These are the same design as my previous vase project so I'll not go into any repeating details.
One set uses Jatoba with cherry backed panels. The other is walnut with lace wood panels.
I brought the previous set to the gallery and the manager took interest. They sold and I learned that the manager was going to buy them for gifts, but they were gone when she came in the next day.
She works hard and is basically a volunteer. I decided to make some more so she can have another go.
These use a basic rose design, same dyed veneer (Koto, i.e. Koti, Kote, etc.) Four rose colors used, but I made sure that each pair would complement being together.
The flowers tilt either left or right so each set can be rotated so same-colors show from each side and the tilts are opposite. Colors:
Missed the last one which is a dark red, but looks kinda brown.
Very nice work Mr. Splint, very nice indeed. I was going to pick a favorite but that ain't gonna happen, all mixture of woods are equally fantastic. Two thumbs up on these. 👍👍 I also viewed the last time you made these, man, you guys with lasers are doing great stuff. I thought about getting such a laser but I couldn't find an 18th-century unit.
I can see how these would really draw traffic. The roses have a thicker boarder vs the stems. Is that filled or just burned. Either way it works well for this design. The last ones you made looked like all the pieces were butted up to remove most or all of the kerf. This one uses the black to it's advantage which I'm not sure would have worked on your other design. These are very nice Bruce, I hope you made good money from these because I bet this style does very well.
John, For these roses, I cut the parts with a kerf between adjusted to be close, but not have to fight to get them all together. I then glue it all up and let it dry. Next step is to laser the design with a hot pass tracing out all the shapes to clean out the borders and even out the spacing. One direct path for the stem/leaves and then a wider pass (offset cuts) for the flower to fatten up the line. Usually I'd then fill the gap with black resin, but it is tricky to keep the black dye from bleeding into the veneer. With the border burning, the char adds the black so I just use a clear filler (AquaCoat) to level it out. This woks well on thin lines, but fatter lines like the FLW panel I made use resin for the consistency.
The previous "Ellis" design has the kerf set tight, but it is hard to get the proper setting as each type of veneer cuts a bit different. This is where the masters who use saws can really dial it in for perfection (and not get the black edges).
OT: 18 century? Did you ever menace ants with a magnifying glass as a kid, I'm sure that is a valid 18th century tool 🤠
Thanks Ross! I also prefer the Ellis design and the craftsman/prairie stuff, but I didn't want someone thinking they bought something unique only to see the same thing re-appear a few weeks later.
