# wood, off cuts, bizzare bizzare



## gandy (25 Sep 2010)

i doubt anyone here remembers me? i make the plugs for stretched earlobes, i have a look around from time to time and after seeing somone who had made some lip plugs (and every well made too) i thought id pop my head back in asking for a favor.

in my never ending search to keep costs down, i am wondering if by anychance anyone has any workable* off cuts of burls, or interseting woods.

* by workable i mean anything over 5mm think, trimmings most sizes over 1"sq that i can use for inlays etc.

of corse postage and maybe a few beer tokens for somone who has something.

also amboyna burl, just to say that im looking for some too.

meny thanks
i may try and get some pics on photobucket for you too


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## gandy (25 Sep 2010)

i hope this works, all sorts in this pic, rings, antler plugs, some hanging styles that are shaped by hand, the big ones at the back are walnut with box burl natural edge inlay, kind what id like other burl off cuts for etc. 






these where some plugs i made for some friends wedding, red and black was their colours for the wedding, the grey is aliminum power mixed with epoxy.

everytime i do come back and have a look around i keep seeing lots of wonderful pyro's platters, boxes, and whatnots, and its inspired me, thank you


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## Oakbear (25 Sep 2010)

Nice to see you've come on since you last posted!
I guess you have sorted out mounting issues too?

Those walnut and box ones are nice. It looks like desert scene!

I'm sure i have a few bits for a fellow body modder... i'll send a pm shortly....


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## wizer (25 Sep 2010)

Gandy, I have a huge amount of offcuts (boot loads). But I'm afraid they are not the woods you're after. Mainly Oak, Sycamore, Iroko, Sapele, Cherry, Ash, etc. I might have a bit of zebrano?


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## gandy (25 Sep 2010)

yeah ive started to get things down to a T rings are still a hard job (more so with the small ones, the olive ones on the left are smaller then a 5p) but ive mostly been plaing around with non roand inlays, be that gems (like the ebony ones centre) or the half inlays as ive called them, a fellow plug turner i am friends with was so taken back as they reminded him of dekota when he was about 7, that made me happy.

i am mostly after burls, but any small intersting timber off cuts i may be able to use for inlays etc also a lighter colour wood (i should really be upto scratch with native woods) that i could play around with some pyro might be handy


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## skeetoids (26 Sep 2010)

I'm assuming that 'boddy modder' is like punk plastic surgery, about being unable to accept yourself but trying to via the medium of insercing, piercing, strectching or generally modifying one's physical and mental being, 

A bit like bodybuilding, birth, ageing, tattoos, breathing or even meditation, 

Appologies if this appears as a high jack but I also love your work. However, I am also interested, from a Psychologists point of view, of the behaviour of 'Body Modification', and it's affect on the cognitive process 

i have a tattoo and I wear earings but this has been a trend since 1100 or so, and also tribal spiritual body augmentation has survied for more than 1000 yrs. Do you belief 'boddy modding' is a physical and/or mental modification?

Iff I have any offuts btw I will PM you,

Cheers,

Lee.


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## Oakbear (26 Sep 2010)

Skeetoids - Body modification is any process which changes one's body intentionally, whether permanently or temporarily , for whatever reason. It may be aesthetics, fashion, cultural or have a deeper spiritual reason.
It may be culturally normally or extremely unusual, and has nothing by it's nature about not accepting yourself, which would be about the individual, why they make their choices, and their psychological relationship with their modifications.
So your tattoo and earrings certainly count!

In the last 20 or 30 years there been a resurgence in such modification in what is sometimes referred to as the 'modern primitive' movement, a reinterpretation of tribal type modification in a modern context.

For those interested in making a few quid from turning, pretty plugs for stretched ears are about the most profitable (non 'high-art') items you can make. You can easily make £20 for a pair of those discs, going up to 3 figures for really nice bits. Not bad for 10 minutes work for an experienced turner...
As the stretching is gradual, it needs many slightly different size plugs, so plenty of repeat custom!


