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## Claymore (24 May 2016)

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## Woodchips2 (24 May 2016)

Hi Brian, I will certainly find it interesting (hammer) 

Good luck with this big project =D> 

Regards Keith


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## Stooby (25 May 2016)

Hello Brian, I second Keith. I would be fascinated to watch this project develop. Good luck with it.


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## donwatson (25 May 2016)

Thanks Brian,
I will be following this with a lot of interest


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## beganasatree (26 May 2016)

Hi Brian, I also will be following this,.

Peter


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## Claymore (26 May 2016)

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## donwatson (26 May 2016)

Excellent stuff Brian


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## Claymore (27 May 2016)

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## Woodchips2 (27 May 2016)

Claymore":onyrjeu5 said:


> The Z Hanger bars have arrived today and look ideal for the Kite project, they cost £37.00 so better be good :shock:
> Cheers Naz for the info on these, never heard of French Cleats until you mentioned these.
> Brian


Ouch! You can make them out of two lengths of 2"x1" planing a chamfer on both pieces if you haven't got a table saw or a bandsaw. They are surprisingly strong for hanging wall cupboards etc.

Regards Keith


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## Claymore (27 May 2016)

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## NazNomad (27 May 2016)

Pfft, is that all you've done? :-" :-" 


Looking good so far.


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## Woodchips2 (27 May 2016)

Claymore":porm74t7 said:


> aye Keith...... they were expensive but will do as you suggest for the next one..... I am getting paid well for it so not too bothered this time....
> They are a simple idea but i can see how they would work well for cupboards as well, do they also need to screw tha cupboards to the wooden cleats or do they just hang? pardon my ignorance but its all new to me.
> Cheers
> Brian


Yes Brian screw one cleat to the item to be fixed and the other cleat to the wall. You also need to screw another plain batten to either the wall or the bottom of the cupboard so the cupboard doesn't tilt. The posh ones you bought make the fixing a lot thinner and for a well paid job will look nicer.

Regards Keith


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## AES (27 May 2016)

Looking really good Brian. Thanks for posting.

Just as an aside, the Red Kites here ("Rote Milan") are said to have a wingspan of up to 1.1 Metres (i.e. a bit over 40 inches, but that's the biggest ones). I THINK the ones in Scotland are a LITTLE smaller wingspan (correct?), if so your new project is getting on for 1.5 times full size! No wonder it's going to be heavy!

Still want to see pix of it being installed at the Visitor's Centre.

AES


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## Claymore (27 May 2016)

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## AES (28 May 2016)

Ah, interesting. The book I consulted here suggested ours were sometimes the biggest "in Europe". Obviously they don't include UK (and/or just Scotland?) as part of Europe ("Fog in the Channel. Continent cut off", and all that).  

Though I haven't of course seen your work "in the flesh" so to speak, from what I've seen here I can well understand why visitors are enthusiastic about it. Well deserved. When you go to the Visitor's Centre, do you/does your better half make sure that you've cleaned your shoes and got all the dried glue off your hands?

If so I suggest you don't bother next time, then the other visitors will think you're just the local handy man come to fix the loos or something!  

Keep up the good work and thanks for posting.

AES

An after though P.S: Interesting that you see the birds on the ground. We almost never see that here. On a post perhaps (rarely) but normally either flying, landing after something they've seen (but they never stay down very long) or up in the trees, of which we have plenty here.


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## Claymore (28 May 2016)

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## AES (28 May 2016)

Sounds like a great visit Brian. They fly low over our house quite a lot (but I've never had my camera handy, shame - and one day I sat outside for over an hour, all ready to go, but of course not a sniff)! But I guess we don't have more than 3 or 4 pairs around here regularly.

We also have quite a few "moise buzzarde" (mouse buzzards?) which are a similar size and colouring but as far as I can see, the only difference is the kite has a forked-ish tail whereas the m.b. has a pretty blunt delta shape tail. The m.b. wings are slightly "stumpier" (lower aspect ratio) too.

