I'm doing some bonsai display tables out of redwood. Very
pretty wood, easy to work, light weight but - SOFT! You
can accidently crush the grain with your fingernail.

Now I recall seeing Frank Klausz make a water box for
japanese water stones. He used pine. He take a piece of
wire, maybe 1/16th inch diameter, set it on the centerline
of the bottom of each of the side parts and tap it down
into the wood. He then lightly planed that edge. When
the sides were tacked to the bottom board and water
was added into the box, the crushed grain would swell
back to its original size. Since a little of the adjacent
wood had been planed off, when it swelled up it acted line
an "O ring" seal.

So I'm thinking "If I draw a design in the face of one of
these pieces of redwood - say with something like a
large ball point pen (I've got jeweler's doming tools
- a steel shaft with a ball on the end ) - and I press
hard enough - AND keep the pressure consistent
THEN run the board through the planer for a very light
cut I SHOULD get a raised design as the wood absorbs
moisture from the air (or if I spritz it with water).

Anyone done this sort of thing or am I way outside the
box - again?

charlie b

Mon, Jul 31, 2006, 10:27am (EDT-3) (charlie*b)
doth puzzle:
I'm doing some bonsai snip
Anyone done this sort of thing or am I way outside the box - again?

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. You haven't been paying attention
again, have you? Something like this you don't worry about what anyone
else thinks. You think it thru, if it seems like it will work, and it
won't maim or kill you or the shop cat, you give it a try. THEN you
post the results - or not. You might want to try it on scrap rather
than wood your're gonna use. Or you can just flip the piece if it comes
out lousy.

I have no idea in the world if it will work or not, but sounds like
it would. I'd probably use a engine pushrod, because that's the closest
I've got to what you describe. Another possibility might be to use a
dull tool and a mallet, along the lines of leatherworking tools, then
planing. I've been thinking of making some tools for leatherworking from
large spikes - cut 'em off at about 6", file/grind the designs on the
flat end left - they'd have limied use, and loads cheaper than buying,
plus you could make your own designs. I would think you could get more
detail that way then with the tool you describe. An alternate thought
is get a cutout pattern out of metal and applly pressure - a piece of
wood then a car jack comes to mine, possibly a vice (or would that be
vise?) - as long as it's legal.

If it doesn't work, sketch the design you want, then get a
magnifying glass, and wait for a sunny day - and don't get distracted by
ants on the wood.



JOAT
Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

While your idea may work (can't say it won't, that's for sure), my
impression (get it?) is that since the wood is so soft, the resulting raised
image won't last long before it's worn down or rubbed off.

Clint

"charlie b" wrote in message
...
I'm doing some bonsai display tables out of redwood. Very
pretty wood, easy to work, light weight but - SOFT! You
can accidently crush the grain with your fingernail.

Now I recall seeing Frank Klausz make a water box for
japanese water stones. He used pine. He take a piece of
wire, maybe 1/16th inch diameter, set it on the centerline
of the bottom of each of the side parts and tap it down
into the wood. He then lightly planed that edge. When
the sides were tacked to the bottom board and water
was added into the box, the crushed grain would swell
back to its original size. Since a little of the adjacent
wood had been planed off, when it swelled up it acted line
an "O ring" seal.

So I'm thinking "If I draw a design in the face of one of
these pieces of redwood - say with something like a
large ball point pen (I've got jeweler's doming tools
- a steel shaft with a ball on the end ) - and I press
hard enough - AND keep the pressure consistent
THEN run the board through the planer for a very light
cut I SHOULD get a raised design as the wood absorbs
moisture from the air (or if I spritz it with water).

Anyone done this sort of thing or am I way outside the
box - again?

charlie b

RETHINK THE WOOD. MY EXPERIENCE WITH REDWOOD AND MOISTURE IS THE REDWOOD
WILL TURN BLACK, ESPECIALL IF YOU HAVE WATER THAT IS HARD OR ALOT OF MINERAL
CONTENT.

YOU COULD TRY (DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL WORK) APPLYING FIBER GLASS RESIN
WITHOUT THE CLOTH.

GOOD LUCK
WOODWORM
"charlie b" wrote in message
...
I'm doing some bonsai display tables out of redwood. Very
pretty wood, easy to work, light weight but - SOFT! You
can accidently crush the grain with your fingernail.

Now I recall seeing Frank Klausz make a water box for
japanese water stones. He used pine. He take a piece of
wire, maybe 1/16th inch diameter, set it on the centerline
of the bottom of each of the side parts and tap it down
into the wood. He then lightly planed that edge. When
the sides were tacked to the bottom board and water
was added into the box, the crushed grain would swell
back to its original size. Since a little of the adjacent
wood had been planed off, when it swelled up it acted line
an "O ring" seal.

So I'm thinking "If I draw a design in the face of one of
these pieces of redwood - say with something like a
large ball point pen (I've got jeweler's doming tools
- a steel shaft with a ball on the end ) - and I press
hard enough - AND keep the pressure consistent
THEN run the board through the planer for a very light
cut I SHOULD get a raised design as the wood absorbs
moisture from the air (or if I spritz it with water).

Anyone done this sort of thing or am I way outside the
box - again?

charlie b

I'm not sure I was clear about the expected result.
By compressing the grain to make a pattern and
then planing the surface so the impressed design
is flush with the new surface - and then letting
ambient moisture - or, if one is impatient - a spritz
of water - cause the compressed grain to expand
resulting in a raised design.

As usual, JOAT comes up with a substitute tool
- that is automotive in origin of course - pushrods.
Readily available and cheap or free - and HARD. The
range of sizes is a bit limited relative to the set of
jewelers doming tools - they go down to 1/8" diam
(about 3 mm for the metric folks). The technique
I have in mind is basically what's used to do repousse
- and I even have the funny little hammer with the
big flat head and long narrow handle with an oval
on the end where you grip it and whip it rather than
swing it. With the large diameter head you can
concentrate on the tool at the metal - or in this case
wood rather than worrying about missing and hitting
yourself.

When I get Bonsai Table #4 done and delivered I think
I'll do some design ideas in PhotoShop or SuperPaint
and print them. How I'm going to get the piece of
wood through my printer when it comes time to print
it will be a whole other challenge ; )

As for the durability of the results - well when I was
doing custom jewelry and a client wanted a stone
that wasn't all that durable in a ring - well I'd set the
stone down in the design were it would be protected
from every direction - except if you drove it into the
corner of something. Emeralds and opals are notorious
for scratches and dings - unless protected by the setting.

So, I'll add a frame around the design and see how it
holds up.

As for redwood turning black - if you give it a good
soaking in "teak oil" and repeat every couple of years,
it holds up fairly well.

Oh, BTW - USE THE SHIFT KEY! All caps is the net
equivalent of YELLING - and is harder to read

charlie b
(the whisperer)
charlie b

Mon, Jul 31, 2006, 9:23pm (EDT-3) (charlie*b)
doth sayeth:
I'm not sure I was clear about the expected result. snip

I got what you were talking about right from the start - does that
make us smarter than the rest of them? LOL Don't know if I'd do it,
but I sure don't see why your way wouldn't work. I've seen such, but
never pondered on how it was done. Yeah, I think a nice frame around it
would be good, both to protect it, and to draw attenetion to it. I
think it'd probably look pretty good. A plywood frame, painted yellow,
comes to mind. LMAO





JOAT
Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal