Desk set - brainstorm help needed

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punkinn

punkinn

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Arroyo Grande, CA, USA.
Hi all,

I need some brainstorming help here. (pretty please?)

I want to make a desk set for a special friend of mine; she is a writer (hence the deskset idea), loves my pens, and is also an avid horsewoman. I don't have any carving skills but my boyfriend will help me with the woodworking. All I can come up with is something involving a horseshoe-shaped base to hold the pen(s) but I'm not terribly happy with that.

Does anyone have any creative input to spur me along (cough - horse-pun not intended)? I'm not sure what wood I will be working with, but quite possibly the base will be black walnut with the pen wood complimenting that, not matching it, I don't think.

Help!!!! I don't have too long, only a week and a half to get this done!

MANY thanks...
Nancy
 
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Well, I really liked your Amboyna desk set, I think that is
awesome. (It inspired me to do that with some el grandes.)
Don't you think she would like your Amboyna desk set?
 
You want ideas. I am also a writer. On top of my computer sets a reproduction of an antique ink pot with a quill pen. I have kept it there since I first began using computers, about 20 years. It is there to remind me that what we create comes from the mind of man, not a metal box full of electronic whizzies. You might want to look for something like that and make a method of resting the modern pen next to it. As a writer, she is sure to understand the message. Martin Luther wrote over 500 books with a quill pen.
 
punkinn what type of riding does she do?

If she is into Arabian (whatever its called) look at some of the jumps they have to do and make the desk set like one of those. Gives your boyfriend something to do.

If its rodeo style look into that.

Not sure if that is what you were looking for. Also not sure if you would have the time to do it.
 
I like the horseshoe idea with a nice decorative routed edge. A full horse shoe shape with the inner portion cut out as well. Basically a wooden replica of one.

Then I would make a pen and pencil set which drop into the legs of the horseshoe. The pen blanks could come from the center waste if you wanted also. What about then having your Boy friend hand carve you a horse rearing onto hits hind legs. That could be attached to the top rounded portion of the shoe.

Just to get ideas rolling... I usually start with an idea, and then make it up as I go along.

Fangar
 
Originally posted by airrat
<br />punkinn what type of riding does she do?

If she is into Arabian (whatever its called) look at some of the jumps they have to do and make the desk set like one of those. Gives your boyfriend something to do.

If its rodeo style look into that.

Not sure if that is what you were looking for. Also not sure if you would have the time to do it.
Click to expand...

Tom, she does competitive trail riding. So I guess more western-style than dressage.

Nancy
 
Originally posted by Fangar
<br />I like the horseshoe idea with a nice decorative routed edge. A full horse shoe shape with the inner portion cut out as well. Basically a wooden replica of one.

Then I would make a pen and pencil set which drop into the legs of the horseshoe. The pen blanks could come from the center waste if you wanted also. What about then having your Boy friend hand carve you a horse rearing onto hits hind legs. That could be attached to the top rounded portion of the shoe.

Just to get ideas rolling... I usually start with an idea, and then make it up as I go along.

Fangar
Click to expand...

Dear Fang, [;)]

The BF doesn't carve either... well not yet, he's presently working on a replica of a Duncan Phyfe lyre-back chair for me, and his first carving will be the lyre splat. Nothing like jumping in with both feet, eh? lol

Anyone out there have any real horseshoe nails? That would be kinda cool... to cut them off and embed them into the wood of the horseshoe.

Hmmm...... Anyone? Anyone? Buehler? [:D]

Nancy
 
Not sure if you would want used ones. They are usually in pretty bad shape when pulled out of the horses hoof. I can check at my mom's house later today and see if she has any. Been years since we had horses, she just raises beef now.
 
How about a horse shoe shaped wood, mounted on a base at an incline (say 60 degrees) and use it either to frame the pen holder in the middle...OR... use it as the pen holder itself where you can put the pen on horizontal suspended on the sides of the horse shoe.

Not sure if you can picture what I mean though [B)].
 
Originally posted by Dario
<br />How about a horse shoe shaped wood, mounted on a base at an incline (say 60 degrees) and use it either to frame the pen holder in the middle...OR... use it as the pen holder itself where you can put the pen on horizontal suspended on the sides of the horse shoe.

Not sure if you can picture what I mean though [B)].
Click to expand...

I think I'm following you... that sounds interesting, Dario. Hmmmm!

Nancy
 
Nancy; How about something to represent riding gear or horse gear. A spur, briddle & bit (whatever they call that thing that goes in the mouth). Or if you want to get silly, turn her a replicate of a "road apple" with the pen sticking out.

OK I admit, we don't ride horsed up here and it's a real B..... to get a saddle on a brown bear.
[:D][:D][:D]

David
Juneau, AK
 
Nancy,

make it real easy and still get the 'look'. Go to crafting store like Michaels and search for the area that has stamped brass pieces such as the head of a horse or perhaps a stamped horseshoe and imbed the decorative stampings on a nice 'select' piece of wood. I made a desk organizer recently and used such a design motif.

-Peter-[:)]
 
Originally posted by Fangar
<br />Good idea. Why re-invent the wheel...

Horshoe of wood with one of the decorative brass cutouts somehow. Get to work!