Your Centre sounds great though, yet another item to add to our list. But it's a bit far from here though. Where's your nearest airport, or what about the train?

Sorry for the thread drift. Keep up the good work and posts please.

AES


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## Claymore (1 Jun 2016)

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## donwatson (1 Jun 2016)

It's looking good Brian


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## Claymore (2 Jun 2016)

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## jonluv (2 Jun 2016)

Fantastic Brian--- good luck with a wonderful project
John


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## Claymore (2 Jun 2016)

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## AES (3 Jun 2016)

That head looks excellent Brian. Very well done - though after all the previous examples of your work that you've posted, we didn't expect anything less, did we chaps? 

It looks really great, looking forward to seeing it all finished.

AES


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## tomasgursky (3 Jun 2016)

Stunning work. Love it.


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## donwatson (3 Jun 2016)

I am completely enthralled by the whole project. I am still having problems finding suitable wood.


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## Claymore (3 Jun 2016)

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## Claymore (3 Jun 2016)

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## NazNomad (3 Jun 2016)

Bloody Hell, Brian ... You're dragging this one out a bit. :-D

That looks amazing.


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## donwatson (3 Jun 2016)

Brian,
I have been to the local recycling centre and they won't discuss it. They even threatened to charge me if I took anything. There are a couple of large charity shops that I could visit locally.


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## Claymore (9 Jun 2016)

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## donwatson (9 Jun 2016)

That bird looks deadly Brian. Wouldn't want to meet that on a dark night.


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## NazNomad (9 Jun 2016)

donwatson":3ahy0pdp said:


> That bird looks deadly Brian. Wouldn't want to meet that on a dark night.



Unlikely, they aren't nocturnal. :-D


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## AES (9 Jun 2016)

Brian, that giant red kite is looking superb. I'm sure the centre will be absolutely delighted with it.

As I understood your OP, it's going to be installed on the outside of the building, and I assume that up there in "the world & woolly norf" it will be pretty exposed to some strong weather, even if partly shielded (under the eaves for example). So can we hear a bit more about the finish/es you're using please?

TIA

AES


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## Claymore (9 Jun 2016)

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## AES (10 Jun 2016)

OK Brian understood about finishes, for some reason I thought it was going outside.

Blimey, let us know what blades you'll be using in your scroll saw to cut stone & shell - LOL.  

AES


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## Claymore (10 Jun 2016)

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## AES (10 Jun 2016)

Thinking about it Brian, I guess my "jokey" idea about scroll saw blades maybe not so daft after all? I have some very fine-toothed jewellers blades which work fine in my Excali for sheet metals (inc 3 mm mild steel) so I guess that provided the shell material was flat, they would work OK on shell - perhaps even on softer stone like sand stone if the speed was set dead slow? I dunno.

And of course Dremel do cut off discs in various materials and thicknesses so that may be OK for stone (but no idea how you'd clamp stone - or shell - to the bench for cutting if it was a bit irregular shape to start with).

AES


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## Claymore (10 Jun 2016)

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## AES (11 Jun 2016)

Brian wrote: Easiest way is to use sand bags to steady irregular rocks on a nice solid bench ... UNQUOTE:

Yeah, obvious when you think about it I suppose, thanks. But it hadn't occurred to me at all - the nearest I'd got to it was thinking about some soft foam or something to take up the uneven shape underneath. Just as well that I'm not planning anything like that!

AES


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## donwatson (20 Jun 2016)

Claymore":31dpsctn said:


> Hi,
> I have now finished the Kites head, made from 1 1/2" Beech with a black Corian eye ball and beak sections... the white dot is also white Corian and I drilled a 6mm hole in the eye and made a small 6mm corian dowel and glued it into the eyeball I then sanded and shaped the eye so its flush and then polished the lot with T Cut paste for a mirror finish (looks much better in real life)
> The Yellow is actually Bolgers yellow wood dye with a touch of red dye mixed with water and I left the beak/eye parts soaking in it overnight and today stood them in full sunshine for few hours and the colours come out just as I hoped (it will have a waxed finish along with the whole kite when its finished)
> Here's a piccy of todays work.
> ...



