Thursday, March 5, 2009

I found a new drug.

What is it about making miniatures that's so addictive?
I love turning, the hum of the motor when I fire up the lathe, the blur of the piece as it spins in front of me. It's kinda of hypnotic. There's a point when the vibration of the tool against the work disappears and the shaping starts. For me there's nothing quite like it, or so I thought.
Turning can also be monotonous, if you just keep turning out the same thing over and over. Sometimes I'll mix it up with some full size pieces and have done some really funky shapes. Turning different materials helps break it up as well. I don't really care for acrylics but love to do a little stone. I think I need some more alabaster or soapstone blocks.

Every now and then I like to tackle what I call a distraction project. These take me away from the lathe for a short time and keep me busy learning new materials and techniques. My latest was a 1/12 scale Baker rifle, the famous weapon the British used during the Napoleonic war. I had never heard of it and had to do a lot of research. The level of detail I was able to achieve even amazes me. It turned out really well. I enjoyed this project to no end and can't wait to work on more antique weapons.

3 comments:

  1. I think, for most of us, it's the "escape" we find in miniatures that makes it so addictive.

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  2. I agree, there's nothing like getting lost in a dream while still awake. For me it's the process learning how to do something I've never done before. It's amazing how ten minutes turns into two hours crafting one little part.

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  3. Maybe because you can lose yourself into another world and don't have to think about the one we really live in.

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