Coasting

I paid a visit to my Mom's house the other day and used the band saw to cut a bunch of stock. I cut a bunch of rune blanks, but I also cut some bigger pieces that I had intended on turning into a set of coasters. My intentions and what the wood wanted to do did not mesh. As I was sanding the discs to get them all even and purty, 2 of the 4 decided they would crack and split. OK. Goodbye set of coasters, hello individual coasters! I figured I figured I'd still turn the 2 remaining discs into coasters and sell them individually. They'd look pretty cool on an alter under a candle, actually.

I wanted to give a little snippet of the process that I go through on something like this. Even though these are relatively small, they're still the biggest things that I've burned. I'm pleased with how this first one came out. Here's a look at how it all went.

The inspiration for this project was a drawing that I did 6 years ago! It's my version of Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent. Although probably a lot less terrifying in appearance, I like the way mine turned out. I wanted to put something in the middle, though, because it seemed empty and incomplete. Who better to pair with the serpent than Thor? He's represented by the Mjolnir. The bind in the middle of the hammer is for protected, guided strength. Things that would benefit anyone in any manner of battle. 

Then after sizing it down to the wooden disc, I use carbon paper to get it onto the piece, just like I do with the runes. 

I've found that the small crochet hook works great as a stylus. I used to just trace over the image with a pencil, but it blurs the lines of the original drawing and eventually tears through the paper. The head of the crochet hook is rounded so it's gentler and keeps the paper in good shape. Once it's onto the wood, I can start burning.

When I do the tracing, it's basically just the outline and shape of the design. I keep the original inspiration close by so I can get all the shading right.

Of course I didn't keep track of how long it took. I always mean to, but I never remember to look at the time. I don't have a clock at my workbench (on purpose) and I forgot to look at the time on the laptop. Someday I'll remember, but that day was not today. 

Once it was all done, it was time for the tung oil. I know that there are plenty of other sealants out there, but I'm partial to the natural look that tung oil gives the wood. I'll put a few more coats on this than I normally would on a set of runes, but other than that, it's done. My maker's mark is on the back and I'm satisfied with it. No, not just satisfied, pleased. 

I'll be putting this up in my shop in the next day or so. The tung oil takes awhile to dry and then I need to take pictures. So don't forget to click the link to the right to see it when it's done. Also, if you'd like to know a little more about Jormungand and Thor, click here to visit Norse Mythology for Smart People. It's a great website with loads of info that's easy to read and will hold your interest.

Exciting things will be happening next week with a new toy that should be showing up on Tuesday; stay tuned for that. I may even put up a couple of videos just for the hell of it.