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## gandy (26 Sep 2010)

Body modification is everything from cutting your nails, hair, make up, all the way to tattoos, body piercings, implants, sex changes etc, if you make a choice to change something, and it dosent limit your body, then its probley Body modification

theres a really good film called modfiy, its up on youtube too, but be warned if you do look for it and watch it, it has parts of plastic surgry, genitals, and all sort of bizzare things 

while my choices of Body modification lean towards the less "accepted" its something ive been enjoying since i was 15 years old and got my 1st piercing, and its just grown from there, i have everything from normal piercings, stretched piercings, large transscortal, subdermal implant (in short, the same as brest implants, same implant grade silicone only in shapes, so once healed, the tissue will sink back down leaveing the implant to make a 3D shape under your skin.

ive met so meny nice people via Body modification, be it the person who dose all my work, to customers, friends and people who just ask questions in the street, ive met everyone from 10 year old chlidren who are glued to looking at my ears, to 70 year olds getting their 1st tattoo, or piercing, right upto 70 year old people, adding to their already large amount of tattoos or piercings.

i got into the plug making side of it a couple years ago, to earn a few pounds, and give something back, while im not the biggest or the best, i enjoy what i do, and i often get emails from customers who tell me my plugs are now their fav plugs to wear. its quite touching sometimes

thanks for the kind words, i have found some wood workers a little "stuffy" about what i make, but at the very least most can see that what i make is good, and even intersting


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## gandy (26 Sep 2010)

more pics? 






PTFE and delrin, front left are tounge bars, back left are (cross your legs) transscortal bars to the right are matching PTFE and delrin nostril plugs for my bestfriends boyfriend then matching PTFE delrin, labrets and conch plugs. for my best friend






ebony and deer antler, no glue is used to hold these, only the sterling silver prongs.






ebony, the 1st set of non round CZ's i set into plugs





my good frien elise with some bloodwod and 14mm CZ plugs i made for her






amboyna burl 16mmx 8mm oval lip plug, mostly hand shaped, roughed out with a dremal, then filed shanded and polished by hand






another pic of the ebony and box burl hangies i made with the natural edge, what you dont see is the two dowl joints used to make the bond between the ebony and box burl stronger, not easy to make by hand >_<


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## dannykaye (26 Sep 2010)

I made a student some 22 mm rosewood plugs, but they went grotty, is there anything I should be doing other than cleaning and oiling, I used olive oil after some digging on the web...


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## Oakbear (26 Sep 2010)

I use jojoba oil to raise the grain, then knock back. I finish at 1200 usually, although may go to 12000 if i feel the need.
They need daily cleaning and oiling, and will wear over time, mostly darkening with this treatment. The patina old plugs can get can be quite nice.

Olive oil should be fine, but ime darkens things more, and some people say it can go 'rancid', but i've not experienced it on kitchen items at least.

I'm getting a buffing system, so will be trying this in the near future. 
Looking at how it finishes bare wood on bowls etc, i'm very excited about it for plugs.

Other considerations are that grain needs to be tight (most rosewoods should be fine), and not all wood are suitable for prolonged skin contact or may cause allergic reactions in some people.


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## gandy (26 Sep 2010)

pretty much covered already

finnesh to a high grit, i also wax with carnauba wax to help give it a polish, the a light oil with jojoba in what order you do it dose seam to matter, ive oiled then waxed, and waxed then oiled, no real differance

as with all organic things somone may have a reaction to any given woods, luckly a few years ago a couple of the best plug makers spent hours and days and months looking up in medical jernals about what woods pose a risk t skin contact (since most warnings are with the dust) if its of any interest here it is http://www.esotericbody.com/shop/index. ... qteanu0r33

while its not a bible, it is a handy giude when chosing a wood to make plugs with.


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## Shane (26 Sep 2010)

My mods are pretty run of the mill compared to you gandy, including full arm and chest tattoos, ear stretchings to 12mm, septum piercing and a dready mullet :lol: 

I've got plenty of american black walnut offcuts I can bung in the post if you're interested


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## gandy (26 Sep 2010)

any mods a mod to me mate!

depends what size walnut you have? i already have a fair amount


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## Shane (26 Sep 2010)

I'll have a look the next time I'm out at my workshop, and I'll get a list of sizes if you like


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## dannykaye (26 Sep 2010)

I would be interested in small bits of walnut...


