Читать книгу Creating Wooden Jewelry - Sarah King - Страница 17

Wood is a good material for making bold work, as it is light enough to allow large pieces to be worn with comfort. In addition, wood is very versatile in the number of techniques that can be used to shape it and the appearance it can be given with different finishes.

Carving: Basswood is a common initial choice for carving, as it is easy to work. Since it doesn’t have a visible grain, it often tends to be stained or painted. Other hardwoods to try are sycamore, boxwood, cherry, oak, walnut, maple, apple, pear, and plum.

Woodturning: Both dry and green woods are suitable for turning, and there is a wealth of information and advice online from suppliers and enthusiasts.

Found objects: Most found objects will be made of hardwood (like the beech spoons used in this book on page) and, therefore, suitable for experimentation.

Think laterally when sourcing wood. Beech spoons, used for the necklace on page, are easy to find at ktchen or hardware stores.

I twisted locally sourced willow stems like these to make necklaces, earrings, and bangles—see page for instructions.

Inlay: Silver and pearls work well when contrasted to darker woods like exotic hardwoods. Try bog oak or a medium-color hardwood if you don’t have a source of suitable scraps.

Laser-cutting: Only certain woods and plywood are suitable for laser-cutting. Laser-cutting companies often supply their own so discuss with them the size of their wood, their laser-cutter bed, and your CAD drawing so that you know they’re all compatible.

Veneers: Veneers, or thin slices of wood, are available in a wide range of wood types, and since they are often used as a surface layer for a less expensive material underneath, they are a very economical use of an expensive wood. Veneers are sometimes sold with an adhesive backing, but the project on page uses a “raw” veneer product.