Brian,
I see you have made the head from Beech, Is it left natural or stained. I am thinking it looks quite white and was wondering if you had used some sort of paint/stain. I have a project in mind that has some white parts in it and they will need painted I think.

take care
Don W


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## Claymore (30 Jun 2016)

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## NazNomad (30 Jun 2016)

No mistaking it for any other bird, it looks fantastic.


_For the uninitiated, Red Kites have a forked tail._


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## Walney Col (30 Jun 2016)

A stunning piece Brian, you must be very proud. 

Col.


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## linkshouse (1 Jul 2016)

That looks magnificent Brian, but then it is what we've come to expect from you.

I hope the weather is kind to you today, as I'm looking forward to seeing 'proper' photos of it. Perhaps you could take some once it is installed to if the Kite Centre will allow it.

Regards

Phill


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## Austinisgreat (1 Jul 2016)

Simply Brilliant (and anything BUT simple).

Cheers

Andrew


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## Claymore (1 Jul 2016)

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## n0legs (1 Jul 2016)

Claymore":1cvrcozd said:


> Cheers everyone and here's a photo of the Kite next to my Yeti to give you an idea of the size of the thing
> I will be delivering it early next week and as soon as its up on the wall of the Red Kite Centre I will take some more photo's.
> 
> Cheers
> Brian




That's brilliant =D>


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## donwatson (1 Jul 2016)

Thanks Brian. I am amazed at the work in this and speechless. Well done.


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## beganasatree (2 Jul 2016)

Hi Brian, 
That is TRULY AWESOME,I hope that they put a plaque next to it with your name etc,.

Peter.


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## scrimper (2 Jul 2016)

Fantastic piece of work!


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## martinka (2 Jul 2016)

my gob is well and truly smacked


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## Woodchips2 (3 Jul 2016)

It's turned out great Brian. Very well done =D> =D> =D> 

Do you know how many hours it took you?

Regards Keith


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## Claymore (3 Jul 2016)

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## Buffalo Chas (3 Jul 2016)

Absolutely fantastic Brian. =D> 

Well done for having the courage to take on such a large piece. Looking forward to your next great piece. Keep them coming please.

Charley


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## lanemaux (4 Jul 2016)

Brian , that is just so awesome. Seen as a piece entire and given scale with the vehicle I can now imagine what it would look like in situ . Bravo!


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## AES (4 Jul 2016)

Superb piece of work Brian, not just the size but the colours and the overall look of the thing. I heard somewhere that the definition of a true craftsman is someone who does the absolute best that he can - you and you work certainly belong in that category.

AES

Edit for P.S. look forward to seeing some pix of the bird after it's installed.


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## Alexam (16 Jul 2016)

Hi Brian,

that a fantastic achievement to have made such a splendid work of that size. Your best ever. It just shows what can be done when you have possitive thoughts. No end to your intarsia talents.

Malcolm


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## Claymore (29 Aug 2016)

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## Claymore (29 Aug 2016)

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## AES (29 Aug 2016)

Looks great Brian, but as you say, a 20 footer wouldn't go amiss on that big wall - there's a challenge for you mate!

Pity no pix of the farmer's lads hanging it, and I really do miss the paparazzi shot of you being savaged by the goat! Should I buy the News of the World next Sunday?  

Seriously, a lovely job Sir.

=D> =D> 

AES


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## dynax (29 Aug 2016)

Truly inspirational, as is all the work i have seen regarding intarsia, when funds allow i will get myself a scroll saw and have go, i aready have some walnut and maple from previous projects that i can use when my skills develop, thanks for sharing,
Mike.


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