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## gandy (26 Sep 2010)

shane, thanks! nice work on your website too


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## Shane (26 Sep 2010)

gandy - thank you  

Dannykaye - no probs, I'll get the list together over the next few days and we can decide who gets what 8)


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## Shane (27 Sep 2010)

I've just been out to the workshop to grab the offcuts. To me they aren't much more than fire wood but if they are useful I'll happily chuck them in the post. Gandy gets first shout, then Danny, and then anyone else can holla...

all dims in mm

1 @ 388 x 112 x 28 rough sawn

1 @ 242 x 125 x 25 planed with one rough edge

1 @ 210 x 136 x 30 planed

1 @ 210 x 136 x 30 planed with a split 60mm in length 30mm from edge

1 @ 957 x 54 x 20 thicknessed, sawn edges, waney corner 215 in length 
45mm from end

1 @ 964 x 35 x 20 thicknessed, sawn edges, some resawing marks on 
face

1 @ 418 x 54 x 20 planed with some resaw marks

2 @ 495 x 30 x 23 planed with one sawn face


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## gandy (27 Sep 2010)

Hi shane, thanks for that.

i think really they're all to large for me, and i already have plenty of walnut from a company closeing "sale"

thanks for the trouble though, and i hope someone else comes alone and takes it off your hands soon

andy


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## Shane (27 Sep 2010)

No sweat dude 8)


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## Shane (29 Sep 2010)

Offcuts are going back out to workshop for burning tomoz


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## Bodrighy (29 Sep 2010)

They aren't offcuts,s they are spindles that can be made into loads off things. :shock: 

I have boxes of stuff much smaller than that which I use. The sort of things you make I'd have thought most of that sized wood would be useful.

Pete


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## Shane (29 Sep 2010)

I've got plenty more in stock, but on second thoughts you're right, I'm not going to be too hasty in throwing it out


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## skeetoids (29 Sep 2010)

Hi Shane,

I'm with Pete on this one.

You could make loads of stuff out of those bits.

Maybe I missed it but what type of wood is it, I'd be interested in taking some off your hands.

Cheers,

Lee.


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## Shane (29 Sep 2010)

Tis ABW


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## gandy (1 Oct 2010)

made these this week for oakbear in return for some rather nice wood he sent to me.

not the best pic as the light is a bit on the bad side. but it gives you a good idea








got alot of plastic bits of jewellery to be made, and hopfuly after that i'll get a bit quiet, then i can play around with a few proto types i have floating around my head


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## big soft moose (1 Oct 2010)

Gandy - if you ever get over to yandles (at martock in somerset) they have offcut bins from which you can pick up little bits of wood for pence - mainly corner offcuts from converting squares into round turning blanks- I generally do about 20 notes worth when i'm over that way.


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## gandy (1 Oct 2010)

id love too, as ive ordered from them in the past, and have had friends tell me how much thay have.

i do travel from time to time *cough* when i can afford it*cough* and im sure one day i'll be that way and pop in, and spend lots of money and tary and get home on the train with lots of wood hahaha


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## Oakbear (2 Oct 2010)

Thanks Andy, those plugs look excellent!
I can't wait to get them!
Thankyou very much indeed!


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## gandy (2 Oct 2010)

no worries!


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## jpt (2 Oct 2010)

Would the end of pen blanks be any good, I have loads of off cuts which are about 1" long and 3/4" square?

john


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## skeetoids (2 Oct 2010)

Hi Gandy.

I'm in the process of turning a purple heart bowl. It started off as a square so I have the offcuts from the corners.

Your welcome to them if you want them, probably about 3-4" long x 1-2" wide, like a toblerone shape.

Let me know?

Cheers,

Lee.


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## gandy (2 Oct 2010)

john, yeah little ends like that i can use for inlays, pendants, ring cabs and the such are they mostly native? exotic? or a mix? if you'd like i have a few native (beech, hornbeam) and a few other "unknown" pen blanks you could have in return?

lee. thanks to the kind offer, but ive found purple heart brings me in a rash just from handleing it for a few minutes i dont know if the dust is bad for me, because ive never got the point of making it into dust whitch is a shame because i think it looks quite nice.


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