Carved wooden Bowls: in search of a style

I want to carve some relatively simple wooden bowls, and since my "audience" is the SCA I really need to find an appropriate style from before 1600 a..d

This is not the only reason of course, or even the main one. Trying and learning different styles will be fun and teach me more about the craft.  This will of course remain a work in progress.

The Oseberg Ship Grave wooden household artifacts ( C 834  a.d)

"kitchen utensils include four wooden trays, two whole and two fragmentary, two large cauldrons

with chains and an iron tripod to put over the fire, three barrels for storage of food and liquid, a frying pan, a set of variously sized troughs for flour and bread production, five wooden ladles, two bowls.."

 From the Viking Age Queen, an article by Kirsten Ruffoni.

The images below are from Pinterest, I had trouble finding the original sites. The lack of scale is also an issue, however I will be able to copy proportions. Some of the other wooden objects look like they could be fun too

 

casket with lid

 The Bowl is 4 to 4.5 units wide and 9 units in length,
with an outside height of 1.5 units.   What is a unit? well basically I measured the images at a certain size on the screen and while those measurements are in centimeters, I can use them to scale up or down the size of the bowl. This has no reflection on the real size of the bowls, sadly this is unknown to me.

References

• Kirsten Ruffoni  Viking Age Queens The example of Oseberg Master’s thesis MPhil Nordic Viking and Medieval Culture 2009-2011University of Oslo
   https://www.duo.uio.no/bitstream/handle/10852/26632/Ruffoni_Master.pdf?sequence=2
   

Stools and Bowls

 I will have all of the tools I need for upcoming projects within the next week, so It's time to get busy! 

I wish it wasn't raining, I would be able to split some timber for bowls and maybe stools. Half of the Billets I brought back for legs developed splits.

My 1st attempt at a an English horse

In other news, I think it is time to revisit the English Horse.

Shaving horse Canberra wood show

Together with my Dumb-head Horse, I think this will give me a versatile workspace and allow me to have helpers, coworkers and students.

And Just because I can here is the sequence of work in making the stools!

Raising Capital

 Kick-starting

 Bowls and stools. I want to do a couple of things to earn a bit of extra cash. More importantly I want to improve my skills and practice techniques. To do this I need Some new tools. I have been largely unsuccessful in making these myself.  I have managed to create tools which work to some degree, but have been unable to fine tune them enough that they work consistantly. Essentially I now  understand the theory and application of these tools and would eventually like to make my own. Right now though I'm not achieving this and without the tools I require I am not happy with the safety and quality of the items I am creating.

So I need to purchase three items.  I could potentially buy only

this $47 Scorp and this Reamer for $50 . But it would make sense to buy this set of Tenon Taperers for $35 .
 Currently I do not have the money to spare. I was wondering about a Kick starter style capital raising experiment to see if people were interested in helping me out! This is an odd feeling, it's not really like begging or is it? However it may just make this possible.

Options could range from a short term no interest loan, or an advance payment for a bowl.
  These are just ideas of course!

Canberra Timber and Working with Wood show

 One good turner deserves another.

No not that Turner, although his works have been on display in the National Gallery I believe. Today I made the journey to EPIC, the Acronym for what is basically Canberra showgrounds. Up the hill to the  bus and then down to Northbourne  avenue where the bare branches of the Hawthorns even now have the occasional red berry. And then North to Epic.  

I have always dabbled in woodwork and over the past year I've found enjoyment in green woodwork. My skills are quite basic but I'm slowly getting there. There a few tools I need But they are fairly basic so I will get them or find a substitute.

 I'm sorry to say but my first thought when I entered was "it's all about cabinet maing and joinery" Yes I am an inverted snob
Rare Chairs had an interesting exhibit, Harold Archbold  from Moonan Brook in the Upper Hunter makes wooden chairs, specifically Windsor chairs using traditional methods. I didn't dare ask for the cost of a commissioned chair, but I will have to look into one of the 8 day chair making courses he offers.

Below are some details of the pole lathe which they use

 This the shaving horse, a dumhead type, One of the chairs is in the background on the left.

I'm considering buying a bowl adze from Henry Eckert. It's $160 and certainly looked like it quality wise. It would make bowl making very easy indeed and I could probably make that money back in a short period of time. I would need to make 16 bowls or so, or charge over $15 a bowl, whih may not be too bad a price. If I can make them work the way I want to, and finish them well. I intend to have a crack at making a big bread raising bowl.

 So overall it was a fun day and has broadened my awareness of all things wood.

Wind and interviews.

Sitting across from the 2 person panel I am feeling competent and confident that the somewhat small portfolio I have brought with me is going to be adequate. I answer questions, explain my approach to situations and provide examples of my work. I make sure I talk to both members of the panel, making eye contact, they smile and nod, tolerating or agreeing I do not know.
 I manage to avoid saying anything terrible, I even manage to stay on track! Usually I am mister tangent, returning to the original subject sometimes hours or even days later.

And then, 25 minutes later it is over. I have to wait to find out if I am deemed to be suitable, if I will be placed in a pool of teachers or if I will be advised to do more casual work and told to come back again next year.

So I leave the building and walk into a cold wind. It shakes the leaves and reaches toward my bones. The next bus is an hour away and I quickly realise that these are not my walking shoes. 
 

  The occasional public servant walks past wrapped warmly, focused on their destination, often clutching a disposable coffee cup. Icy fingers of wind ruffle my hair as even the windscreen washer decides it's time to call it a day, and those guys are tough!

 The weather is glorious and for a change I am not sweating in my heavy coat, although I leave my tie around my neck like a miniature scarf.
I look around at the tall white gums and the bare Hawthorns, the odd red berry still clinging to the leafless branches.

  As I wait in the sterile bus shelter, flocks of parrots fly past, defying their tropical stereotype, unseen by the drivers below them in the constant stream of traffic.
 I amuse myself taking photos of plants and buildings with my phone and pondering idle questions. Then I remember where I am, and my doubtful self kicks in,  perhaps taking pictures of government offices in the capital might seem suspicious.
So I stop.
 I arrive home and get a phone call,  "are you available for a 4 week period next term?" I am now being considered for a contract, which is very good news indeed.

Nightstalk..... 

  This is something I am doing to increase peoples awareness of wildlife, in my case in Canberra. Of course I'm just offering my brains and previous experience, the program itself is run by Perth Zoo. I also realize that they rely on sponsorship from a Mining Company, I still think that the potential benefits may be great though.

For more info and to find out how to organize a Night-stalk to invite me along to go to ......

http://www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au/act/night-stalk/

I think this is a really important opportunity, Let me know if you are interested. (I am not affiliated with this program or institution)