Tom Sontag]

I have a habit of hoarding crotch wood but realized that my actually USING it has not been keeping up. It takes some thinking to use highly figured wood, and I finally did some. I began with 4/4 pieces about 2' long, rough shaped them including tenons, then carved the underside. One has african blackwood handles, the other bimble box burl. Tung oil finish.

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/trivets/cherrytrivets_zps7721aae8.jpg (http://s176.photobucket.com/user/SirDoofus/media/trivets/cherrytrivets_zps7721aae8.jpg.html)

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/trivets/cherrytrivetsback_zps14d39c18.jpg (http://s176.photobucket.com/user/SirDoofus/media/trivets/cherrytrivetsback_zps14d39c18.jpg.html)

[Jim Matthews]

Okay, the tops are nice.

The carved bottoms - they're epic.
I think one carved like that on the show face would be spectacular.

Kudos

[Jim Becker]

Those are wonderful!

[Jamie Buxton]

Wow. Talk some about the carving process. How do you do that? What chisels do you use? How do you get gleaming surfaces without sanding? How long does it take?

[Thomas Canfield]

Great use of some really pretty wood.

[Bruce Page]

Beautifully done.

[Tom Sontag]

Wow. Talk some about the carving process. How do you do that? What chisels do you use? How do you get gleaming surfaces without sanding? How long does it take?

I experimented with two different gouges but ended up using a #7 (IIRC) exclusively. I kept it honed quite sharp and the resulting chips left a very smooth surface behind. You certainly learn to go across the grain and the varying grain yielded the distinct patterning you see. With some fine tunes blaring from the speakers the hour or two it took for each flew by. It was some of the nicest time I'd ever spent in the shop. Occasionally I actually developed a rhythm, but the real key was the low spot light raking the surface. I shaped the underside with a single gentle curve and just took a chip from every bit of it. The oil finish did the rest.

[Tom Sontag]

Okay, the tops are nice.

The carved bottoms - they're epic.
I think one carved like that on the show face would be spectacular.

Kudos

Thank you Jim (and all others for the nice comments). I too was really pleased with the underside but talked myself into thinking that function would prohibit carving the top. You have me reexamining this assumption; I may try that on one of the two walnut ones I am now working on.

[Sean Hughto]

Those are great! So do you envision these as like trays for fruit or crackers and cheese? Or am I misunderstanding. I think of trivets as those things you put hot pots on, and I don't think these are those. Once again, really nice.

[Tom Sontag]

My wife insists that a "tray" must include border edges so grapes do not roll off of them, so these should be considered "trivets". You could use them for cheese platters (cheese rarely rolls), or as we intend, as replacements for the placemats we use to keep buffet serving dishes of the wooden top of the sideboard.

I try to not let function get in the way of an idea. I just wanted an interesting way to use some crotch boards and maybe generate some demand for the crotch wood I sell. Everything after that is rationalization.

[Tom Sontag]

Jim's suggestion and my suspicions that he was correct made me return to the shop and texture the top of one as I had the bottom. Here it is with one coat of oil, plus the before picture for comparison.

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/trivets/chtrivetcarvingtop_zps23606493.jpg (http://s176.photobucket.com/user/SirDoofus/media/trivets/chtrivetcarvingtop_zps23606493.jpg.html)

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/trivets/chtrivettop_zpsbfbdebb0.jpg (http://s176.photobucket.com/user/SirDoofus/media/trivets/chtrivettop_zpsbfbdebb0.jpg.html) http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/SirDoofus/trivets/cherrytrivets_zps7721aae8.jpg (http://s176.photobucket.com/user/SirDoofus/media/trivets/cherrytrivets_zps7721aae8.jpg.html)

The bimble box handle is still smooth. I like that the direction of the carved lines is determined by the underlying grain direction; it makes the observing the texture the same as reading the wood. The wood speaks.

[Jim Matthews]

Wow.

It's spectacular.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Whatever they're called, they're magnificent and I believe they'll get plenty of use in many capacities. They have style and personality galore.

[Shawn Pixley]

Beautiful! Jim was right. Great work on great wood.

[Bill McNiel]

Tom,
Those are beautiful! Thanks for posting, you have provided a spark that will hopefully glow in a couple of comissions I have coming up. I have a fair amount of highly figurede wood sitting around. the carved surfaces are most intriging.

[John T Barker]

Beautiful wood and very nice work. You've a good eye. I hear that cherry crotch is very unstable, do you any problems with it?

[Tom Sontag]

DRYING crotch wood is relatively difficult - perhaps that is where the unstable reputation comes from - but it is plenty stable once dry. The best figure is in the center making the slab essentially quarter sawn material.

Thanks all for the nice comments.