Fangar
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SIR, YES SIR! [:p]

&lt;awakes from basic training flashback&gt;

Nancy [;)]
 
Square cut concrete nails look just like horseshoe nails and are available at any hardware store if you cant find any real horseshoe nails in time. You may be able to bend the nails in such a way (corkscrew) that they are the pen holders.
 
Originally posted by guts
<br />not much of a designer but basic training?
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I was in the Army a loooong time ago; right out of high school. Played in the 1st US Army Band. Those were good years (and I was just young enough to take basic training as a game - lol).

Nancy
 
Originally posted by Randy_
<br />Another option would be to find a picture or graphic that is connected to riding and have it laser engraver on the stand...a picture of her horse??
Click to expand...

My first idea Randy, but she said she was under a time constraint. That might be an issue.

Fangar
 
Check this one out. http://www.promopeddler.com/Detail/84838/M8293

Here is a neat one with built in ink wells. Maybe for a fountain pen idea. http://www.rubylane.com/ni/shops/longagoantiques/iteml/2285#pic1

If it's a fountain pen, I think Fangar did a real nice snakewood with a base that held the ink jar. Maybe see if an ink jar would fit in the middle of a horseshoe and incorporate that into the base.
 
Planning update:

I have a reasonably-sized horseshoe for a template (I didn't know these things came in different sizes!)... ten nice shiny new horseshoe nails (thanks, local farm store!) and two chunks of redwood burl coming tomorrow from globalwoodsource.com (thanks Russ!).

I'm planning on doing a forward-slanting wedge-shape, similar to my amboyna desk set, but the shape (cut-out) will be the horseshoe... a little 'avant-gard' look (I hope), and the wedge shape should give me a lot of wood showing in the back portion (the redwood burl will deserve to be shown!) and give it some style as well. I decided to use a single pen, at the peak of the bend of the shoe rather than two pens at the ends of the shoe, much like the picture of the silver one posted by Tanner.

Wood is supposed to be here tomorrow by noon... I promise pictures will be forthcoming. [:)] I'm keepin my fingers crossed that this can be done like I see it in my mind...

Nancy
 
Originally posted by Fangar
<br />Wholey Moley! The globalburlsource.com has some nice looking wood. Their prices are SKY HIGH though.

Cheers,

Fangar
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No way! I've gotten the best prices I have found anywhere from Russ at Global. The amboyna for the desk set came from there; it was dirt cheap for the excellent quality of the wood - $16 for that piece! I'm getting the two big (12"+) redwood burl chunks for $10 each. Plus he always goes out of his way, taking photos of the pieces, including close-ups of grain, and he's fast; if I need something, my emails are always answered within an hour.

Clock ticking, I can't wait until they get here! [:)]
Nancy
 
'Nuther update. No wood until Monday. Our area doesn't have 2nd day air by noon service, according to UPS. Grrrr! [:(!]

Ack. Now I have to take a day off next week to make this thing... sigh.

Well, I milled the kauri instead. This is some nice lookin wood. Very porous though. I have my first blanks in the vacuum w/ Minwax wood hardener. I think all this wood is going to need stabilizing.

Nancy
 
Originally posted by punkinn
No way! I've gotten the best prices I have found anywhere from Russ at Global. The amboyna for the desk set came from there; it was dirt cheap for the excellent quality of the wood - $16 for that piece! I'm getting the two big (12"+) redwood burl chunks for $10 each. Plus he always goes out of his way, taking photos of the pieces, including close-ups of grain, and he's fast; if I need something, my emails are always answered within an hour.

Clock ticking, I can't wait until they get here! [:)]
Nancy
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I was commenting on some of his listed prices. For example Thuya burl pen blank for $8.00. Purple Heart pent blank for $10.00. I must be missing something. I think it might be the way his site is set up. It is not clear how many blanks you are getting for $10.00. ?????

Reference:
http://www.globalwoodsource.com/store.php?ctgid=12
http://www.globalwoodsource.com/store.php?ctgid=17

Anyway, that was a great price for the burl he sent you and also sounds like a nice price on the Redwood.

Cheers,

Fangar
 
I was commenting on some of his listed prices. For example Thuya burl pen blank for $8.00. Purple Heart pent blank for $10.00. I must be missing something. I think it might be the way his site is set up. It is not clear how many blanks you are getting for $10.00. ?????

Reference:
http://www.globalwoodsource.com/store.php?ctgid=12
http://www.globalwoodsource.com/store.php?ctgid=17

Anyway, that was a great price for the burl he sent you and also sounds like a nice price on the Redwood.
Click to expand...

Oh wow, I haven't ever looked at those! I see what you mean, but I can't imagine purpleheart is $10 a piece. That must be for several although I don't see where it says so. I bought a lot of amboyna blanks with sapwood from him a while back and they were $6 each, which I thought was okay, but not great. But they were really beautiful pieces so I didn't mind after I got them. [:)]

Best regards,
Nancy
 
I've been to their store a few times and they have a nice selection of exotic woods. It's an interesting place just to walk around and check out the different woods. They sell amboyna and other woods by the pound, which I have found to be a better way to lower the actual price of the end blank. Sometimes the amboya blocks are very light by weight. Like anyone who knows the value of what they're selling, they're not going to give it away.

Pat
 
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