Final result of help from folks here

Great looking

Very impressive!

Time/Space

Gary Smyth

WOW. Bending time. Your project is almost as complex as the mental theory. Congrats! Theoretical scientists ought to be fighting for this one. Be sure to copyright image -- sure to be published.

Re: Time/Space

John K Jordan

I was thinking along the same Lines. The Gravity of the piece has a hold on me.

Very nice! Three associations, lines,gravity,hold

Re: Final result of help from folks here

walta

A friend of mine had made platters with a similar pattern. While interesting I did not care for the effect but with the sphere it is perfect.

Walta

Re: Time/Space

mfoster vermontel.net

Gary, you nailed it. This is titled Space-Time. I am a physics nerd, though I don't really understand the math. I do read the latest books by the greatest thinkers in physics that are geared toward the lay person. This is a classic image use to express Einstien's theory of relativity interaction with massive objects. I just tried to make it a 3D expression. I think I did well, as so many have instantly recognized the theory behind the art like you. Thanks.

Re: Final result of help from folks here

Don Orr

That's awesome Mike! I'll bet Einstein would be impressed. Congrats on the show.

Very cool!

Re: Final result of help from folks here

Ellis Walentine

You've done it again, Michael. What an astounding piece, conceptually and in its execution. I'm glad you were able to find the help you needed here.

Thanks for posting and good luck in the contest.

Ellis

Arresting

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

There are rare occasions where something just stops me in my tracks. I couldn't stop from focusing on the work. Anyone that has been exposed to this theory will spot this piece among the many and instantly be drawn to it. I've run out of words to describe its impact..........

I don't know what your intention is for this piece but don't underestimate it value.

Can't stop looking

Gary Smyth

Much, much different than yours.

Question

Considering the end grain, were the blocks and/or the surface finish degassed? Over time, trapped air in the wood pores and maybe the top coat may try to migrate upwards resulting in swelling bubbles. Such a happening can be significant.

Question...

Mike Farinella

Does the earth orb rotate within the piece? It reminded me of such orbs I've seen at jewelry stores that did exactly that.

Re: Can't stop looking

Michael Foster

Not de-gassed. I wouldn't know how to do that and had no idea it should be considered. Just used a lacquer finish. I posted on here that I was having trouble filling the pores given it was all end grain while putting on multiple coats. Michael Dresdner clued me in on a product I hadn't heard of, pore fillers. I gave this a try even with lacquer already on it, and it worked like a charm. Wish I had known about it before applying any finish, but at least now I know. I hope the finish stay nice in the future.

Re: Question...

Michael Foster

No, it doesn't rotate. It is just sitting on a spindle and can be removed easily as it is just a mortise and tenon with no glue. I did this intentionally to accommodate shipping.

Rotating globe, just for fun

John K Jordan

>>>No, it doesn't rotate. It is just sitting on a spindle and can be removed easily as it is just a mortise and tenon with no glue.

I'm certainly not suggesting you go with this for the globe, but they might be interesting if you haven't seen them. https://www.movaglobes.com/

These have solar cells and use rotating magnetic fields to rotate a globe inside a clear plastic sphere. We have had one for years now and it's amazing. It rotates VERY slowly and even in dim light, somewhat faster in bright light. (It doesn't need the stand, will rotate the same even held in the hand. The globe is floating in a liquid and weighted so the axis is always vertical so it wouldn't be true to the earth's tilt relative to the ecliptic. I think the smallest one is 4.5" in diameter. Not what I would call cheap...

JKJ

question

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Now that you have dazzled us with this creation provide some details of how it was assembled. Alignment, and keeping alignment, of the "lines" during assembly must be difficult. There must be some techniques to get it right.

glueup

John K Jordan

I'd love to see progress photos if available.

I've watched Frank Penta make related things with a series of slice an dice with veneer between, but thinner. Alignment seems tricky, perfect on this piece from what I can see.

JKJ

Re: Rotating globe, just for fun

Howard Pollack

John- does it rotate smoothly?

Howard

Re: Final result of help from folks here

Howard Pollack

This is a stunning piece!

Yup.....

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

"erfect on this piece from what I can see"

There must be some "ticks" to achieve perfect.

Re: question

mfoster vermontel.net

Hi Bill, I tried to reply this morning before going to work, but I got an almost screen of death when I hit post. I have had trouble with the site loading correctly for a couple of days. I will get a screen that lists some of the sponsors with links, but no message board. Not sure if that is something others have experienced.

So I originally posted the pic shown here. This blank is made from 4" lengths of 12" wide Peruvian walnut (a richer, darker walnut and this board, at least, had no sapwood. Veneer is Birch that also runs vertically. Here I was contemplating trying to re-saw the blank on the tablesaw as I wanted nice clean cuts with very controllable thickness to get the grid right. Your advice, and others, was to use the bandsaw. I put a new re-saw blade on the bandsaw and got the fence adjusted to a tee, then sliced the blank up. The cuts were so good that no sanding was required and all I had to do was glue up the slices with more veneer between each slice. I did glue up just one veneer at a time between 2 slices as then I had time to get the cross veneers lined up perfectly. Trying to do more in a glue up would have been un-manageable. Once the glue up was done, then came the real trick, turning it. I mounted it on a faceplate and turned the wings first. The issue here is that the wood is oriented up and down, and taking too big of a cut could easily chunk out wood as the piece got thinner. Think high speed and super sharp gouges and a very light touch taking just slivers each pass. I was nervous during the whole process till I got those corners the thickness I was after and totally stoked that I was able to pull it off. Turning a square blank is intimidating enough for lots of folks, but with the grain running vertically as in this piece just adds a whole nother layer of comlpexity. So again, thanks for the help in getting me to the finish line on this.

Re: Rotating globe, just for fun

mfoster vermontel.net

Yep, I have seen these and they are fascinating for sure. My challenge in this type of work is for everything I show having been made by me so putting one of these in place of my globe just wouldn't make the mark (unless I somehow figured out how to make these, which is not likely)

your secret is revelaed

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

You have the patience necessary to do what was required, and that was your trick.

I had someone highly experienced help me a hollow in an end grained cutting board that was comfortably round. I became impressed that turning end grain is not similar to flat grain.

Again, nice job.