# More Flawed Hawthorn



## Walney Col (20 Jan 2015)

This time it's been flawed deliberately. 

I got another small wonderful lump of hawthorn of an abourist pal the other day. The trunk had grown with a distinctly heart-shaped cross section and knowing I liked odd looking lumps of wood she put it aside for me then promptly forgot about it. So by the time I eventually got it the ends were already cracked a good inch deep despite her belatedly painting it to try and prevent it cracking any further and it gave me a bit of an idea.

Seeing as it's only about 6" long anyway why not go along with the "broken hearted" theme and see exactly how bad I can break it? haha
This is where we're starting from...









It's already been in a centrally heated environment for the best part of a month but I'm about to up the ante and sit it on top of the radiator. 

The general idea is that once it's stable I'll fill the cracks/glue it back together with blood red casting resin (what else), cut it into slices, maybe scroll saw some painfully cliche'd blurb about being broken hearted on em, and see what I get. It may not be subtle but it makes me smile wondering how corny I can get it. 

Col.


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## SimonT (20 Jan 2015)

Great idea, will look forward to the corny blurb and pics


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## Walney Col (20 Jan 2015)

I've been holding a caption competition of face book, these are the entries so far:-

You crack me up
Don't worry, I hugged it first!
"One careful owner"
Broken but still lovable.
your are the tree on which i lean
fragile heart handle with care
Our Love will grow
mend my heart


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## Claymore (20 Jan 2015)

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## nadnerb (20 Jan 2015)

Hi Col
you could use it for divorces as well "you broke my heart, you puppy"
I'll get my coat....
Regards
Brendan


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## SimonT (20 Jan 2015)

nadnerb":1csm7yss said:


> Hi Col
> you could use it for divorces as well "you broke my heart, you puppy"
> I'll get my coat....
> Regards
> Brendan



=D> =D>


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## Walney Col (20 Jan 2015)

Claymore":24kfhwy6 said:


> Why don't you go the whole hog and make a musical box with it that plays Wooden Heart..... if ya like a bit of Don Williams "Some broken hearts never mend" lol
> Think that sea air is getting to ya Colin 9-)


Oh they're both great suggestions. That don williams one in particular has been a firm favourite of mine for decades!


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## Walney Col (20 Jan 2015)

nadnerb":2v7h9l6p said:


> Hi Col
> you could use it for divorces as well "you broke my heart, you puppy"
> I'll get my coat....
> Regards
> Brendan


Another musical box perhaps? "My D. I. V. O. R. C. E. became final today!"


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## Claymore (20 Jan 2015)

...........


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## bugbear (21 Jan 2015)

Walney Col":1m4uiu41 said:


> This time it's been flawed deliberately.



That's a good creative idea. It's also a wonderful demonstration of how important proper seasoning
is - by demonstrating the alternative!

BugBear


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## Walney Col (22 Jan 2015)

They're coming along nicely. Moisture content is currently around 18% (down from 34% a couple of days ago). They need to drop to around 10% before I can start cutting.


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## nadnerb (22 Jan 2015)

Looking good Col, I am looking forward to seeing the finished article
Regards
Brendan


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## Walney Col (26 Jan 2015)

Three days of forced drying on the radiator has left the pieces with a moisture content of zero and cracks you could drive a bus through.














Next job is to see if I can flatten them a bit. I'm hoping to get 5 or 6mm thick out of most of them but I've one in particular (second photo) that I should be able to flatten to nearer 25mm and maybe mount a music box mechanism in the back.

The resin was el-cheapo "water clear casting resin" bought off ebay and the "inca gold metal flake" (also ebay) I decided to go with instead of a solid red pigment was a beggar to use (i.e. I'm now wearing sparkly clothes haha) but it looks downright charming suspended in the resin.

More to come as and when I get them flattened.

Col.


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## Claymore (26 Jan 2015)

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## Walney Col (4 Feb 2015)

After a couple of weeks of pretty intense weather I finally got out to the shed today to flatten my bits of hawthorn. I used an 80 grit wheel mounted in my mini lathe to flatten the front of each piece completely but only did the backs enough so prevent them rocking as I cut them. I got some curious results from the drying process. The thickest piece (25mm, top centre in the photo) broke clean in half and had to be glued back together, while the thinnest piece which is less than 10mm (bottom left in photo) cracked the least.








Now all I have to do is decide what phrase to carve on each of them. The thick one is going to be hollowed out at the back to take a clock mechanism, the rest are probably going to be wall-hanging plaques.

Col.


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## nadnerb (4 Feb 2015)

Hi Col 
They turned out well, keep us informed of your progress!!
Regards
Brendan


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## Walney Col (7 Feb 2015)

Got the lettering in the first heart cut and filled in yesterday, this is what it looks like, now lots of sanding and polishing to make the gold flakes really stand out clear.








Col.


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## Claymore (7 Feb 2015)

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## John15 (7 Feb 2015)

Very nice indeed Colin,

John


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## bugbear (7 Feb 2015)

Good idea, well carried out.

BugBear


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## Woodmonkey (7 Feb 2015)

Nice work, well done for saving what most would've rejected for firewood


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## Walney Col (10 Feb 2015)

First Broken Hearted hawthorn piece finished. Mounting ideas anyone? I'm sending this one to Jennie Jones in California who suggested the phrase on facebook but I'm torn between mounting it in a deep box frame or attaching magnets to the back so it can be used as a coaster or hung on the fridge. What would you want do with it?


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## martinka (10 Feb 2015)

Looking at the photos, I'd say it wants to be hung somewhere with light behind it. See through in the daytime and glitter at night.
Great job.


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## Walney Col (10 Feb 2015)

martinka":1lwmklzn said:


> Looking at the photos, I'd say it wants to be hung somewhere with light behind it. See through in the daytime and glitter at night.
> Great job.


Good idea Martin. On a rubber sucker on the inside of a kitchen window or glass paneled exterior door perhaps.


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## rob39 (10 Feb 2015)

Very nice Col


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## Walney Col (11 Feb 2015)

Thanks Rob.


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## thedax (13 Feb 2015)

Nice work


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## Walney Col (22 Feb 2015)

I used silver flakes on the writing on this one to add a bit of contrast with the gold in the cracks but I'm not terribly impressed with the way it came out.










We move house next saturday so it might be a while before I've got anything else to show.

Col.


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## Claymore (22 Feb 2015)

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## Walney Col (22 Feb 2015)

Thanks Brian.

We're moving back to west yorkshire to be nearer the family. We've had a good run for our money here playing with boats and scrambling up fells and what not but I barely get out of the house now so a lot of the attraction of living in cumbria's gone. The move has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that here I'm working mainly on the doorstep and where's we're going we'll have a nice cosy garage and an extension, honest! ;-)


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## Claymore (22 Feb 2015)

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## nadnerb (22 Feb 2015)

Hi Colin
What can I say? Well worth the wait, they look fantastic.
Regards
Brendan


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## Walney Col (22 Feb 2015)

Claymore":35kla0cj said:


> ps there will be more craft venues when you move to Yorkshire.... will ya be having a stall or two?


There's very little chance of me ever doing craft fairs Brian. For one thing these hearts are the first thing I've ever made more than one of, and for another thing I work so slowly that nobody would be willing to pay for the number of hours I put into a project. For me it's all about figuring out how to make something unique and seeing the look of delight on someone's face when I give them it.

Col.


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