(WIP) Sphere

[Bruce Jones]

"Sphere"
This piece is about 8" D the size of a pro Soccer ball and has been open air constructed from Walnut & White Oak then as you'll see in the photos filled with color resin and some of the voids being filled are being hand carved and will be filled with color resin. After carving and filling the piece will go back on the lathe and turned thinner, then I will attach one of the top sections with the tenon shown in the photos and then a final turn inside and out. The remaining top section will get rare earth magnets to hold it in place and a led light will be placed inside illuminating the color resin cavities. There is still a great deal of work on this project and once again if you have questions please just ask.

[Frederick Skelly]

Cant wait to see the final result!

[Vicki Hayden]

Wow! That is gonna be awesome.

[Bruce Jones]

Thank you Fred and Vicki it will be a while, but I'll post some more as I go and the final piece as well.

[John Hart]

Really cool project Bruce. I lack the discipline for such things. Can't wait to see how it turns out

[Larry Frank]

That is amazing and can not wait to see it completed.

[Bruce Jones]

Thank you John and Larry I'll be sure and post more as I go.

[John Jardin]

WOW!!
Outstanding

[Bruce Jones]

Thank you John.

[Peter Blair]

Amazing patience! Saw it on WOW and it looks even better there. Please continue to show progress shots. I'm very interested in the process you will use to add resin.

[Bruce Jones]

Amazing patience! Saw it on WOW and it looks even better there. Please continue to show progress shots. I'm very interested in the process you will use to add resin. Thank you Peter and for posing the inquiry, The photos should look the same here as they do on WOW they are the same photos and the same size, unless that site has some type better resolution I'm not a photographer what so ever.

I was thinking of posting these next photos there showing how I have been casting the resin on this piece "SPHERE" but I have had very littlie response on that site to my process. It's like folks are reluctant to ask questions or comment on that site.

Anyway in these photos I'm showing how I cast the center sections but i made a slight change. I'm using modeling clay to hold the resin in place and to plug the cavities while the resin sets. On the center sections I did not section off each cavity, and had some spill over causing there to be two colors mixing in a few places. This time I'm using three colors and wanted better control so each has it's own dam if you will. The reason i chose modeling clay is first off it won't hurt my gouges while turning, second it's easy to shape anyway I need and it's fairly cheep to buy.

I also have carved all the triangles to the the pencil lines and have shown the inside of the project to help you understand how I'm doing this project, but if you have questions please just ask I do not mind answering and will help you in anyway I can with your projects.

[Bruce Jones]

I pushed through last night and cast another section, on to the third casting in this section, here's a photo of how it looks after removing the clay and the resin I'm using in the background.

[Vicki Hayden]

I'm curious how you designed it and keep the sections 'straight' as to what to carve and what to leave. Do you use a computer program? Seems like there might have been a lot of math? In any case I'm glad you are sharing this unique project with us. It's fun watching it progress.

[Bruce Jones]

I'm curious how you designed it and keep the sections 'straight' as to what to carve and what to leave. Do you use a computer program? Seems like there might have been a lot of math? In any case I'm glad you are sharing this unique project with us. It's fun watching it progress.
The piece was built like an open air segmented piece kicked up a notch, I never use math programs in any of my designs it's all done by eye. the V's & Diamonds were set in place around a segmented ring. Then sanded flat on the top side and another ring was glued on. If you look at this photo you can see the pencil lines that I carved to that's the only carving so far, the rest is all glue up segmented rings. I hope this helps up understand how it was put together but if you still have questions please feel free to ask.

[Bruce Jones]

And here's another photo showing some carved and others not carved and the color resin that still needs to be turned down flush to the spheres shape, you can also se where the colors mixed a bit in the center sections.

[Bruce Jones]

I have now cast the fourth section on this side one more to go for this side.

[Vicki Hayden]

Thanks Bruce. It seems amazing to me that one can design that in their head. And then to think of the carving and epoxy. Wow! So glad you're sharing all this.

[Bruce Jones]

Thanks Bruce. It seems amazing to me that one can design that in their head. And then to think of the carving and epoxy. Wow! So glad you're sharing all this. Thank you Vicki I have gone back and looked for photo of me gluing this piece up this was early fall last year I must have cleared my card on my camera.I have had people ask me to give instruction classes but it's just not a good time in my life for that I have just enough time to make a few art pieces a year. The best thing I can tell you is to try your own take you time think everything trough before doing a glue up.

[Vicki Hayden]

Thanks for trying. I'm happy to watch you do it. lol

I see you are in MD? I'm on the eastern shore, Cambridge.

[Bruce Jones]

Okay everyone I was able to get half of the "SPHERE" casted and gave it a spin on the lathe to clean it all up. There's still a great deal more work yet to do on this piece, but thought I would show where I'm going for those of you that follow me. These photos show the sphere being lit from the inside with a small LED light. This is only rough turned on the inside and sanded to 400 grit on the outside so when completed it will light up even brighter, plus the center section still has clay over parts inside so it will light up better when turned more.

[Vicki Hayden]

Wow! That is beautiful. So cool. Too bad you couldn't make resin pieces you could cut into segments and glue up right in the ring. It is so neat with the lights!

[Bruce Jones]

Wow! That is beautiful. So cool. Too bad you couldn't make resin pieces you could cut into segments and glue up right in the ring. It is so neat with the lights!
Even if you could make resin pieces it would be a real mess to glue it up, this is messy enough. Thanks for taking time to comment Vicky and yes I noticed your on the eastern shore MD I'm up here in horse & farm country almost to the PA line about 20 miles south of Gettysburg PA.

[Vicki Hayden]

Thanks for explaining. Now I see why you do it the way you are. You are in a beautiful area.

[Bruce Jones]

Thanks for explaining. Now I see why you do it the way you are. You are in a beautiful area. Thank you Vicki keep your eyes open in a few weeks I'll post the finished piece it will have a different name and some more work done to it.